Almac Group granted funds under Sustainable Innovation Fund

Published: 10-Dec-2020

One month ago Almac was awarded a grant by the COVID-19 Therapeutics Accelerator for developing processes for the production of remdesivir’s API

Almac Sciences has secured an award under the Sustainable Innovation Fund: Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) Phase I to undertake a project in order to help businesses across the UK recover from the impact of COVID-19 in a sustainable manner.

The initiative is being led by Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, and is a SBRI competition. It will fund organisations to develop products or services to help businesses or the public sector in the UK recover from the coronavirus pandemic sustainably.

Professor Tom Moody, VP Technology Development and Commercialisation, Almac Sciences and Arran Chemical Company (Ireland), will lead a team of experts to complete the project entitled ‘Manufacturing Oxidative Products’ over the next 3 months. The funding received from the SBRI will reportedly enable the team to demonstrate both flow chemistry and biocatalytic routes to oxidative products as a technology platform for exploitation by UK fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

The findings of the project will then be submitted to Phase II of the Sustainable Innovation Fund and, if successful, could receive additional funding of up to £3 million over a one year period to continue the research, development and testing.

Professor Moody said: “The team and I are excited to receive this phase I award from Innovate UK enabling us to conduct vital research into a sustainable method of manufacturing an adequate supply of oxidative products. The coronavirus pandemic has affected many businesses, and indeed individuals, across the world and we are proud to have been selected based on our expertise and capability, to play our part in the sustainable recovery process.”

Innovate UK Executive Chair Dr Ian Campbell said: “In these difficult times we have seen the best of British business innovation. The pandemic is not just a health emergency but one that impacts society and the economy.” He added “Almac’s project, along with every initiative Innovate UK has supported through this fund, is an important step forward in driving sustainable economic development. Each one is also helping to realise the ambitions of hard-working people.”

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