SGS has just completed a significant expansion project at its Glasgow facility, meaning it can provide increased biosafety testing for the biologics, drug development, and cell and gene therapy industries. Offering high-quality services with a reduced turnaround time for its clients, SGS is now better placed than ever before to provide crucial testing services supporting the development of cell therapies, gene therapies, viral vaccines and other biological medicines.

Crucial investment in core areas

The project, which began back in March 2021 and was completed in September 2021, saw the footprint of the Glasgow facility increase by 550m2, meaning the facility now totals 3,100m2 in size and has a staff of 130 expert employees.

Sixteen BSL-2 laboratories have been added to our Glasgow facility. These laboratories contain a range of innovative, industry-leading equipment, including BSL-2 cabinets, ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) technology, cell culture equipment for virus detection and real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) testing equipment.

This expansion follows on from previous investment rounds in 2020 and 2019, which increased our capacity for testing cell banks and the routine bulk harvest for vaccines, gene and cell therapies, monoclonal antibodies and other recombinant protein-based biological medicines.

A trusted biosafety testing partner

Thanks to this increased capacity, our Glasgow facility will strengthen its ability to support the biologics, drug development, and cell and gene therapies industries. The facility, which adheres to both Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), provides vaccine and biologics manufacturers with access to high-quality batch-testing of their products.

Meeting this legal requirement is not only a crucial step in bringing these products to market safely and efficiently, but it also plays a fundamental role in improving global health outcomes. For instance, as Archie Lovatt, Site Manager & Scientific Director SGS commented: “Most notably, the Biosafety Center of Excellence in Glasgow has participated in the batch-testing and release of over 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccine, helping to increase vaccine access and bring the global population out of the pandemic.”

For further information, please contact:

Dr Archie Lovatt 
Scientific Director Center of Excellence @SGS
t: +44 141 952 0022

About SGS

SGS is the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company. SGS is recognized as the global benchmark for quality and integrity. With more than 93,000 employees, SGS operates a network of over 2,600 offices and laboratories around the world.