Life science technology spin-out signs UK distribution contract

A SCOTTISH life sciences company whose technology improves efficiency in the laboratory has signed its first UK distribution contract.

ImmunoSolv, a spin out company from Edinburgh University's College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, sealed the exclusive deal with Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS), which has offices in Coatbridge, Nottingham and Yorkshire.

Ruth Murray, chief executive of Edinburgh-based ImmunoSolv expects the SLS deal to increase sales 20-fold in six months.

Previously Murray and another member of staff at ImmunoSolv had sold their technology directly to scientists; now the company will be able to draw on SLS's team of up to 40 sales staff.

The group's technology works by identifying and removing dead cells from laboratory experiments.

A study carried out for the Scottish Government said the market for dead cell removal products is worth about 5 million.

Murray said she had initially sold the company's product, Dead Cert, directly to prove there was demand, but had always intended to find a distributor.

Murray told The Scotsman: "This is a hugely important step for us. We're very much a research and development biotechnology business – we see our role as developing the technology, we have no ambition to have warehouses and fleets of delivery lorries.

"If we can get a decent slice of the UK market then we'll be doing really, really well," she added.

At present, ImmunoSolv has two full-time members of staff and a number of people who work on a consultancy basis, including Christopher Gregory, the company's chief scientific officer and professor of inflammatory cell biology at Edinburgh University.

But Murray thinks she will hire more staff to fulfil orders through SLS and wants to sign further distribution agreements in Europe and North America.

Dead Cert consists of two kits: the first contains antibodies that detect dead and dying cells; the second includes magnetic nano-particles that bind to them. When a magnet passes over a culture, the nanoparticles drag the dead cells away.

ImmunoSolv said removing dead cells "increases the efficiency of growing healthy cells and can yield clearer experiment results".

Colin Robertson, manager at Nexxus, the central Scotland bioscience network, said: "ImmunoSolv is a small Scottish life science company with the capability to develop the type of innovative technology that is required to keep Scotland at the forefront of the global life science industry."