A pioneering Bradford firm is helping global pharmaceutical companies come up with better quality drugs to improve the health of people around the world.

Bradford Particle Design (BPD) - a spin-off firm from Bradford University - has seen its turnover rise to £1.5 million and has taken on nearly 40 staff since it was formed in 1995.

Managing director Dr Gwyn Humphreys said he expected the firm's turnover would grow dramatically following its investment in a £1 million manufacturing plant which has already sparked interest from many of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies - including Glaxo and AstraZeneca. And tomorrow , the firm will win Government approval as Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers officially opens the facility on the Listerhills Science Park in Campus Road.

The company also expects to bring in extra consultancy work with the pharmaceutical firms through its links with Bradford University's School of Pharmacy which will result in extra development cash for the university.

BPD has come up with a new way of producing particles for the chemical industry called SEDS - Solution Enhanced Dispersion by Supercritical fluids.

This is a single-stage process which moves the production of particles from the Victorian era to the 21st century. Its particles help create better quality drugs which can reach the source of an illness more effectively.

Dr Humphreys said: "We are world leaders in this type of technology and have 40 people working for us who are mainly chemists and physicists.

The new facility allows us to go into semi production and we are talking to possible partners who will work with us to develop full production in the future.

"This will be a real money-spinner which will provide extra funds for the business and development cash for the university.

"It is also good news for the world's major pharmaceutical companies which cannot afford to employ 40 people doing the sort of work we do for them," he added.

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