Sykes opens Argenta laboratories

Edited by the Laboratorytalk editorial team Nov 2, 2001

New research laboratories of independent medicinal chemistry company Argenta Discovery were opened by Sir Richard Sykes, chairman of GlaxoSmithKline and rector of Imperial College

In his welcoming speech David White, non-executive chairman of Argenta, told guests: "We are delighted with our highly successful first year.

Even though we are a very young company we have secured, and are in the process of securing, contracts with some of the biggest pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the USA and Europe.

'Right time, right place' is the key to success for any new business venture.

Add 'right team' and you have the reason for Argenta's rapid success and for the excitement of our customers, investors and staff." He concluded his remarks by saying: "Pleased as we are to be opening these state-of-the-art facilities today, we have already decided to expand and the next phase will be starting shortly." Argenta Discovery integrates chemistry, biology and CADD teams to provide fast and totally confidential hit-to-lead and lead-to-candidate services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Argenta's scientific skills include computer-aided drug design, medicinal and combinatorial chemistry, biochemical assay development, automated molecular and cellular screening and in vitro Admet.

Argenta's Scientific Advisory Board comes largely from Imperial College, a partner in the longer-term IP side of Argenta's business.

Reflecting on Imperial's involvement with Argenta, Sykes quoted from Imperial's 1907 founding Charter, which includes a commitment to "foster interdisciplinary work internally and collaborate widely externally," and he added: "What better fulfilment of that mission could we dream up than Argenta?" David Phillips, Argenta's chief commercial officer, commented: "Research directors around the pharmaceutical industry are looking for high-quality companies to outsource fundamental research.

Our first year has shown how quickly we can deliver results for our clients, and that's because everyone here is focused wholly on the science and the customer.".