Vectura Group plc is a leading British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

-based pharmaceuticals business. It is based in Chippenham

Chippenham

Chippenham may be:* Chippenham, Wiltshire* Chippenham * Chippenham, Cambridgeshire-See also:* Virginia State Route 150, also known as Chippenham Parkway, USA* Cippenham, Berkshire, UK...

 and is a former constituent of the FTSE 250 Index

FTSE 250 Index

The FTSE 250 Index is a capitalisation-weighted index consisting of the 101st to the 350th largest companies on the London Stock Exchange. Promotions to and demotions from the index take place quarterly in March, June, September and December...

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History

Vectura was formed in 1997 with venture finance

Venture capital

Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...

 backing. In 1999 it acquired Co-ordinated Drug Development and the Centre for Drug Formulation Studies. In 2002 it acquired inhaler technology and an associated engineering team from Cambridge Consultants Ltd

Cambridge Consultants Ltd

Cambridge Consultants is an international technology development and consultancy company, providing outsourced Research and Development to clients - from start-ups to blue-chip multinationals - who need to develop innovative, technologically novel, breakthrough products...

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In 2004 it was listed on the Alternative Investment Market

Alternative Investment Market

AIM is a sub-market of the London Stock Exchange, allowing smaller companies to float shares with a more flexible regulatory system than is applicable to the main market....

. In 2007 it acquired Innovata plc, a developer of pulmonary products, and then moved on the full list of the London Stock Exchange

London Stock Exchange

The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...

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Operations

The Group specialises in inhalation technology and currently has two main focuses:

• Respiratory: inhaled products for asthma
  Asthma
  Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
  
   and COPD
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , also known as chronic obstructive lung disease , chronic obstructive airway disease , chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive respiratory disease , is the co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases...
  
  
• Neurology: products for Parkinson's Disease
  Parkinson's disease
  Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
  
   and migraine
  Migraine
  Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by moderate to severe headaches, and nausea...
  
  

External links

• Official site
• Vectura boosted by deal with GSK worth over $30 million upfront plus royalties The Pharma Letter,6th August, 2010