Nottingham-based contract research organisation (CRO) Cellomatics Biosciences has made a key business development appointment in support of its ambitious growth plans.

Haroon Allybacus joins Cellomatics as Senior Business Development Manager. With more than 20 years’ experience in the pharmaceutical, contract research and ‘omics’ industries, Haroon has held numerous business development roles, most recently as European Account Manager at Human Metabolome Technologies, the global provider of next generation metabolomics. With a Chemistry with Management Science BSc Hons and an MBA in International Business, Haroon began his career in big pharma, working for Pfizer and Astra Zeneca, before moving into CROs and biotechs.

Based at BioCity Nottingham, Cellomatics is a specialist preclinical CRO with expertise in five main therapeutic areas: oncology, immuno-oncology, immunology, inflammation and respiratory. Last year, the company reported year-on-year organic growth of 30 percent since its inception in 2015, following a hike in demand for its bespoke preclinical and early discovery phase laboratory services and expertise.

At Cellomatics, Haroon, who has worked in international business development for over ten years, will use his extensive experience at preclinical and clinical CROs and in pharmaceutical sales to develop the company’s global client base.

“I am truly passionate about the life sciences industry and believe there is nothing more rewarding than supporting companies with the development of new therapies for diseases with unmet treatment needs,” Haroon says, “The role Cellomatics plays in this process is key, and I am excited to be supporting the growth of its pipeline of business opportunities, as well as managing its strong and loyal customer base.

“By applying my specialist expertise in the ‘omics’ industry, as well as my knowledge of the Nordic life sciences territories, I hope to drive further, diversified growth for Cellomatics and ensure more businesses, from early start-ups to medium-sized biotechs, can access our bespoke, innovative and practical solutions to advance their drug development programmes.”

Shailendra Singh, CEO of Cellomatics, says: “Haroon is a top-performing and highly experienced business development expert, with a proven track record of success, having consistently exceeded sales and growth targets for successive companies.

“Increasingly, pharmaceutical companies are relying on the robust infrastructure and clinical expertise of CROs, and as specialty drugs become a larger portion of the market, we anticipate significant growth in the EU market, especially in the immuno-oncology and immunology spaces that we specialise in.

“Haroon’s in-depth experience and knowledge mean he can hit the ground running and help us tap into this growth, as we seek to become the CRO of choice for our growing global client base seeking expert support with the development of bespoke bioassays.”

Cellomatics was recently crowned regional winner in the Barclays Entrepreneur Awards 2021 and its CEO Shailendra Singh was awarded Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year for the Midlands at the Great British Entrepreneur Awards.