A DRUGS company has increased its staff by 25 per cent after winning new contracts.

Pharmaceutical contract manufacturer SCM Pharma has brought its staff count to 101 over the last 12 months following increased business from existing customers and a need to staff its new £6m facility in Newburn that will open at the start of 2013.

SCM Pharma, which develops and manufactures drug products on behalf of its pharmaceutical clients, now has three sites in Sunderland, Wearside, Prudhoe, Northumberland and Newburn, Tyneside.

The firm was named as one of the North-East’s 29 companies to be offered funding support as part of the Government’s £2.4bn public and private financial support package.

Dianne Sharp, managing director at SCM Pharma, said: “To go over 100 staff and almost double the amount of people employed over the last two years is an incredible achievement given the tough economic climate.

“In the last few months we have strengthened our production, technical and quality departments to ensure we can support our clients’ projects both now and in the future.

“The opening of our new commercial manufacturing facility in Newburn is the most exciting development for the company since we started trading back in 2004.

“The recent recruitment drive ensures we have the right people in place to hit the ground running from day one when we start the operation,” she added.

SCM Pharma specialises in the formulation development and sterile production of products for clinical trials and commercially licensed drug products.