An international drugs firm could create up to 50 jobs in the region after signing up for a space at the BioHub at Alderley Park.

The former AstraZeneca site at Alderley Edge was bought by Manchester Science Parks and Cheshire East Council after AstraZeneca announced it would cease its research and development work at the site.

It is hoped the arrival of Hematogenix, which aims to create up to 50 jobs for scientists within three years with around 15 posts currently available, will attract more firms and more jobs to the site.

Macclesfield MP David Rutley said: “Hematogenix’s expansion onto the Alderley Park site represents a real vote of confidence in the science park. “The new facilities will be seeking to recruit from the local area, which is a testament to the talent and expertise that our local communities boast. As a member of the Alderley Park Task Force, I am pleased to see this further positive progress.”

The boss of Manchester Science Parks says is working towards doubling the number of people working at its sites within the next 10 years.

Chief executive Rowena Burns said the molecular services firm chose Alderley Park above 10 other sites across the UK and Europe.

She said the deal, which was signed for an undisclosed sum, is a sign of things to come and represented true foreign investment in the region’s life sciences sector.

She added: “We have scarcely marketed this site and already we have this. This is true foreign direct investment.

“It opens up markets for us in other parts of the world.”

She added that the biohub in Alderley Park had 10 companies in it in October last year, and 68 now run from the base. She said: “We have 3,500 people employed at MSP and we want to grow that number to 7,000 within the next 10 years.

“There’s ample space here for new companies to move in.”

The firm focuses on cancer related testing and other molecular based tests that serve a variety of physicians including pathologists, oncologists, urologists, gynecologists, and cardiologists.

The company’s managing director, president and chief executive Dr Hytham Al-Masri, said: “In the first year we will create up to 15 jobs.

“In the next three years we could create up to 50 jobs depending on how it works out with certain trials.

“All those people will be employed from the fantastic talent pool that exists in Greater Manchester and the north west.

“We are very excited.”