Dundee drug company adds staff and moves to new labs after £4m funding round

A Dundee life science company working on medicines to treat conditions like asthma and psoriasis has expanded its workforce and is moving to new state-of-the-art laboratories.

Glen Clova Scientific was founded in 2022 as a spin-out from Dundee University.

Since then it has expanded from a team of two to 12, as it receives more money towards their ground-breaking research.

Glen Clova is working on what they describe as the “next generation” of active biologic drugs.

Active biologics are powerful drugs which can slow or stop inflammation.

And they will now refurbish and develop three new laboratories at the Dundee innovation hub, after receiving a tranche of £4 million in seed funding.

New labs for Glen Clova Scientific

Glen Clova Scientific will move to the Incubator in the Dundee Technopole site by the end of the year.

It forms part of a new bespoke science campus due to open at the start of 2025, funded in part by £40 million from the university via the Tay Cities Deal.

Glen Clova is one of a number of spin-outs born at the university, capitalised to generate potentially millions in the city’s burgeoning life science sector.

Dr John Foerster, co-founder, said: “We are delighted to be able to locate our new laboratories so closely to the university.

“This will enable Glen Clova Scientific to continue to interact with university teams and facilities when required.

“It is also important for us to continue to participate in the growing health and life sciences clusters in both Dundee and Scotland.”

University to retain benefits of spin-outs

Dr David McBeth is Dundee University’s vice-principal for enterprise and economic transformation.

He said: “Glen Clova Scientific is exactly the kind of company we have in mind when partnering in the development of a life sciences innovation district on the Technopole site.

“We want to ensure that spin-out and start-up companies from the university can retain the benefits of close links yet still have room to grow independently and move from discovery through to commercialisation and clinical development.

“The Incubator is one important piece of the jigsaw on the Technopole site, while in early 2025 we will open our much larger Innovation Hub building.

“The hub is a circa £40 million investment, mostly funded by the Scottish Government (through the Tay Cities Deal), Scottish Enterprise and the university itself.

“It will help us secure growth companies in the Dundee area and create hundreds of high value jobs for the city’s economy.”