A NORTH-EAST medical firm says it has raised £106m in a flotation.

Quantum Pharma, based in Burnopfield, County Durham, said the move gives it a value of £125m.

Senior officials at law firm Muckle, which supported Quantum, said it was the largest float on the Alternative Investment Market’s (AIM) pharmaceutical and biotechnology sector this year.

They added it was the region’s biggest ever initial public offering on the AIM.

Quantum bosses, who employ 320 workers across further UK sites, say the flotation will allow the company to grow.

The firm is a market leader in supplying unlicensed medicines to retail and wholesale pharmacy.

Management carried out a Lloyds Development Capital buy-out in 2009, backed by Muckle, and they added the float will provide a return for Lloyds and repay debt from that buy-out.

More than 40 lawyers from across Newcastle-based Muckle, led by corporate partners Andrew Davison and Craig Swinhoe, worked on the float.

They also handled a restructuring of the group by adding two new parent companies and restructuring the shareholding; a refinancing with Yorkshire Bank and the acquisition of the remaining 49 per cent of the shares in product development company Colonis for £15m.

Mr Davison, who sits on the Regional Advisory Group to the London Stock Exchange, was overall project leader.

He said: “The idea to float developed during the summer.

“Circumstances came together that made an initial public offering an attractive and realistic prospect.

“Quantum's management team met informally with key City investors and they received very positive feedback.”

Andrew Scaife, Quantum’s chief executive, praised Muckle’s support.

He added: “We couldn't have accomplished what we have without relying on the technical excellence of the lawyers and their consistent commitment to doing whatever it takes to keep projects moving forward.

“Their one-team approach worked so well and gave us all the confidence boosts needed to complete such an enormous undertaking.

“Floating on AIM involved the Muckle team carefully negotiating an extremely complicated set of business structures and relationships during this otherwise technically challenging project.

“The team’s deep understanding of the AIM rules and public markets' practices and procedures was apparent throughout.”

In a further development, Craig Swinhoe has become Quantum’s company secretary.