Cyclacel Announces Construction Start for New Research Facility

DUNDEE - 15 November 1999 - Cyclacel Limited, the UK-based cancer therapeutics company, today announced the start of construction of its new research and development facility in Dundee. The occasion was marked by a visit to the site by Henry McLeish, Scotland's Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning.

The new £3 million research centre is being constructed and paid for by Dundee City Council, with financial assistance from Scottish Enterprise Tayside. It is situated adjacent to Cyclacel's existing, incubator facility and opposite the Medical Sciences Institute and Wellcome Trust buildings of the University of Dundee. The new centre is being constructed in accordance with a "build-to-suit" design specification provided by Cyclacel under advice from Jacobs Engineering, a global engineering and construction group specialised in pharmaceutical facilities. Initially only the ground floor of the two-storey, 43,000 sq. ft. facility will be fitted-out with the rest of the space reserved for future expansion.

Spiro Rombotis, Chief Executive of Cyclacel said: "The new research centre illustrates the support biotechnology is given in Scotland. The new building will allow us to reach a state-of-the-art standard in facilities after 3 years of operations and should help us to compete more effectively with global competitors. This and other initiatives of the Scottish and UK governments underpin a consistent policy in favour of high-tech life science companies. Cyclacel is privileged to be a beneficiary of this policy. All Cyclacel employees are mindful of the obligations this imposes on us and are determined to prove worthy of the confidence shown in our potential."