Appointing Neil Rotherham as chairman of the board gives Preclinical Oncology Services Limited (Precos) access to the commercial and business development skills he gained at ClinPhone. Using this expertise Precos intends to position itself for growth as an independent company.
Having spun out of the University of Nottingham, UK, where it operated as a specialist business unit since 2004, Precos has “freedom to flourish”, Rotherham told Outsourcing-Pharma. Appointing Rotherham is one of a number of steps Precos has taken since spinning out.
Precos has moved to larger premises, is in the process of making a senior business development appointment and can add external capital. Taking these steps positions Precos to capitalise on growth in the oncology sector and the attrition-reducing capabilities of its preclinical screening.
Rotherham said Precos’ in vitro and in vivo preclinical screening technology can better predict clinical efficacy. More accurate predictions during preclinical help biopharm make informed decisions about which compounds to move into the clinic, saving time and money.
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is among the companies attracted by Precos’ screening capabilities, inking a minimum three-year rolling contract with the service provider. Rotherham said J&J have been supportive of the decision to spin out from the university.
University link
Precos uses technology developed at the University of Nottingham and the company continues to benefit from this link. In particular, Precos’ link to the academic hospital gives it access to tumour samples that are used in preclinical screening to more accurately predict clinical efficacy.
Also, Precos has a pipeline development deal with the oncology division at the university. Having access to this source of new technology could help Precos remain at the forefront of preclinical oncology research.
Finally, the expertise possessed by employees at Precos is beyond that at other companies, said Rotherham. This is a consequence of the company being formed by leaders in the field of preclinical oncology research.