Investment boost for Edinburgh life sciences firm rooted in world-famous Roslin Institute

A life sciences firm formed through a spin-out from the world-famous Roslin Institute is to tap into the fast-growing advanced therapy market after securing fresh investment.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

RoslinCT, which is a contract developer and manufacturer focused on advanced cell therapies, has received investment from Global Healthcare Opportunities (GHO), a European specialist investor focused on global healthcare.

Established in 2006 in Edinburgh, with support from Scottish Enterprise, RoslinCT was formed through an initial spin-out from the Roslin Institute, famous for the Dolly the Sheep clone.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Since 2014, the company has had a manufacturing base within the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine in a facility shared with the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. The firm recently expanded into facilities at the Edinburgh BioQuarter.

RoslinCT has a base at the Edinburgh BioQuarter at Little France, Edinburgh. Picture: Phil WilkinsonRoslinCT has a base at the Edinburgh BioQuarter at Little France, Edinburgh. Picture: Phil Wilkinson
RoslinCT has a base at the Edinburgh BioQuarter at Little France, Edinburgh. Picture: Phil Wilkinson

It is set to benefit from “exponential growth” in the advanced therapy market which is forecast to grow at up to 50 per cent annually.

With GHO’s backing, RoslinCT will ramp up its development and manufacturing capacity, supporting customer acquisition and product diversification.

Janet Downie of RoslinCT said: “GHO has a wealth of healthcare expertise which is key, as we look to drive global growth and expand our operations to meet rising international demand.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“With huge advancements being made in the cell therapy industry, RoslinCT is now perfectly positioned to truly become a global CDMO [contract development and manufacturing organisation], having gone from strength to strength in recent years. I see this as a very natural and exciting step for the business and we look forward to hitting further milestones with the backing of GHO.”

Legal firm Dentons, led by head of UK corporate Brian Moore, advised RoslinCT.

Malcolm Bateman, chief executive of the Roslin Foundation, said: “The Roslin Foundation has enjoyed working with the excellent team at RoslinCT over the years. This is a fantastic success story and we are confident that the company, in partnership with GHO, will continue to set the standard for high quality cell therapy manufacturing.

“We wish everyone involved all the best for the future.”

The partners at GHO Capital said: “RoslinCT is renowned for its best-in-class services in developing and manufacturing advanced cell therapies and we are delighted to partner with the team.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“With an established background in regenerative medicines and a strong foothold in Scotland as the leading centre for cell therapy research, RoslinCT, with our investment and specialist expertise, is uniquely positioned to drive the next stage of its growth.

“We look forward to realising the shared ambition for RoslinCT to become a global CDMO with commercialised cell therapy manufacturing capabilities.”

Professor Peter Mathieson, principal and vice-chancellor at the University of Edinburgh, added: “The Roslin Institute has a long history of successful spin-out companies. The partnership with GHO will enable RoslinCT to expand its activities in south-east Scotland.

“Roslin has been at the forefront of genetic bioscience for nearly 30 years and researchers at Roslin continue to contribute to advances in frontier bioscience underpinning both human and animal health.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The university and our partners - including the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service and Scottish Enterprise - continue to believe in the life-changing opportunities cell therapies can provide to treat cancer, genetic and other disorders and this deal further validates Edinburgh as a world-leading centre of cell therapy research and commercialisation.”

Read More
Life sciences firm set for expansion at Edinburgh BioQuarter

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. If you haven’t already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription: www.scotsman.com/subscriptions

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.