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Pharmaceuticals Companies in Cambridge: 36 Active Firms (2026)
Pharmaceuticals companies develop, manufacture or distribute regulated medicines, in Cambridge and its surrounding life-sciences cluster.
Buying centres tend to sit in regulatory affairs, quality, supply-chain assurance, medical affairs and market access, rather than in broad corporate IT or generic operations teams. The Cambridge cohort skews towards B2B and regulated healthcare supply chains: UK healthcare customers, research organisations, manufacturing partners, importers and specialist wholesalers. Commercial engagements are usually narrow and compliance-heavy, covering development services, licensed manufacture or assembly, import, wholesale distribution, pharmacovigilance and market-access support. Buyers are likely to care less about scale claims and more about licence status, inspection history, quality documentation and the ability to work within MHRA-facing processes.
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Cambridge has 36 actively trading pharmaceuticals companies in this list, a compact cohort by national standards but one that sits inside a wider life-sciences cluster. The employment footprint is modest: total reported headcount across the cohort is 255 people. That points to a market made up mainly of lean commercial operators rather than large local manufacturing sites. The absence of companies above £5M in turnover also suggests that many firms remain specialist, project-led or early-commercial rather than scaled sales organisations.
Human medicines activity in the UK sits under the MHRA, with requirements differing by role in the supply chain. Organisations that make, assemble or import human medicines need a manufacturer’s licence, good manufacturing practice compliance and regular site inspections. Wholesale supply to parties other than the patient requires a wholesale distribution licence and good distribution practice compliance. Medicines also need marketing authorisation before sale, while NHS access is shaped by cost-effectiveness review. ABPI remains the main trade body for research-based pharmaceutical companies, so Cambridge operators often work within both statutory licensing rules and sector-level expectations on evidence, safety and pharmacovigilance.
Cambridge’s pharmaceuticals base appears likely to remain specialised rather than volume-led. The local pattern tends to favour research-linked development, regulated supply-chain services and small commercial operators that can work close to quality and licensing requirements. Scale-up scarcity may persist, partly because medicines businesses face long validation cycles, inspection exposure and capital needs before revenue broadens. Consolidation also remains plausible where compliance overheads are hard to carry in very small teams. For researchers, the useful distinction is likely to be between firms with operational licences and those still closer to development, advisory or market-access work.
36
Active firms
2026
9
Since 2022
New incorporations
0
Above £5M
Reported turnover
Key facts
25% of the cohort was incorporated since 2022 (9 firms), so a sizeable share is in its first few filing cycles.
UK human medicines regulation sits with the MHRA, covering standards, clinical trial approval, marketing authorisation, licensing and pharmacovigilance.
Manufacturers, assemblers and importers of human medicines need an MHRA manufacturer’s licence, good manufacturing practice compliance and regular site inspections.
Wholesale supply to anyone other than the patient requires a wholesale distribution licence and good distribution practice compliance.
UK businesses performed £9.0 billion of pharmaceutical R&D in 2022, equivalent to 0.36% of UK GDP and 18% of all UK business R&D.
UK pharmaceutical exports were valued at £25.6 billion in 2023, with the UK ranked tenth among comparator countries.
Top Cambridge pharmaceuticals companies
SMC Pharma Services
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsProvides contract development and manufacturing services for pharmaceutical products and drug delivery systems. Offers formulation development, clinical and commercial manufacturing, sterile filling,…
Serves B2B pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide, especially teams responsible for sterile drug products and drug-device delivery systems across development, clinical trials, and commercial…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -63% CAGR over 2y
Location
DIEP TRAN CONSULTANCY LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed · -16% CAGR over 4y
Location
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsDevelops biologic treatments for chronic wounds. Lead product Aurase Wound Gel is an investigational enzymatic therapy designed to debride wound tissue and stimulate repair pathways, and is…
Targets healthcare systems, wound care clinicians and patients with chronic, non-healing wounds, including those considering investigational or expanded-access treatment pathways.
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -2% CAGR over 4y
Location
PEACE AND PURE LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable
Location
CHITOMERICS LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable
Location
Trajectory
2y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsDevelops and markets pharmaceutical medicines focused on gastroenterology and rheumatology, including treatments for conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis, and…
Serves UK and Ireland healthcare markets, supporting patients, caregivers and healthcare providers in gastroenterology and rheumatology, particularly people affected by inflammatory bowel disease and…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -25% CAGR over 1y
Location
POLARIS PHARMA LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsDevelops biopharmaceuticals for cancer and metabolic diseases, including the investigational enzyme therapy ADI‑PEG 20. Conducts clinical trials and provides contract development and manufacturing of…
Serves oncology and metabolic disease markets, including cancer treatment providers, clinical-trial partners and pharmaceutical or biotech companies seeking CDMO manufacturing partnerships.
Financial Health
WeakWeak · -6% CAGR over 2y
Location
Trajectory
2y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsDevelops targeted cancer immunotherapies, including a universal CAR T cell platform and antibody-based treatments targeting the nfP2X7 receptor. Conducts research and development of therapies for…
Targets the oncology healthcare market, with therapies intended for cancer patients suffering from a wide range of liquid and solid tumours worldwide.
Financial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
Camnord Pharma Limited
Trajectory
4y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsDevelops complex generic pharmaceutical therapies aimed at addressing unmet clinical needs. Focuses on research and development of generic drug formulations and treatments through a Danish‑UK…
Financial Health
StableStable · -21% CAGR over 3y
Location
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsDevelops biotechnology for cellular rejuvenation. Uses machine learning, single‑cell sequencing and ageing‑clock models to identify gene targets and develop therapeutic candidates aimed at reversing…
Targets healthcare and life-sciences markets focused on age-driven diseases, with initial therapeutic indications including age-related hearing loss, liver fibrosis and systemic sclerosis.
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 43% CAGR over 5y
Location
GOLDCOAST CONSULTANCY LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
YAQRIT LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsDevelops therapeutics for advanced liver disease. Conducts biomedical research and clinical trials targeting inflammatory pathways and gut–liver interactions, including microbiome-based treatments,…
Targets healthcare organisations and specialist liver disease clinicians treating patients with advanced liver disease, including primary sclerosing cholangitis, inflammatory bowel disease and…
Financial Health
StableStable · -11% CAGR over 4y
Location
Develops targeted cancer immunotherapies, including a universal CAR T platform (BRiDGECAR) that combines nfP2X7‑targeted CAR T cells with antibodies. Conducts research and development of treatments…
Targets oncology healthcare markets, ultimately serving cancer patients with liquid and solid tumours worldwide. The site also addresses life sciences investors and eligible existing shareholders.
Location
NIA NOVA LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Actigen Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsConducts research and clinical development of drug therapies for rare diseases, including mucopolysaccharidosis II (Hunter syndrome). Designs and runs patient-focused clinical trials and develops…
Serves patients and families affected by serious rare diseases, particularly MPS II/Hunter syndrome, alongside clinicians, patient advocacy groups, partners and healthcare stakeholders involved in…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 32% CAGR over 5y
Location
Enedra Therapeutics
Trajectory
4y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsDevelops targeted cancer therapeutics using genomic data analysis and AI. Its CASPAROV platform analyses large cancer evolution datasets to identify shared vulnerabilities in heterogeneous tumours…
Targets cancer patients with genetically heterogeneous, treatment-resistant tumours, particularly those with limited or no effective options, and the oncology clinicians and healthcare systems…
Financial Health
StrongStrong · Hiring · 43% CAGR over 3y
Location
Develops, manufactures and supplies prescription medicines to the NHS and healthcare professionals. Maintains a portfolio of branded and generic pharmaceuticals and provides medical information,…
Sells to the NHS and UK healthcare providers, targeting health professionals who prescribe or supply medicines, patients needing product information, and healthcare-sector business partners.
Location
Develops and supplies prescription medicines to healthcare providers and the NHS. Manages a portfolio including branded and branded‑generic pharmaceuticals and provides information and educational…
Serves the NHS and UK healthcare professionals, with patients as end users; also engages pharmaceutical business partners seeking UK market collaboration.
Location
Universal Biologicals (Cambridge) Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
Develops, manufactures and commercialises prescription medicines and consumer health products. Focuses on therapeutic areas including pain management, oncology, respiratory disease and infectious…
Serves healthcare professionals, patients and consumer health customers internationally, with prescription medicine information directed to HCPs and local healthcare channels.
Location
ADVENT BIOSERVICES LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides contract development and manufacturing services for cell and gene therapies. Operates GMP-compliant facilities for cell therapy production, process development, quality control testing, and…
Serves biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies developing cell and gene therapies, including organisations needing GMP production scale-up, process development, QC support and ultra-cold storage…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -54% CAGR over 4y
Location
SAHARA BIOMEDIX LTD
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
Develops small‑molecule cancer therapies targeting DNA damage response pathways. Operates a drug discovery platform and advances a clinical pipeline including ATR and DNA polymerase theta inhibitors…
Serves the oncology healthcare market, targeting cancer patients with hard-to-treat solid tumours, including ovarian and breast cancer populations, and engaging clinical trial investigators,…
Location
GROVES MARCHANT LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak
Location
Kintiga
Trajectory
5y · 2020–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsProvides consultancy to pharmaceutical and health technology companies on European market access, regulatory strategy, pricing and reimbursement, and health technology assessment. Also develops…
Serves pharmaceutical, biotech and health technology developers seeking patient access, regulatory and HTA support for therapies across European markets, from early clinical phases to post-launch.
Financial Health
HealthyHealthy · Hiring · 4% CAGR over 4y
Location
EXONATE LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsDevelops small‑molecule drugs that modulate alternative mRNA splicing to treat diseases involving abnormal blood vessel growth. Focuses on ophthalmic conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic…
Targets ophthalmology markets, particularly patients with retinal vascular diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic macular oedema and wet AMD, with potential relevance to cancers involving…
Financial Health
DistressedDistressed · -73% CAGR over 4y
Location
CREDIBLE CAPITAL LIMITED
Trajectory
3y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
Develops, licenses and commercialises prescription medicines and consumer health products, and partners with pharmaceutical companies on research, manufacturing, regulatory and distribution…
Serves healthcare professionals, patients, healthcare systems and consumer health customers globally, with audiences varying by country and approved therapeutic areas.
Location
Amphista Therapeutics
Trajectory
2y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsDevelops targeted protein degradation therapeutics using proprietary “Targeted Glue” small molecules designed to induce degradation of disease‑related proteins. Conducts drug discovery and…
Financial Health
WeakWeak · Hiring · 67% CAGR over 1y
Location
Synexus
Conducts clinical trials for pharmaceutical and healthcare research, recruiting and managing volunteer participants and patients. Employs research physicians and clinical staff to run ethics‑approved…
Serves GP practices and patient volunteers seeking access to clinical trials, including people with cardiovascular, respiratory, diabetes, skin, infection, immunity, digestion, bowel and…
Financial Health
Insufficient historyInsufficient history
Location
Glemsford Services Limited
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak · -5% CAGR over 4y
Location
PHARMA INSIGHT LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 4y
Location
MEDCAN (UK) WHOLESALE LTD
Trajectory
1y · 2025–NowFinancial Health
Insufficient historyInsufficient history
Location
BM ALLIANCE LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
ONECAN LTD
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
DERMOCORE LTD.
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
KF WAREHOUSE LTD
Trajectory
3y · 2023–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 3 filingsFinancial Health
StableStable · 0% CAGR over 2y
Location
ACLARDIAN LIMITED
Trajectory
5y · 2021–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 5 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed · -68% CAGR over 4y
Location
Truemed Ltd
Trajectory
2y · 2025–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsFinancial Health
DistressedDistressed
Location
Develops and commercialises prescription medicines and consumer health products. Focuses on therapeutic areas including pain management, oncology, infectious disease and respiratory conditions, and…
Serves a mix of healthcare professionals, patients and consumer health customers across multiple countries, with audiences varying by local medicine approvals, prescribing information and therapeutic…
Location
Provides outsourced drug discovery and development services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, including in silico drug design, antibody discovery, medicinal and synthetic chemistry, in…
Sells to biopharma and biotech companies needing outsourced drug discovery and development support, including teams advancing small molecules and biologics from early discovery through preclinical…
Location
Develops and commercialises biopharmaceutical medicines for rare diseases. Conducts research and development of novel therapies, manages clinical pipelines, and provides treatments in areas such as…
Sells to healthcare professionals, patients and healthcare systems involved in rare diseases, particularly haematology and haemophilia, with a global B2B/B2G focus alongside support for patient…
Location
New Path Molecular Research Ltd
Trajectory
4y · 2022–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 4 filingsDevelops targeted cancer therapeutics using synthetic defensin‑based molecules that bind phosphatidylserine on tumour cells. Designs linker chemistry and modified drug payloads to release…
Financial Health
StableStable · Hiring · 6% CAGR over 3y
Location
Talisman Therapeutics
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsDevelops disease‑modifying therapeutics for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Uses human iPSC‑derived neural cell models and genetics to identify drug targets and advance preclinical…
Serves B2B life sciences organisations, including biotechs, venture-backed company builders and global pharmaceutical companies with preclinical neuroscience and neurodegenerative disease drug…
Financial Health
StableStable · 7% CAGR over 1y
Location
RORUT UK LTD
Trajectory
2y · 2024–NowFinancial sub-scores
Computed from 2 filingsFinancial Health
WeakWeak · 0% CAGR over 1y
Location
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How Cambridge pharmaceuticals companies work and how to sell to them
What they do
Cambridge pharmaceuticals companies usually earn through a mix of project fees, regulated service contracts, licence income and distribution margins. Some are development-led, selling formulation, testing, pharmacovigilance or market-access support; others make, assemble, import or wholesale medicines under controlled quality systems. Engagements tend to be narrower and more auditable than broad enterprise software purchases. Pricing often follows statement-of-work, minimum-order, milestone or retainer structures, with contract value tied to validation burden, product risk, release responsibility and the evidence needed for a customer’s own regulated process.
Who they sell to
Typical buyers sit in UK healthcare, research, manufacturing and regulated supply-chain organisations rather than consumer channels. Decision-makers often include regulatory affairs leads, quality directors, supply-chain managers, medical affairs teams, commercial leads and finance or procurement approvers. For manufacture, assembly, import or wholesale activity, responsible-person and release-related roles can carry more weight than generic technology stakeholders. Sales cycles tend to be direct, document-heavy and cautious, with supplier questionnaires, quality agreements and audit rights appearing before commercial terms are settled. Self-serve buying is uncommon; partner referrals, specialist networks and formal tenders tend to matter more.
What they buy
Most Cambridge pharmaceuticals firms tend to spend on quality and compliance tooling before broad productivity software. Relevant categories include quality-management systems, electronic document control, training records, audit and CAPA workflows, supplier qualification, batch documentation, adverse-event handling and customer complaint tracking. They may also buy validation support, regulatory consulting, pharmacovigilance services, specialist insurance, legal advice, accounting, recruitment and market-access support. Security, identity management and cloud hosting matter where medicine documentation, customer records or pharmacovigilance processes are handled digitally. Distribution-oriented firms may also need stock control, cold-chain monitoring, logistics software and evidence capture for good distribution practice.
Why and how to sell to them
Commercial intent often appears when a pharmaceuticals company applies for or varies an MHRA licence, prepares for inspection, adds import or wholesale activity, launches a product route, changes quality leadership or takes on a new manufacturing partner. Sellers should avoid generic efficiency claims. Better angles are inspection readiness, lower deviation risk, faster document retrieval, tighter supplier evidence, clearer audit trails and less manual work around regulated processes. Smaller Cambridge operators may value vendors that can work with lean teams, produce usable documentation and fit around existing quality procedures without forcing a large systems change.
How this list is built
Data sources
This list is built from UK Companies House filings, XBRL accounts data, and semantic analysis of each company's public website. Revenue and headcount figures come from the most recent filed accounts; where the company has not filed, values are estimated using a model trained on filed history and peer benchmarks and are labelled as estimates.
Classification
Rather than relying solely on SIC codes, Firmbase classifies each company semantically: the company's website is crawled, an AI model reads what the company actually sells, and the company is placed into the relevant industry and subsectors. SIC codes are used as one signal but not the only one. This means a company that registered under a generic SIC code but pivoted into (for example) fintech is correctly identified as fintech, not as its original SIC category.
Freshness
The underlying company data is refreshed from Companies House continuously; filings appear in the list within days of submission. The curated list ordering is regenerated when the underlying data moves meaningfully (company count changes by more than 5%, a new company enters the top-ranked segment, or the filed-revenue numbers for the top firms change). You can see the last-updated timestamp near the top of the page.
Also in Cambridge
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