msp Tenant Case Study: Icon Development Solutions

Founded in 1983, Medeval was the first of the University of Manchester spin out companies and as such the thinking and lessons learned from its creation, growth and subsequent departure from the University fold have acted as a blueprint for many of the subsequent spin-out companies.

The concept of Medeval was founded on the sale of academic quality thinking, or "know how", rather than a particular niche IP position or commercialisation of a product. Medeval moved the goalposts in terms of innovative drug development and allowed small innovative pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to access drug development expertise and techniques that they could never have afforded or resourced had they tried to do this in-house. Medeval rapidly gained an international reputation as one of the leading, high-science led clinical pharmacology companies in the world. It was this success which led to Medeval being awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise: International Trade in 2002. The reputation and success of the company also led to ICON plc, a global international Contract Research Organisation (CRO), acquiring Medeval in 2003.

Now named ICON Development Solutions (“ICON”), the company has raised the profile of Manchester Science Park on the international scene due to the significant international client base that has required the services of a company perched on the edge of the University. Since taking up occupancy on the Science Park in 1990, ICON has expanded its size requirements and is now the anchor tenant in the Science Park occupying over 38,000 square foot in Skelton House. ICON is currently working with the Science Park in the planning phase of a new building on the Park which will further increase our footprint to over 42,000 square feet.

ICON has always employed large numbers of Manchester graduates and has been a feeder stream of skilled staff who have moved on within drug development both locally and internationally. Academic development has been developed and nurtured in-house with at least 4 Post Doctorates being achieved and sponsored by the company. Numerous bioanalytical laboratory staff have gained their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees also whilst in the employment of the company. Over the years, as business has expanded, ICON has employed increasing numbers of staff and currently employs over 200 permanent staff and 50 temporary staff.

Although a service company in concept, there has always been a commitment to self-fund research that would allow products/services to be offered that would speed up and add value to the early stages of drug development programmes. Offering clients a full suite of clinical pharmacology services from pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic assessments of drugs efficacy, through to bioanalytical laboratory testing of samples from trials run within the 80 bed clinical unit on site (and from external studies run by other companies), ICON is a preferred partner for many of the largest pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across the world.

ICON’s continued investment into new research methodologies will serve to keep the company ahead of many of its competitors as it continues to grow and expand its clinical development service offerings.