Bio sector buys expertise

"There are plenty of biopharmaceuticals in the pipeline, so there is plenty of growth potential. Small companies in the bio field in particular are seeking to outsource the production operations needed for clinical trials," says Pirkko Suhonen, the CEO of Medipolis GMP Ltd.

Medipolis GMP, which provides production and process development services in biopharmaceuticals, specializes in microbial fermentation i.e. producing biopharmaceuticals in bacteria.

Medipolis GMP Ltd, which was established in 2001, is a company whose roots date back to development activities in the bio field in Oulu at the end of the 1990s. There is no other operator exactly similar in Finland, although contract manufacturing as a business activity is widespread in the bio sector and there are several providers of the service.

"Awareness of Medipolis has gradually increased - thanks to successful customer projects in which drugs have been produced successfully for clinical trials," Suhonen says.

Customers sought worldwide

Medipolis's customers are companies that develop biopharmaceuticals and need a drug for clinical trials. In particular, they are small companies which themselves do not have expertise in industrial production or the relevant skills in a quality system for drug production.

Potential customer projects are found mainly abroad. Projects are being sought on international markets and they can, Suhonen says, in principle come from anywhere in the world. At this moment the core market is Europe, especially Scandinavia, western Europe and Great Britain. The United States is the most important market for the biopharmaceuticals sector.

The contract manufacturing market for biopharmaceuticals is worth about 1.7 billion US dollars. By 2009 it is expected to have grown to about 4 billion dollars.

"The market is divided among several technologies, but there is growth potential. I believe that we will be able to grow with the market by specializing and acquiring our own specialized skills and recognition as a reliable supplier," Suhonen says.

>> www.medipolisgmp.com

The letters GMP after Medipolis stand for Good Manufacturing Practice.