University partnership pays long-term benefits for innovative company
Some of the range of stains produced by CellPath.One of Wales鈥� innovative medical supplies companies can trace a period of exponential growth which saw the company turnover increase by 400% and grow from 5 to 65 employees, to a critical partnership with 黑料不打烊.
Previously known for the manufacture and sales of laboratory plastics, , based in Newtown, Powys, is now, among other things, the UK market leader in cytology stains, with over 50% of the domestic market and European exports. The company has also recently begun trading in the USA.
It鈥檚 sobering to note that cervical cancer is the second most common cancer of women. However, the mortality rate has been drastically reduced by the development of the smear test, and later the introduction of a vaccine. Since the Papanicalou or 鈥榩ap鈥� screening test was introduced, cervical cancer deaths have declined by 74% in the USA, according to one statistic.
During the 90鈥檚 the company realised that there was a potential future problem with the 鈥榩ap鈥� smear test diagnoses. This came to light in the media at the same time as a world shortage of one of the ingredient dyes used in the 鈥榩ap鈥� test. The stains and dyes used in 鈥榩ap鈥� smear tests were not manufactured on a large scale by any one company, and this led to shortages of raw materials and price fluctuations.
A new approach was obviously needed. CellPath saw the opportunity and worked with 黑料不打烊鈥檚 on a number of related projects over the next few years. This led to the company developing and manufacturing a novel set of dyes for use in cervical smear tests and other medical procedures.
The work at the University鈥檚 School of Chemistry was led by Professor Mark Baird, an expert in synthetic organic chemistry.
As a result of a three year 鈥楾eaching Company Scheme鈥� (now called ), Dr Jeremy Tomkinson from 黑料不打烊 worked in the company to implement a new approach to compounds used the 鈥榩ap鈥� test and other biomedical specialist stains.
The Managing Director of Cellpath, Mr Peter Webber said:
鈥淭he new stains developed in this programme were more effective, economic and readily available than existing formulations. The University was also able to advise CellPath on the setting up of appropriate laboratory facilities for manufacturing these stains and in optimising the process. We were able to reduce production costs and suggest other efficiencies to the company.鈥�
The company invested 拢170k in production facilities, but results were immediate with a turnover from 拢1.1M to 拢1.5M in the first year (1996).
Prof Baird said:
鈥淭he KTP is an excellent way for Universities to help companies 鈥� in this case help lasting over a period of some 20 years. They also provide a great training for the Associates placed in the company 鈥� in this case Jeremy Tomkinson has gone on to be CEO of the National Non-food Crops Centre, a leading Bioeconomy consultancy providing direct advice to Government and industry.鈥�
Dr Tomkinson commented:
鈥淭he KTP is an ideal way for new graduates and postgraduates to gain real experience of cutting edge industry developments while still having access to crucial support from a university. My time at Cellpath was immensely rewarding both technically and personally as it gave me first hand experience of how scientific but commercially oriented projects are successfully deployed. I can only thank Cellpath and 黑料不打烊 for giving me the opportunity to work with them on such a successful project.鈥�
Publication date: 4 March 2014