DRUG development company Biopta is being bought by Japanese firm Reprocell in a deal worth around £5.5 million.

The Scottish business, founded in 2002 by Dr David Bunton and Professor Chris Hillier as a spin-out from Glasgow Caledonian University, is a specialist in using human tissue in the drug development process.

Testing drugs on human tissue is believed to give rise to more accurate results than animal testing.

Biopta, which also has a laboratory in Maryland in the United States, provides contract research services to the global pharmaceutical industry and has a staff of 18.

It said it hopes to grow staff numbers to 30 over the next three years as a result of the deal.

Investors in the Glasgow business include venture groups Braveheart and TriCapital along with Scottish Enterprise.

Mr Bunton, who is chief executive and also a shareholder, said: “The acquisition by Reprocell is a great opportunity to build on the solid platform we have in outsourced drug discovery services.

“We have had a close partnership with BioServe, another Reprocell group company, for the past five years, which has helped us establish a very successful US subsidiary.

“We see the acquisition as the natural next step in the growth of the UK and US businesses.”

Reprocell, which has its headquarters in Yokohama and is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, said: “Biopta is a pioneering developer of drug discovery support services, taking an integrated approach to the provision of human tissues and preclinical contract research (CRO services) using ethically-sourced human tissues.

“The company is strongly competitive and has many achievements, backed by their high levels of technological prowess.”

Reprocell said it was buying 50.26 per cent of Biopta’s shares in cash.

The value of the remainder of the deal is being satisfied through the issuance of new Reprocell shares.

Biopta has worked on more than 500 potential new medicines.

Chikafumi Yokoyama, chief executive of Reprocell, added: “This will allow our company to increase our market share by expanding our lineup of drug discovery support products aimed at the pharmaceutical industry and accelerate the development of Reprocell’s new products and services.”