Norsk
‘We want to contribute to more business start-ups in Norway by offering practical services that enable Norwegian biotech companies to scale up their products for clinical testing in Norway,’ says Astrid Hilde Myrset, General Manager of Catapult Life Sciences.
Myrset points out that the NOK 9 billion spent on health R&D annually has not led to more business start-ups, although the number of patents and studies is increasing.
‘We offer process and product development that means that enterprises do not need to look abroad to scale up their products for further preclinical and clinical drug trials,’ says Myrset.
Catapult Life Science recently started up business in its premises at Fornebu and it has capacity for more clients. The next step is to put in place premises for production activities, as a continuation of the services previously provided by the Institute of Public Health’s vaccine production laboratories.
‘In addition to the practical activities, we have established a network called Life Science Pilot, aimed at making existing life science expertise more easily accessible. We are well under way with developing a database where individuals and enterprises can enter their expertise, so that it will be easier for businesses to find relevant partners for development projects,’ says Myrset.
She currently has a staff of four and has the future planned out. In 2018, the company will need funding in the region of NOK 25 million, some of which will be raised already in the first quarter.
‘In the longer term, we have big ambitions and plan to link up with the life science cluster in Gaustadbekkdalen. There were no vacant premises at the moment, but there will be,’ says Myrset.