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Who's at Helix? | Katie Smith on human-centred drug development, global collaboration and why medicines of the future are being tested in Newcastle
A tiny piece of skin donated by someone in Newcastle could help shape the next generation of medicines.
This approach sits at the heart of Alcyomics' work, helping pharmaceutical companies around the world understand both the safety and effectiveness of potential new treatments before they reach patients.
In the latest edition of Who's at Helix?, we spoke to Katie Smith, Business Development Officer at Alcyomics, to learn more about the company's work, its growing international reach, and why collaboration remains at the heart of everything it does.
Helping companies develop better medicines
Based at The Biosphere on Newcastle Helix, Alcyomics operates within the preclinical drug development process, helping organisations understand how potential medicines behave before they progress further towards patients.
"At Alcyomics we are part of the preclinical drug development process, where we test the safety of medicines and also how those medicines might work."
By generating insights into both safety and effectiveness, the team helps pharmaceutical companies make more informed decisions as promising new treatments move through development.
From Newcastle to the world
One of the most distinctive aspects of Alcyomics' work is its connection to the local community.
The company's research uses human skin samples donated by volunteers and patients, including people from across the North East. Those samples help create advanced laboratory models that allow researchers to better understand how new medicines interact with human tissue.
As Katie explains, all of the experiments carried out by Alcyomics use human skin, and those samples come from people who volunteer through the local community.
Those local contributions can support projects with global reach, as pharmaceutical companies from around the world turn to Alcyomics for specialist expertise.
"It starts with not only our business here, but actually local people."
Supporting the development of new treatments
Among the projects currently generating excitement is the company's growing work in eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis.
For several years, the team has been developing advanced disease models to help researchers understand how potential treatments may perform and to generate more meaningful data earlier in the development process.
That expertise is now attracting international attention.
"We've got projects coming through where these drug companies internationally are coming to us to test their drugs targeting this disease here in Newcastle."
For a business that has spent years investing in this area of research, it's a significant milestone and another example of Newcastle's growing reputation within the life sciences sector.
Developing more human-relevant models
At the heart of Alcyomics' work is a commitment to developing laboratory models that better reflect what is happening inside the human body.
This is particularly important as the wider pharmaceutical sector continues to explore more human-relevant approaches to drug development and reduce reliance on animal testing.
The team is continually refining and expanding its disease models, helping researchers gain a clearer understanding of how medicines are likely to behave before they reach clinical trials.
"We develop experiments that try to replicate what actually is going on in the human body."
The interview comes at an exciting time for the company, following its recent move to join the SenzaGen group and further strengthen its position within the growing field of non-animal testing and human-relevant drug development.
Why Newcastle matters
Although Alcyomics works with organisations around the world, its roots remain firmly in Newcastle.
The company originated from Newcastle University nearly two decades ago and has remained in the region ever since.
Katie credits the North East's collaborative ecosystem as a key part of that journey,
highlighting partnerships with hospitals, universities and businesses across the region.
"We've always been based here at the Helix or Newcastle. That's because of the connections and collaborations that we have here."
The company also supports student placements and skills development, helping contribute to the region's growing life sciences community.
A Helix success story
The story of Alcyomics brings together many of the things that make Newcastle Helix unique: talented people, strong links between industry, healthcare and academia, and scientific expertise with real-world impact.
What starts with local volunteers and patients can ultimately help shape medicines being developed for people around the world.
It's a reminder that globally significant innovation doesn't just happen in major pharmaceutical hubs.
It's happening right here in Newcastle.
