Scottish Life Science firm Biopta expands

Biopta Ltd is to significantly expand its research and development capabilities and call for the greater use of human tissues in drug testing after securing its second round of investment.

A Glasgow-based life science firm that assists global pharmaceutical companies with the development of new drugs is to significantly expand its research and development capabilities and call for the greater use of human tissues in drug testing after securing its second round of investment. Biopta Ltd, which was spun-out from Glasgow Caledonian University in 2002, has secured in excess of ￡265,000 in funding from Braveheart Investment Group, TRI Cap and the Scottish Co-Investment Fund and will use the investment to develop its unique human tissue testing techniques. The company uses donated, residual human tissue collected from surgery to conduct non-clinical trials on new drugs. Testing of tissues such as skin removed during cosmetic procedures is seen to be increasingly valuable in the development of new drugs. Biopta is currently working with eight of the top 10 major pharmaceutical companies on human tissue research. There is a high rate of new drug failure, that according to Bi