Drug group makes Euro base on Tyneside

Mar 12 2009 By The Journal

A GROWING Chinese drug development company has chosen the North East for its European base.

Nanjing Chuanbo Biotech Ltd has worked alongside development agency One North East and North East healthcare industry group Cels to open its UK arm Signalway Antibody (SAB) UK Co at International Business Centre in Gateshead.

The firm said it had chosen the North East for its high concentration of health firms as well as the support afforded to it by government agencies and said it was looking to create a number of jobs at the site and work with the region’s science community to develop a number of its drugs.

It is hoped its presence in the region, which was also supported by Gateshead Council, will open the doors for other Far Eastern business to come here as well as improve the North East’s relationship with companies in China to stimulate trade.

The firm has already been working closely with Cels and the North East Proteome Analysis Facility (Nepaf) on a potential joint venture to develop new advanced healthcare products such as personalised medicine.

General manager of Nanjing Chuanbo Biotech and SAB UK, Mr Hu Yunlong, said: "I’m impressed with the level of support found here in the North East of England.

"The pioneering development opportunities with Cels combined with state-of-the-art facilities at the business centre make the region seem like the ideal location to expand our operations into Europe." ONE signed a memorandum of understanding with the Jiangsu Science & Technology Commission in 2004.

ONE chairman Margaret Fay said: "China is brimming with exciting new and innovative companies and we are determined that the North East will be positioned to make the most of these opportunities, especially at this testing time.