Invention to cut animal tests in £100m market

Sep 11 2008 by Chris Knox, The Journal

A LIFE sciences company is one step closer to establishing itself as an alternative to animal testing thanks to a £750,000 private equity boost.

Durham University spinout company Reinnervate has received the cash to help put its cell technology on the market and believes its can turn over £20m within five years.

The firm, which has worked from the university since starting in 2002, received most of the cash from Newcastle venture capital firm NorthStar Equity Investors, with additional funds provided by private investors.

It has already carried out a number of clinical trials and is in talks with a major overseas medical research company to establish its first licence agreement.

The technology, developed by Dr Stefan Przyborski, allows cells to be cultivated in realistic three-dimensional conditions closer to the way cells grow in tissues in the human body rather than the traditional flat surface of a Petri dish.

This will allow drug research companies to carry out most of their tests using the technology rather than animal or human subjects.

Dr Przyborski said: “By using our technology to grow cells, scientists will be able to gain a more accurate understanding of how drugs will behave when introduced to the body.

“From a commercial perspective, our technology is not only the best on the market, but economical to produce, with the potential to save companies working towards clinical trials a great deal of money.”

The firm will move to Sedgefield science hub Netpark by the end of the year and expects to add 40 people to its small staff as its technology is sold on the mass market. Also supported by the Centre for Excellence in Life Sciences at Newcastle’s Centre for Life, it has benefited from guidance of investment specialist Ashley Cooper. Mr Cooper, now acting as Reinnervate’s chief executive, said: “Reinnervate has the potential to revolutionise how we test our drugs and greatly reduce the amount of tests that are done on animals. As our technology is the first of its kind, we are targeting a £100m market.”

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