Eurofins Scientific, a provider of bioanalytical testing services, has unveiled plans to establish a new pharmaceutical chemistry and microbiology facility in Livingston, Scotland as part of a £4 million investment.

The announcement follows Eurofins’ acquisition of Exova’s pharmaceutical, food and water testing business in the UK and Ireland in July 2016, and the subsequent purchase of ILS’s pharmaceutical business in October 2016.

Significantly increasing its capacity in the UK, the 5,800 square meter facility at Brucefield Industry Park will house Eurofins’ Biopharmaceutical Testing business in the UK, currently based in Edinburgh. The first phase of the project will see the development of 1,400 square meters of lab space and creates the scope for significant expansion.

“It’s an exciting time for Eurofins as we strengthen our footprint in the UK and Ireland,” said Alison Clayton, general manager, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing. “The new facility offers significant capacity for future growth, as well as the space to take on new projects more rapidly and react to customer needs more flexibly. The purpose-built lab space will also help to improve productivity, meaning we can provide a more streamlined and efficient service to biopharmaceutical companies accessing our analytical testing services.”

From the new facility, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing UK will provide a range of GMP pharmaceutical testing services, including, but not exclusively method development and validation, finished product and raw material testing, elemental impurity testing, micro testing and stability studies.

As part of the investment, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing UK will be purchasing a new inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) machine, enabling the company to meet growing demand for this service. Eurofins will also invest in more high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipment, increasing its capacity by 40%.

“At Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing UK, we are committed to adapting and growing our offering in line with customers’ evolving needs,” said Ms. Clayton. “Following the introduction of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH), Q3D Guideline for Elemental Impurities relating to existing drug products in the US and Europe, we have seen greater demand for more quantitative methods of elemental analysis such as the use of ICP-MS technology. From January 1, 2018, these regulations will apply to both new and existing drug products, so by investing now, we are preparing for future demand and market requirements.”