Glasgow-based SB Drug Discovery has been acquired by world leading integrated drug discovery firm Sygnature Discovery.
The transaction will enable further expansion of the businesses and their capabilities, they said, and forms part of Sygnature’s strategic plan to continuously invest in the expansion of its leading integrated drug discovery solutions.
Dr Simon Hirst, CEO at Nottingham headquartered Sygnature Discovery commented: “We are excited for this step forward and believe that the acquisition of SB Drug Discovery is another great addition to the services Sygnature Discovery can offer our customers on our journey to be the world’s leading drug discovery partner.
“SB Drug Discovery are a like-minded company that complements Sygnature’s existing services and we believe together this provides a strong partnership.”
Dr Ian McPhee, scientific director at SB Drug Discovery, said: “Having worked with Sygnature Discovery during a recent collaboration to access our ion channel expertise which we presented at the Society of Neuroscience Conference in November 2022, it became apparent to Sygnature that our breadth of capabilities and expertise reached far beyond ion channel electrophysiology, to areas including cell line generation, screening and inflammation.
“Our company values and goals fit perfectly with Sygnature’s in becoming a leader in drug discovery services, and we are delighted to become an integral part of the Sygnature Group.”
Meeting together in Glasgow to announce the deal to staff, McPhee and joined Dr David Dalrymple, SB Drug Discovery’s business development director, stressed that customers will not notice any interruptions in service or performance as a result of this transaction.
This is the second acquisition by Sygnature Discovery in the last year – following the investment by Five Arrows in Summer 2021- after the acquisition of Peak Proteins in April 2022, and the fifth in five years.
Previous acquisitions included RenaSci in 2018 as well as Alderley Oncology and XenoGesis in 2020.
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SB Drug Discovery, in operation for over 20 years and with more than 50 employees, will continue to operate out of its Glasgow facilities with further investment and expansion of its capabilities and services planned over the months ahead.