NI personalised medicine firm to increase its staff as revenues soar
A BELFAST man whose company works with some of the world’s pharmaceutical giants says it expects to grow its staff by a further 35 next year.
Peter Keeling’s Diaceutics, which now boasts turnover of around $10m (£7.5m), has industry leaders like GSK and Diagnology among its clients.
In the last few years it has enjoyed year-on-year growth of around 50%.
The data analytics company connects patients to the right diagnostic test so they can get personalised medicine to treat or cure their condition first time.
The company announced 30 new jobs earlier this year on the back of 60% revenue growth.
It was set up in 2005 by Belfast man Mr Keeling.
He said: “We focus on an area of medicine, which is precision or personalised medicine.
“It’s a growing area around how medicine is changing, moving from one size fits all, where everyone gets the same type of tablet.
“What we do is collaborate with the leading pharmaceutical companies. When they launch the drug, we launch the diagnostic.”
The company currently has a workforce of around 60.
But that’s set to grow thanks to the latest jobs announcement.
“We have taken a slightly slower route... we are pioneering in this area,” he said.
“It has grown rapidly. We add- ed 25 staff this year, and 30-35 next year.
“We are at a crucial point... we probably will bring on more capital.
“I was born in Belfast and went to Queen’s University, where I studied a business degree. I worked for GSK and was in the Middle East for four years, then the Far East for another four years, then back to London.
“It pushed you in to challenging roles. Then I left and became a visiting fellow at MIT in Boston — it was my gap year at 35!
“That gave me the confidence to see, let’s see if we can set up a business which is more disruptive. I hope we are on that crest of wave which is about to rise.”
The firm has operations in Dundalk and New Jersey in the United States.
On the subject of Brexit, he said: “There is a direct and indirect impact.
“For us, there is no direct impact.
“The indirect risk is probably the same as everyone else. My team members in the UK, what is going to happen to them?
“Our clients are looking at what does this mean when the UK is not part of Europe.”
❝ Personalised medicine... it’s a growing area around how medicine is changing