Oban life science company Glycomar has secured a potentially lucrative agreement with a drug discovery company which could bring wider benefits to Argyll's burgeoning science community.

Glycomar's managing director Dr Charlie Bavington announced this week that his firm has been selected to provide drug discovery company Verona Pharma plc with evaluation of a range of anti-inflammatory polysaccharides. Verona Pharma concentrates on developing new therapeutic drugs for the treatment of hay fever and other chronic respiratory and inflammatory diseases.

GlycoMar is based at the European Centre for Marine Biology at Dunstaffnage near Oban and Dr Bavington set up the company after working at the laboratory which is owned by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS).

Dr Bavington explained: "We have signed a material transfer agreement with Verona Pharma - a company with which we have worked in the past and have a good relationship. We are also investigating an agreement to carry out compound testing for them and the installation of the required equipment will bring significant benefits for other life science companies working here and provide testing services for SAMS itself."

Should these additional negotiations between the two companies prove successful, the availability of compound testing at Oban will be another attraction for additional life science companies to move to the Dunstaffnage science base.

Glycomar now comprises a four-strong staff since setting up 18 months ago with assistance from Argyll and the Islands Enterprise (AIE), part of the Highlands and Islands Enterprise network.

It has already been in the headlines for its commercial success in extracting chemicals from starfish slime to combat allergies.

Ken Abernethy, chief executive of AIE said: "We are always delighted when a company that we've assisted to start up, meets with success. However we are particularly pleased that Glycomar is winning scientific and commercial recognition as it endorses our belief that Duntaffnage is becoming a sought-after centre of excellence in the life science sector."
 
The research carried out by Glycomar will be cell-based and not involve any testing on animals.