A biotechnology company is planning to hire 25 more staff over the next four years as it plans growth.

Prometic Bioseparations Ltd was one of the first companies to locate on the Isle of Man Freeport at Ballasalla almost 30 years ago and is now experiencing significant growth.

From relatively humble beginnings PBL now leases four units at the Freeport and employs 43 staff in the island and a further 44 staff at its R&D laboratories in Cambridge, UK.

Chief executive officer Dr Steve Burton told Business News: ‘PBL’s growth projections predict the hiring of a further 25 staff in the island over the next four years making Prometic one of the largest companies in the Manx Biomed Cluster.

‘When possible Prometic recruits staff locally in the island and has an active talent development programme to nurture prospective engineers and scientists.’

The company makes materials known as chromatography adsorbents which are used to purify biopharmaceuticals such as blood proteins, enzymes and antibodies.

PBL’s products form a critical part of the manufacturing processes for biopharmaceuticals where they remove impurities and pathogens to provide safe and effective therapeutics for administration to humans.

Currently 18 of Prometic’s products manufactured in the Isle of Man are used in the production of licenced biopharmaceutical or biomedical products.

The company counts many of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies as its clients and exports its products globally.

In addition to sales to other companies, PBL also supplies chromatography adsorbents to its affiliated companies in the USA and in Canada where they are used to manufacture plasma proteins such as plasminogen and gamma globulin.

Prometic chose to establish and develop its adsorbent manufacturing operations in the island for a variety of reasons, especially the ‘excellent support’ it has received over the years from the Department for Enterprise.

The company hosted a visit by members of Tynwald including Department for Enterprise minister Laurence Skelly MHK, Bill Henderson MLC, Tim Crookall MLC, Daphne Caine MHK, Rob Callister MHK and Ralph Peake MHK.

Following presentations by Dr Burton and David Franklin, finance director, the Tynwald members were given a tour of the company’s facilities by production manager Chris Brown, including the recently completed, state-of-the-art, GMP manufacturing suite which has more than quadrupled manufacturing capacity.

The parliamentary members were also shown the new warehouse, engineering workshop and offices and QC laboratories currently under construction and the company’s plans for further improve