SkyePharma PLC has sub-let part of its laboratories in Muttenz, Switzerland to the Aenova Group. The new development center employs 15 skilled staff, including 11 staff members recruited under an agreement with SkyePharma’s oral formulation and oral analytical development team.

Aenova will use the Muttenz development center to expand its oral product development activities, as well as carrying out oral product formulation and analytical services for SkyePharma on a sub-contract basis. SkyePharma will continue to offer oral drug delivery solutions through its business development team led by Dr. Pierre Delavaud, executive vice president of sales and business development, and supported by Dr. Guy Vergnault, vice president of oral drug delivery solutions.

SkyePharma's chief executive officer, Peter Grant, said, “We are pleased that so many of SkyePharma’s skilled technical staff have taken jobs with Aenova at the same labs in Muttenz, and remain available for our future oral development projects. The alliance with Aenova has provided an important opportunity to increase the utilization of our Lyon facility, generate rental income and enable SkyePharma to focus on its core business of developing drug delivery solutions for the global pharmaceutical industry. Through this further alliance we retain the capability to offer innovative oral drug delivery solutions, using the same staff on a sub-contract basis for lab work. Our Muttenz business will continue to operate competitively but with lower fixed costs, providing greater flexibility for our new business and R&D activities.”