Press Releases

Intercytex wins the BioNow Company of the Year award, 2003 – honour for pioneers

(by Patricia Roberts, Manchester Evening News, 19th November 2003)

Intercytex Limited is among pioneering Manchester based companies and scientists to scoop "Oscars" which showcase the breadth of innovative talent in the Northwest.

Intercytex, a company driving forward tissue engineering, was amongst winners at the second North West Biotechnology Awards Ceremony highlighting the ground breaking research of all winning companies which could improve the lives of millions of people around the globe.

Intercytex, which specialises in tissue engineering living cells, was named Company of the Year.

Founded in 1999 by tissue engineering expert Dr Paul Kemp who came in from Boston to set up the Company in Manchester, it has labs at the Bio-technology Incubator and is poised to move to new larger premises in Wythenshawe.

The Company is currently focusing on the development of a skin “repair” product and a new method of hair transplantation. It is also looking at a way to grow kidney tissue to produce an alternative to kidney transplants and dialysis.

Commercial Director Dr Michael Leek says there is a multi-million pound global market for such regenerative technology.

Using human skin cells, the Company is able to grow tissue which can be turned into a gel to “kick-start” the healing process when applied to wounds such as leg ulcers which are notoriously difficult to heal and can lead to amputation.