by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Pharmaceutical company Aesica is unveiling its new £3m manufacturing plant on the Isle of Sheppey today.

The Potent Manufacturing Facility (PMF) in Queenborough boosts the company's drug production capacity and packaging facilities.

The company is a leader in formulated products, especially those offering severe pain relief.

The Queenborough site already manufactures potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and has extensive expertise in formulation and handling controlled drugs.

It is developing a narcotic analgesic that relieves pain for people with serious illness.

The new plant should accelerate the firm's share of the contract manufacturing market.

Managing director Simon Clough said: "Aesica's service offering and capability is the most advanced in the UK and the addition of the new facility will be of huge benefit to our current clients and indeed all pharmaceutical companies who require potent drug product production."

Aesica employs around 320 staff in Queenborough among a worldwide workforce of 1,300 at offices in Newcastle upon Tyne, the United States and China, and factories in the UK, Germany and Italy.