Pictured above: Phil Langford and Dr Qamar of Sterling Pharmaceuticals

Sterling Pharmaceuticals Ltd, a brand new Birmingham based pharmaceutical manufacturing company, are going from strength to strength, winning contracts and developing new services following a £150,000 Grant for Business Investment (GBI) from regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

Sterling is the brainchild of Dr Qamar Nawaz who spotted a growing gap in the market for the manufacture of Pharmaceutical oral liquids as licensed products and 'specials' formulations. 'Specials' formulations are specially formulated medicines designed in liquid form for specific clinical needs of individual patients. Due to the relatively small quantities, specific dosages & specific skills mix required, large scale drug manufacturers find it difficult to provide this service and hospitals and GP surgeries don't have the equipment or expertise.

Sterling Pharmaceuticals is manufacturing and marketing oral liquid products both as specials and licensed medicines and these are supplied to wholesalers, distributors, NHS trusts and community pharmacies. The company is also exploring the opportunity to provide contract manufacturing services for 3rd party clients for the manufacture of licensed products. 

Currently Sterling has created 10 new jobs from contracts worth over £300,000 and hopes to be offering more positions once further contracts have been secured. 

Dr Qamar Nawaz, CEO at Sterling Pharmaceutical Ltd, said: "Sterling is a small company with big ambitions. It has taken a lot of time and effort to get the necessary equipment, staff and licences in place to get to the stage we are at for offering pharmaceutical oral liquid products. Thanks to the GBI grant from Advantage West Midlands we have been able invest in plant to develop and test our products and services. It has allowed us to target our initial specials medicines market successfully and we now have almost £350,000 worth of contracts in place and are currently negotiating to win further contract manufacturing business from companies holding product licenses.

"We have been operational for almost a year now and have begun work to expand our product portfolio with a double approach of developing new products in house and acquisition of licenses from other companies. We are confident that with our high tech manufacturing facility, efficient work force, highly trained management team and excellent service levels we will be among the largest generic manufacturing companies in UK within five years. Given the high standing of the UK 's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) we have a number of overseas companies talking to us about a variety of contracts that could see us providing high quality branded medicines for their markets, in some cases replacing Chinese and Indian suppliers". 

Phil Langford, GBI Case Officer from Advantage West Midlands, said: "Sterling Pharmaceutical Ltd is a great example of a company formed from its founder's university derived skills, expertise and knowledge.  It is focused on a commercial need and succeeding beyond the founder's expectations.  

"Pharmaceuticals is currently a small, but growing, sector of the region's economy and Sterling is a great example of enterprise in this high value industry. Advantage West Midlands is keen for young companies, like Sterling, to get the necessary business support that will allow them to develop and succeed. The £150,000 GBI is evidence of this commitment. By ensuring there is help and support available we hope to encourage other entrepreneurs to create new businesses and jobs, in line with the West Midlands Economic Strategy. 

"Qamar, Amar and the rest of the Sterling team can be proud of what they have achieved in such a short amount of time.  And it is fantastic to see two West Midlands' graduates setting up shop in the region." 

For more information contact Tom Slater on 0121 503 3528 or e-mail tomslater@advantagewm.co.uk