Private equity investor swoops for Derbyshire CRO

Concept Life Sciences – the integrated drug discovery, development and manufacturing organisation with a base in Derbyshire – has been snapped up by a major UK private equity investor in a carve-out from Spectris plc.

Limerston Capital’s swoop for the company will cement its position at the forefront of the pharmaceutical and life science sectors and provide a platform for further growth.

Concept’s team of 300 scientists and over 100 PhDs operates from state-of-the-art laboratory facilities in High Peak, Dundee, Edinburgh, Sandwich and Bradford.

Dr Ben Cliff has been appointed as CEO to direct the company’s growth strategy. He has been a part of Concept’s senior team for five years and previously worked for Intertek Pharmaceutical Services.

Cliff said: “Limerston Capital will be an excellent partner for our business, allowing us much greater commercial and technical focus so we can realise the company’s true potential and deliver the high value service our customers depend on to support their R&D activities.

“As well as the benefit of providing additional investment, Limerston Capital’s fully-integrated and dedicated operational and investment team will be invaluable to support the carve-out and accelerate our growth.”

Jane Grewar, senior operating partner of Limerston Capital, added: “We see enormous potential for the Concept Life Sciences business which is well positioned to benefit from high growth in the CRO market, with its strong pipeline of high-value, rapidly-growing services and a focus on highly invested therapeutic areas. The company’s excellent track record, highly-skilled team of scientists and industry-leading facilities, particularly in the high-growth areas of immunology, oncology and inflammation, make it a very attractive investment for Limerston Capital. We’re excited to be partnering with such a capable team.”

The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.