Professor Rob Price from the Department of Pharmacy & Pharmacology has sold the business he founded whilst at the University, Nanopharm Ltd., to AptarGroup, Inc.
Nanopharm was co-founded by Professor Price in 2002. After providing some consultancy services to pharmaceutical companies they identified an opportunity to deliver advanced analytical services and pharmaceutical development solutions to meet the growing needs of the industry. With the steady growth of the company over the last 17 years, Nanopharm gained international recognition for its knowledge and expertise in orally inhaled and nasal medicines.
Professor Price, who as well as Nanopharm’s founder is its Chief Scientific Officer, said: “In Aptar we have found the ideal partner to continue the successful growth of Nanopharm. Aptar Group is perfectly positioned to support the development of our science driven, solution-oriented services for inhalation and nasal drug products. This exciting new chapter in our development will allow us to deliver yet more as we leverage Aptar’s expertise and infrastructure to better serve our highly-valued clients.”
Dr Alison Evans, Interim Director of Research & Innovation Services (RIS) at the University of Bath, said: “This is great news, and is a tribute to the strength of the research and of the team that Professor Price has put together. With AptarGroup Inc as its parent organisation, Nanopharm now has the support of a business with the expertise in the pharmaceutical sector which will enable it to enter new international markets.
“Professor Price has worked closely with RIS over a number of years and we are delighted to see the potential for future significant impact from his research that this opportunity will realise.”
Professor Stephen Ward, Head of Pharmacy and Pharmacology “The sale demonstrates the continued success the University of Bath and the department has had in supporting academics in seeking commercial enterprise through their research interests, which are highly valued by the pharmaceutical industry”.
Aptar Pharma is part of AptarGroup, Inc., a leading global supplier of a broad range of dispensing, sealing and active packaging for the beauty, personal care, home care, prescription drug, consumer health care, injectables, food and beverage markets.
Gael Touya, President of Aptar Pharma, said: “We are delighted to welcome the talented team at Nanopharm and their customers to Aptar Pharma. Their expertise and capabilities will deepen our current range of services offered to customers who are developing and testing inhaled medicines. This enables us to participate in a broader spectrum of the pre-clinical, clinical trial and market launch phases of drug development.”
Stephan Tanda, President and CEO, said: “These strategic investments further strengthen our best in class Pharma business and increase our ability to add to our long-term growth pipeline by adding depth to our service offerings. The expertise of Nanopharm, a leader in inhalation and nasal drug development services, is complementary to our existing laboratory and analytical services and will bring additional value to our customers as they navigate the challenging regulatory landscape and seek to bring their products to market faster.”