Sygnature Discovery hits 500th hire landmark

Sygnature Discovery, the world leading integrated drug discovery solutions provider, has appointed its 500th employee.

The company reached the milestone after 18 years in business, having been founded in 2004 by CEO Simon Hirst with four other employees in Nottingham, UK. Rapid growth and continued recruitment has seen the firm’s numbers swell significantly in recent times.

Sygnature Discovery also acquired in vivo pharmacology business RenaSci in 2019, opened laboratories at Cheshire’s Alderley Park in 2019, and acquired both in vivo oncology firm Alderley Oncology and preclinical drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) specialist XenoGesis in 2020.

Experienced DMPK scientist Lynette Ongeri became Sygnature’s 500th employee this month, joining as a Senior Scientist following roles at UCB Pharma, Charles River Laboratories, Pharmaron, and Concept Life Sciences.

Last year, Sygnature received significant investment from Five Arrows Principal Investments, the European corporate private equity arm of Rothschild & Co, enabling it to continue to focus on sustained growth over the years ahead.

Simon Hirst, CEO at Sygnature Discovery, said: “We have come a long way since we opened our doors nearly two decades ago, and we owe our success to the hard work and expertise of our employees. Reaching 500 staff is a very proud moment, not least because we have continued to thrive and grow throughout the restrictions of the Covid pandemic and beyond. But we have no intention of slowing down – we are always on the lookout for talented, passionate scientists who want to apply their skills to exciting, innovative drug discovery projects and ultimately make a difference to patients.”

In Sygnature Discovery’s first two years, the company grew from four staff to 15. Employee numbers reached 35 in 2009, before rising sharply to 111 in 2014 – and reaching the 200 mark in 2017. In addition to its laboratories in Nottingham and Alderley Park, Sygnature also maintains an office presence in both Cambridge, Massachusetts and South San Francisco, California.

For more information about Sygnature Discovery, visit www.sygnaturediscovery.com.