Cambridge, UK, 05 October 2020: Chesterford Research Park is delighted to confirm that Oncologica has secured the last available suite within the newly re-configured Newnham building at the Park and will take up occupancy with immediate effect post partial practical completion, which is due within the next week.

Ideal for occupiers looking for grow-on space, the existing Newnham Building has been significantly overhauled and re-configured to create an imposing, detached two storey fully fitted lab/R&D building. Situated in a prominent position on the Park, the re-configuration works have created a newly constructed double height glazed reception to the western entrance as well as a new entrance to the eastern end. The flexibility of the building allowed for it to be divided into four individual suites, all of which have now been pre-let. Oncologica joins Isomerase and Microbiotica within the Newnham Building having signed a 10 year lease for the 11,518 sq ft (1,070 sq m) Suite 2.
Ideally situated within close reach of the Park’s central facilities within The Nucleus, which provides a restaurant, health and fitness centre and meeting and conferencing facilities, the Newnham building also benefits from 111 parking spaces and ample cycle storage.  

Oncologica provides precision oncology clinical testing to address the growing demand for molecular profiling of cancer patients for targeted therapies, and functions as a contract research organisation to support biomarker and drug development programmes worldwide. Its technology addresses the new era of precision medicine by exploiting state of the art molecular profiling, enabling a patient’s tumour to be matched directly with the most appropriate molecular targeted therapy. 

Oncologica is now also using its platforms to perform high through-put Covid-19 testing; initially supporting immunocompromised cancer patients, it has now been rolled out to the wider community to help tackle the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.  

Oncologica first joined the Chesterford Research Park community in 2015, initially taking a single laboratory within the multi-let Science Village building. In that same year, demand for Oncologica’s precision oncology testing technology from the pharmaceutical industry, healthcare organisations and private individuals stimulated a requirement for yet more space, prompting the organisation to take an additional suite within Science Village to facilitate further growth.

Dr Marco Loddo, Co-founder and Scientific Director, Oncologica commented of the move: “This is a very exciting time for Oncologica. Having developed our technology and grown the team steadily over the last five years we are now in a period of accelerated growth. As we continue to develop and deliver personalised, precision oncology to both patients and clinicians, we are also now assisting with COVID-19 testing efforts by using our platforms for high through-put screening. This additional activity has required an enormous collective effort and I am exceptionally proud of the team we have on board. 

“Throughout our time at Chesterford, the Park team has worked very closely with us to understand our needs and requirements, which over the last month particularly has enabled us to pivot quickly and secure the additional space we need with a move to the Newnham Building. The Park environment is exceptional and I am delighted that Oncologica’s next stage of growth is able to be accommodated here.”

Julian Cobourne, Senior Asset Manager, Aviva Investors, joint owners of Chesterford Research Park with Uttlesford District Council added: “I am delighted that we have been able to accommodate Oncologica’s rapid growth requirements within the Newnham Building. Having worked with the Oncologica team over the last five years and seen the organisation grow and flourish during that time; to be able to facilitate this next stage of their development within the Park community is exceptionally rewarding. 

“Our long term strategic aim at Chesterford is to provide a diverse range of accommodation, which not only enables current occupiers to scale their businesses on site but also attract new occupiers to locate here. The reconfiguration of the Newnham Building has allowed us to do just that with Oncologica joining fellow existing occupier Isomerase and new occupier Microbiotica in this revitalised and exceptionally high quality building. Looking ahead we are now able to turn our attention to the next phase of the Park’s development; the reconfiguration of the Emmanuel Building to provide multiple suites from 9,100 sq ft."

Chesterford Research Park provides an innovative, flexible and future-proofed environment for both established and early stage biotechnology and pharmaceutical research and development companies. In addition to Oncologica, the Park is home to life science innovators including Arecor, AstraZeneca, Lonza, Charles River Laboratories, Cambridge Epigenetix, Domainex and DRW. To date, more than 350,000 sq ft of laboratory R&D space has been let and occupied. Further phases of construction are proposed to extend the development to approximately 1 million sq ft.

Park owners Aviva Investors and Uttlesford District Council are advised by Chesterford Research Park’s joint commercial agents, Savills and Cheffins.