DRUG discovery company Oxford GlycoSciences is to expand into a new building at Milton Park, near Abingdon.

It is also selling its biochemical business for £1.3m to US company Glyko, to focus on its core priorities - analysis of proteins and drug discovery.

Most of the 10 to 15 people working on biochemicals have been shifted to other work, apart from a handful who have been taken on at Glyko's UK sales office at Upper Heyford.

Marketing director Chris Ashton said: "The sale enabled us to redeploy people in other areas of the business which we are trying to grow."

He added: "We have almost constant vacancies because we are expanding and we need people with the right qualifications and background."

The state-of-the-art Milton Park labs are due to open by the end of the year.

Scientists there will analyse the proteins involved in disease, to build up computer databases for drug companies to use in developing treatments.

New production methods will be spearheaded by a new operations director, Graham Vitty, formerly with Glaxo and Allergan. Chief executive Michael Kranda said: "This new facility will come on line just in time to meet our growing capacity requirements."

OGS will continue to use its buildings on Abingdon Business Park and Abingdon Science Park, where 150 people currently work.

The 10,667 sq m plant will mean that hi-tech companies take up a quarter of the space at Milton Park.

James Dipple, of Milton Park, said: "The park is now established as the largest concentration of pharmaceutical, biotechnology and hi-tech business in the region."

Story date: Friday 14 May

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