Leading UK drug developer RxCelerate opens first US base in Boston

RxCelerate, one of the leading out-sourced drug discovery and development platforms in the United Kingdom, announced today it has hired Laura Hamilton as Executive Vice President, US Operations and opened an office in Cambridge, MA, just outside Boston. “We are bringing RxCelerate’s unique model for out-sourced drug discovery and development to the heart of the largest and most vibrant life sciences cluster on the planet” said Jill Reckless, CEO of RxCelerate.

RxCelerate offers a fully integrated discovery and development service to the pharma and biotech industry, ranging from medicinal chemistry, antibody discovery, preclinical safety and efficacy through to clinical proof of concept. “Contract Research Organisations often provide an excellent way of increasing capacity, acting as extra pairs of hands to perform experiments you design with them” said David Grainger, Executive Chairman at RxCelerate, “but RxCelerate is different. We are architects of drug discovery and development, rather than builders. Our clients need provide nothing more than the target they are interested in, and RxCelerate will deliver a pharma-grade product candidate and progress it into the clinic.”

Founded in 2012 in Cambridge, UK, the RxCelerate team has quickly grown to more than 40 experienced scientists. Clients range from entirely virtual start-ups, using RxCelerate as their infrastructure, through to three of the top fifteen global pharmaceutical companies. “With our home in Europe’s largest bioscience cluster, establishing a base in the epicenter of American biotech seemed to be the logical next step. We already have a number of US clients, but this new move brings us right to their doorstep” said Dr Reckless.

“As the Massachusetts life sciences cluster keeps growing, led by the cutting-edge research at our world-class hospitals and universities, the demand for out-sourced drug discovery and development platforms continues to increase,” said Robert K. Coughlin, President & CEO of Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio). “I’m confident that RxCelerate will help fill an important role in our state’s biopharma ecosystem.”

US operations will be led by Laura Hamilton, who has joined RxCelerate from the local industry trade association, MassBio: “There is huge demand for drug discovery and development services in the greater Boston area, and I look forward to introducing many more companies to the unique RxCelerate approach. I am certain RxCelerate can be as successful in Cambridge, MA, as they have been in Cambridge, UK.”

With Department for International Trade (DIT) support over the last two years, RxCelerate began to develop their international trade strategy and looked to expand their business abroad. DIT International Trade Advisers provided the company with local market insights, advice on export strategy and connected them to key target companies in the US, leading to a significant increase in export business in 2017, underpinning the opening of the US office.

Baroness Rona Fairhead, Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion, said: “We are delighted to support an exciting UK-grown biotech company as it takes its first steps into new markets. The goal of our department is to support UK companies, large and small, sell ever-more of their products and services overseas. RxCelerate is a great example of what can be achieved by a UK company taking advantage of global demand.”

RxCelerate are headquartered on the Babraham Research Campus, home to more than 30 life science companies. “We are deeply integrated into the life sciences ecosystem. With our new US base, that ecosystem just got a whole lot bigger” said Dr Grainger.