The deal includes a 5,000 square-metre facility in Malaysia for the production of mammalian cells, which, along with the Cambridge site, recently underwent redevelopment.

The Cambridge laboratory is responsible for research and development of bioprocesses, a procedure using complete living cells, or their components, to obtain products.

Rajiv Datar, president and CEO of Viropro comments: ‘With this acquisition, Viropro has taken the first step towards creating a global biotech contract services business.’

Kim Tan, chairman of Alpha Biologics says: ‘We look forward to working closely with Viropro and its other subsidiaries towards the realisation of a common mission, which is to make biotech drugs for clients, efficiently and economically.’