Burnham backs Vortex Biotech's Manchester expansion and AZ initiative
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham had warm words for Vortex' expansion of its advanced laboratory facilities at Manchester Science Park as the first company to feature in the expanded AstraZeneca Exchange Programme.
He said the expansion was “fantastic news for Greater Manchester and a further vote of confidence in our life sciences sector.
“This investment strengthens our established life sciences cluster on the Oxford Road Corridor, where companies can access the world-class research, clinical networks and talent they need to succeed,” Burnham said.
“This new site will create high-skilled, high-value jobs for people across Greater Manchester, while developing diagnostic technologies that could improve the treatment of cancer worldwide.”
The move significantly enhances the company’s R & D and commercial delivery capacity and strengthens its position as a leader in liquid biopsy technologies for precision oncology.
The laboratories are designed to GLP-ready specifications, allowing future expansion into clinical trial support and commercial product and services development. The site also serves as the company’s European hub for research partnerships, with planned collaborations in single-cell analysis, molecular profiling, and AI-driven data integration.
Backed by EMV Capital, Vortex’ proprietary liquid biopsy platform isolates and enriches circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and other rare biomarkers from blood samples, enabling high-sensitivity cancer detection, monitoring, and translational research. The Manchester facility will accelerate the company’s ongoing programmes in clinical validation, biomarker discovery, and commercial services development.
With this expansion, Vortex says it is positioned to accelerate its commercialisation pathway and deliver non-invasive diagnostic solutions that improve outcomes for cancer patients worldwide.
The AstraZeneca milestone recognises Vortex’s pioneering work in precision oncology and its potential to redefine how cancer is diagnosed and monitored.
The AstraZeneca Exchange: Science and Business Mentoring programme brings together Cambridge-headquartered AstraZeneca’s global expertise with high-potential biotech companies to accelerate the development of transformative healthcare solutions. Designed to connect leading innovators and established industry leaders, the programme offers scientific guidance, commercial insight, and access to AstraZeneca’s extensive R & D ecosystem.
The AstraZeneca Exchange also forms part of the newly launched Cambridge x Manchester Innovation Partnership, a national initiative uniting two of the UK’s strongest science and technology clusters to drive regional and national growth.
The partnership represents a collaboration linking the North of England with the Golden Triangle. It will fuel the commercialisation of start-ups, attract investment, and pilot new approaches to drive growth in a range of different sectors, from discovering new medicine to improving the resilience of UK infrastructure.
Together with the UK Government’s newly unveiled investment package for the Oxford–Cambridge corridor, these efforts represent a united approach to removing barriers, unlocking growth, and building a stronger framework that enables leading companies like Vortex to thrive.
