Specials Laboratory to supply clinical trials service to UK hospitals

Published: 29-Mar-2010

New service aims to meet the product manufacturing needs of NHS-based clinical trials

Hospitals across the UK will be able to take advantage of a new service aimed at meeting the product manufacturing needs of NHS-based clinical trials.

The Specials Laboratory, based in Northumberland, is to specialise in the supply of non-sterile products for use in small-scale clinical studies direct to hospitals after the specialist firm was licensed for the manufacture of investigational medicinal products (IMPs).

The new IMP service will assist clinical trial pharmacists and technicians, university medical schools and research doctors.

Operating from three MHRA-approved facilities, the company complies with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) and provides in-house Quality Person (QP) release, which will ensure products delivered to hospitals will be made to the highest possible quality standards.

‘Our quality-led manufacturing heritage allows us to produce virtually any non-sterile dosage form,’ said Robert Sludden, Quality and Technical Services Manager at The Specials Laboratory.

‘The company is also able to offer customers an experienced technical team that includes several pharmacists, senior pharmacy technicians and QPs – many with an extensive NHS background.’

With more hospitals opting to subcontract their IMP manufacturing needs, The Specials Laboratory is looking to build relationships with relevant NHS departments by offering to be their outsourced manufacturing partner supplying products for smaller clinical trials.

‘Hospital departments will be able to source a wide range of products from The Specials Laboratory for their IMP manufacturing requirements, including oral liquids, capsules, sachets, ointments, creams, ear and nasal drops, enema solutions, suppositories and pessaries,' added Sludden.

Set-up over a decade ago, The Specials Laboratory employs around 130 people and is a leading UK manufacturer of unlicensed medicines, which are bespoke for individual patients and supplied to community and hospital pharmacists and doctors.

See more

You may also like

Manufacturing

PCCA buys the specials business and Arjun Products from UDG Healthcare for £23.5m

Read more
Deal includes The Specials Laboratory and Craig & Hayward in Northumberland, UK

Trending Articles

  1. NHS, MHRA and Medicines UK launch Project Revive to tackle medicine shortages NHS England, the MHRA and Medicines UK have launched Project Revive, a collaborative pilot designed to address critical medicines shortages by fast-tracking dormant MHRA-approved licences and creating dedicated NHS purchasing arrangements to improve long-term supply resilience
  2. Isopod Rapid Cleanrooms: the ideal elite controlled environment pod solution for Life Sciences and Engineering start-ups The Guardtech Group’s quick-assembly cleanroom pods combine superior performance, build quality and cost-effectiveness to give new applications the perfect platform to get their business up and running
  3. You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
    Click here to find out more.
    Delivering precision: why advanced therapies are redefining pharmaceutical logistics As advanced therapies narrow tolerances and personalise care, pharmaceutical logistics is being redefined as a precision-driven extension of treatment delivery, writes Michael Gardner, Head of Pharma Specialised Network at DHL Supply Chain
  4. Nose-to-brain delivery outperforms systemic BBB technologies according to MetP Pharma The pioneering company has published preclinical data that strongly supports the advantages of its proprietary nose-to-brain drug delivery technology compared with systemic blood-brain barrier transporter approaches. The results also suggest strong support for therapeutically relevant clinical effects of semaglutide using MetP Pharma’s DDT
  5. AstraZeneca strengthens weight management pipeline with CSPC Pharmaceuticals collaboration The pair have signed a strategic collaboration covering eight obesity and type 2 diabetes programmes, including a clinical-ready GLP-1/GIP asset, AI-driven peptide discovery capabilities and injectable dosing technology

Upcoming event

High Shear = Mixing Success

19 February 2026 | Virtual See all

You may also like

Manufacturing

PCCA buys the specials business and Arjun Products from UDG Healthcare for £23.5m

Deal includes The Specials Laboratory and Craig & Hayward in Northumberland, UK
Manufacturing

Bracco enters cell therapy manufacturing with microbubble-based cell selection technology

Bracco Imaging is expanding into cell therapy manufacturing with a bead-free cell selection and activation technology based on its clinically validated microbubble platform
Medical Devices

Biocomposites gains MDR certification for STIMULAN antibiotic carriers

Biocomposites has secured EU MDR certification for its STIMULAN Rapid Cure and STIMULAN Kit products, enabling them to be mixed with multiple Gram-positive and Gram-negative antibiotics for infection management in bone and soft tissue
Pharma 5.0

New computational approaches could pave the way for safer medicines with fewer side effects

Advances in computational modelling and artificial intelligence are offering new ways to understand why medicines cause side effects and how to avoid them in future drug development
Digital

Shimadzu introduces a new site for its portfolio of LIB solutions

The website especially targets battery cell manufacturers, e-vehicle OEMs, research institutions as well as recycling companies and start-ups. There they will find Shimadzu’s latest solutions in the LIB market, including in-depth background information such as brochures and FAQs as well as featured highlight products
Hi Tech Manufacturing

Sustainable temperature control solutions at Analytica 2026

The presentation will highlight innovative equipment for laboratory and analytical applications
Medical Devices

Abbott hit with multiple FDA complaints in warning letter

The FreeStyle Libre manufacturer has been in the agency's line of fire after it deemed the company's response to previous letters "inadequate"
Subscribe now