The 30 fastest-growing unquoted pharma companies in the UK
In a new market assessment, experts from corporate finance advisory firm Alantra have ranked the UK’s fastest-growing, privately-owned pharma and pharma service companies. Meet the top 30 growth jewels in the country’s pharmaceuticals industry.
1) Exscientia
Pharmatech company using artificial intelligence in the drug discovery process
Revenue: £9.1m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 98%
2) BioAscent
Preclinical contract research organisation offering comprehensive drug discovery services
Revenue: £4.8m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 81%
3) Perspectum
Medical imaging company developing and commercialising solutions for the diagnosis and monitoring of liver diseases
Revenue: £6.8m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 78%
4) BenevolentAI
Development and application of artificial intelligence for scientific innovation
Revenue: £6.8m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 62%
5) Helios Medical Communications
Medical communications and strategic consultancy agency
Revenue: £9.2m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 62%
6) WEP Clinical
Niche pharmaceutical services company focused on the supply of drugs to patients with an unmet clinical need
Revenue: £29.9m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 60%
7) Global Perspectives
Healthcare research and insight and patient engagement for non-interventional studies
Revenue: £5.2m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 59%
8) Fishawack
Healthcare communications and strategic consultancy agency
Revenue: £110.6m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 53%
9) Prime Global Medical Communications
Medical communications
Revenue: £21.5m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 49%
10) CatSci
Process research and development partnership organisation
Revenue: £3.1m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 43%
11) MD Group
Consultancy services covering patient services, medical vents, healthcare travel and software development
Revenue: £25.7m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 43%
12) Waymade
Pharmaceutical wholesaler and supplier
Revenue: £24.6m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 42%
13) Clarity Pharma
Pharmaceutical sale and distribution
Revenue: £89.9m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 41%
14) Sygnature Discovery
Integrated drug discovery services
Revenue: £29.3m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 40%
15) Quay Pharmaceuticals
Contract development and manufacturing organisation
Revenue: £11.6m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 38%
16) Kymab Group
Clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on therapeutic antibodies
Revenue: £8.7m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 36%
17) Richmond Pharmacology
Contract research organisation providing services from design to delivery of early phase clinical trials
Revenue: £17.9m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 35%
18) Immunocore
Research and development of engineered receptors
Revenue: £25.7m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 34%
19) ZeCare
A distributor of generic and branded pharmaceuticals
Revenue: £8.2m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 32%
20) Aspire Pharma
Registration, marketing and distribution of branded and generic pharmaceuticals and medical devices
Revenue: £58.9m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 31%
21) Bionical Solutions
Contract research organisation uniquely offering clinical trial supply, early access programme and clinical development under one umbrella
Revenue: £70.8m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 31%
22) Crescent Pharmaceuticals
Manufactures generic and branded products
Revenue: £51.0m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 29%
23) Charnwood Molecular
Preclinical contract research organisation offering specialised services in medicinal chemistry, chemical development and process R&D
Revenue: £5.8m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 29%
24) BAP Pharma Group
Clinical trials supplier specialising in comparator sourcing and secondary packaging
Revenue: £105.5m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 28%
25) Quotient Sciences
Integrated contract research and contract development and manufacture organisation
Revenue: £119.0m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 28%
26) Metrion Biosciences
A contract research organisation focused on ion channel biology
Revenue: £2.5m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 26%
27) LGC
Life science measurement and testing
Revenue: £387.5m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 25%
28) Qualasept Holdings
Makes ready-to-use injectable medicines
Revenue: £239.6m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 25%
29) MRN Limited
A group engaged in the provision of decentralised clinical trial support
Revenue: £20.9m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 25%
30) Arcinova
Contract development and manufacturing organisation providing a comprehensive range of integrated specialist services
Revenue: £12.9m
Two-year growth rate (CAGR): 24%
About the list
The ‘Alantra Pharma Fast 50’ ranks the UK’s fastest-growing, privately-owned pharmaceutical businesses according to their revenue growth over the past two years (the businesses must have reported revenues of more than £1 million in the first year of assessment to be included). It includes analysis of businesses grouped into four distinct sub-sectors – technology; analytics, insights and communication; Pharma outsourcing; and develop, wholesale and supply.
The list includes private companies backed by private equity funders. Entities that are part of wider corporate groups qualify for inclusion provided their parent company’s activities are not pharma-related.