UK drug development firm RxCelerate expands in US

Contract drug developer RxCelerate has opened an office in Massachusetts to expand its medicinal chemistry, antibody discovery, and preclinical safety services throughout North America.

RxCelerate has existing clients in Boston, but executive vice president of US operations Laura Hamilton told us it hopes the new office in neighbouring Cambridge will increase its client base stateside.   

“We have worked with several clients in the US and are confident that we can grow our footprint in the North American market,” she told us.

According to Hamilton, the move looks to establish long-term working relationships with biopharmaceutical firms in the "established and organised" area.

“We wanted to grow into a region where our work could generate recurring business,” she added.

Hamilton did not disclose whether the firm was planning to expand elsewhere within the US, or abroad.

“At present, we are focused on building our US presence in Cambridge, MA,” she said.

Boston's biotech

The Boston region is attracting increasing interest from firms offering contract, drug development services.

In January this year, German Merck said it would build a biodevelopment centre to be near Boston’s biotech hub, where it would offer process and cell line development services.

In May, contract research organisation (CRO) KCR announced it was moving to a new office in Boston, a city CEO Mike Jagielski told Outsourcing-Pharma at the time was “where money and research meet on the East coast.”