BIOTECHNOLOGY company Avecia has invested more than £1m in two refurbishment programmes that will help expand the business and create jobs in the Tees Valley.

Avecia Biologics, which employs about 520 people at its main premises in Billingham, has invested heavily in its paveway technology, developed to help speed up the process from research to production of biopharmaceuticals.

Avecia has developed a new suite of biologics laboratories, which will allow it to take on more than 20 per cent more research and development work for its biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients.

Another £100,000 has been spent on a similar refit to allow Avecia to offer an expanded range of analytical testing for companies.

Avecia is recruiting up to 15 people as part of the research and development expansion, while the stability testing will see a total of six people employed by the end of the year.

Dr Mark Carver, chief scientific officer at Avecia Biologics, said: "The investment in expanding our research and development capabilities is in direct response to an increase in the number of business opportunities which are arising and the interest we are seeing in the paveway technology.

"Combined with the investment being made in stability testing, this represents a major commitment to expanding our global operations based in the Tees Valley."

Avecia unveiled its paveway technology in May. It tackles some key issues in order to reduce the time to market and the cost of new biological drugs.

The company's investment in stability testing will allow it to carry out extensive analytical work of products and track changes over long periods of time, under tightly controlled conditions, in accordance with stringent international regulatory guidelines.

Dr Sean Doherty, stability group manager, said: "Virtually every manufacturing customer requests Avecia to perform stability studies. Being able to offer this service in-house, rather than transfer them to another company, means Avecia can make a more complete offering, saving our clients time and money.

"This is an exciting first step in a wider strategic plan to build a set of non-manufacturing related analytical services that will greatly benefit our customers and ultimately the introduction of new biological medicines."