Copea Pharma
Copea Pharma is a UK-based MHRA-licensed contract organisation providing independent Qualified Person certification, importation, and packaging services for clinical, commercial, and unlicensed pharmaceutical products. It serves pharmaceutical sponsors through project-based B2B engagements from its Liverpool warehouse facility.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Copea Pharma does
Copea Pharma (legal entity: Copea Pharmaceutical) is a UK-based contract pharmaceutical organisation headquartered in Liverpool that provides independent Qualified Person (QP) services to pharmaceutical companies. Founded in 2013 and operating with 11-50 employees, the company holds four MHRA licences — Wholesale Dealer WDA(h), Manufacturing/Importation Authorisation (MIA), MIA (IMP) for Investigative Medicinal Products, and a Specials licence for unlicensed medicines — which together authorise it to perform importation, bulk and finished product certification, secondary packaging, and distribution of clinical, commercial, and named-patient medicinal products. Its QPs cover a broad dosage-form portfolio spanning aseptics, terminally sterilised products, oral solids, creams, ointments, liquids, transdermal patches, granules, powders, radiopharmaceuticals, biologicals, biotechnology, and inhaled formulations, enabling engagement across heterogeneous clinical and commercial projects.
Operationally, Copea runs MHRA-approved warehouses at its Liverpool site (25 Compass West, L24 1YA) with ambient storage at 15-25°C and cold-chain storage at 2-8°C, supported by 24/7 electronic alarm monitoring and cold-chain redundancy. Its service catalogue is organised around five pillars: QP Project Services (importation, certification, audits, QMS review, inspection readiness), Clinical Trials Services (secondary labelling, comparator and auxiliary medicine sourcing, JIT labelling, multi-language patient kits), Commercial Services (pack manipulation, QP certification on EU entry, importation testing management), Unlicensed Medicines / named-patient supply, and Facilities (storage and secondary packaging). Distribution extends to the EU, US, and Rest of World.
The business model is B2B professional services on a project-based, quote-driven fee structure with no publicly disclosed pricing. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct, with the assigned QP acting as the primary point of contact for each sponsor project. The company reports no public ownership structure, no funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no disclosed revenue or headcount trend, and serves an unspecified roster of pharmaceutical company clients across multiple regulatory jurisdictions.
Copea Pharma firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Copea Pharma
- Legal name
- Copea Pharmaceutical
- Website
- https://copeapharma.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Copea Pharma is a UK-based MHRA-licensed contract organisation providing independent Qualified Person certification, importation, and packaging services for clinical, commercial, and unlicensed pharmaceutical products. It serves pharmaceutical sponsors through project-based B2B engagements from its Liverpool warehouse facility.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Copea Pharma industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pharmaceutical Contract Services
- NAICS
- Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Third-Party Logistics (3PL) & Warehousing for Pharmaceuticals (HLAIAJAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Clinical Trial Logistics & Depot Services (IRT-integrated, kitting, returns) (HLAGAMAC), Specialty Pharma & Biologics Distribution (GDP-compliant) (HLAGAMAD), Pharma & Life Sciences Cold Chain Forwarding (GDP-Compliant) (TLACAMAD), Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Packaging (GMP, Tamper-Evident, Cold-Chain Packs) (TLAIAGAI)
Keywords
Where Copea Pharma is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Copea Pharma business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- QP Project Services: Contract organization providing independent Qualified Person services for pharmaceutical companies. Services include importation, bulk certification, finished product certification, audits, project management, QMS review, self inspection programmes, and inspection readiness preparation. Revenue is generated through project-based professional service fees.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Copea Pharma product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Copea Pharma is a UK-based contract organization providing independent Qualified Person (QP) services to pharmaceutical companies. Core offerings include QP certification for imported bulk and finished products (clinical and commercial), importation of clinical, commercial, and unlicensed medicinal products, secondary packaging and multi-language labelling, MHRA-approved temperature-controlled storage (15-25°C and 2-8°C), audits, QMS review, and inspection readiness preparation. All services are delivered under MHRA licences (WDA(h), MIA, MIA IMP, Specials) from its Liverpool facility.
Product overview
Copea Pharma is a contract pharmaceutical organization specializing in independent Qualified Person (QP) services. The company operates as a single unified service offering with interconnected capabilities rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core QP Project Services encompass importation, bulk certification, and finished product certification for clinical and commercial products. Clinical Trials Services provide secondary labelling, comparator sourcing, and JIT labelling support. Commercial Services handle pack manipulation and importation testing. Unlicensed Medicines Services manage named patient supply. Facilities include MHRA-approved warehouses for storage (ambient and cold chain) and secondary packaging. All services are underpinned by MHRA licenses including Wholesale Dealer WDA(h), MIA, MIA (IMP), and Specials licenses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- QP Project Services Comprehensive Qualified Person services for pharmaceutical companies covering importation, bulk certification, finished product certification, audits, project management, QMS review, self-inspection programmes, and inspection readiness preparation for clinical and commercial medicinal products.
- Clinical Trials Services End-to-end clinical trial support including secondary labelling, QP certification, comparator and auxiliary medicine sourcing, JIT labelling, and distribution to the EU, US, and Rest of World markets for pharmaceutical companies running clinical trials.
- Commercial Services Commercial medicinal product support including pack manipulation, QP certification upon EU entry, and importation testing management (analytical chemistry or microbiological) for pharmaceutical companies commercialising products in the EU.
- Unlicensed Medicines Services Named patient supply services for unlicensed medicines imported into the UK to meet unmet clinical needs, including bona fide checks and regulatory documentation management for pharmaceutical companies and prescribers.
- Facilities - Storage & Packaging MHRA-approved warehouse facilities providing secondary packaging and labelling of clinical trial and commercial products, ambient storage (15-25°C), cold chain storage (2-8°C), and distribution capabilities serving the EU, US, and Rest of World.
Quantifiable outcome
- Ensures smooth transition of projects to certification stage without last-minute regulatory roadblocks
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Copea Pharma
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Copea Pharma technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Copea Pharma partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Copea Pharma competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Almac Group: Northern Ireland-headquartered pharma services group offering QP services, clinical trial packaging, commercial packaging, and temperature-controlled storage. Closest direct UK/UK-adjacent incumbent with overlapping IMP packaging, QP certification, and multi-language labelling capabilities.
- Recipharm: European CDMO offering QP certification, packaging, and supply chain services as part of a broader development and manufacturing portfolio. Comparable where sponsors require QP-led release for commercial and clinical products.
- Piramal Pharma Solutions: CDMO offering drug development, manufacturing, and QP-aligned services including clinical and commercial supply. Comparable at the QP certification and importation release stage of the pharmaceutical supply chain.
- Catalent: Large global CDMO with clinical supply services including packaging, labelling, comparator sourcing, and QP release. Competes for the same clinical trial material workflow business as Copea, with much greater scale.
- Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon): Global pharma services network including clinical packaging, QP services, and distribution via its Patheon footprint. Represents a large, full-service competitor that frequently wins contracts that smaller QP specialists would otherwise pursue.
- Aesica Pharmaceuticals (Consort Medical): UK-based pharmaceutical contract development and manufacturing organisation providing commercial and clinical supply services including QP release. Direct UK peer with overlapping regulated supply chain capabilities.
Direct peers
- Wasdell Group: UK-based pharmaceutical contract services provider specialising in clinical and commercial packaging, QP release, MHRA-licensed storage, and Specials/named patient supply — closely mirroring Copea's combined IMP, commercial, and Specials licence footprint.
- PCI Pharma Services: Global contract provider of clinical and commercial packaging, labelling, storage, and distribution for pharmaceuticals. Direct peer given shared focus on multi-language clinical trial labelling, cold-chain storage, and QP-led importation support.
- Sharp Clinical Services: Clinical trials packaging, labelling, and distribution specialist with comparator sourcing and QP-aligned services. Highly comparable to Copea's clinical trials service line in scope, customer base, and regulatory positioning.
Emerging players
- Eurofins PSS Insourcing Solutions: Provides embedded QP and quality professionals to pharmaceutical companies, partially overlapping with Copea's QP and audit service lines. Comparable as a competitor for outsourced QP resource contracts.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Copea Pharma social profiles
Digital presenceCopea Pharma compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Copea Pharma financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Copea Pharma leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Copea Pharma funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Copea Pharma M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Copea Pharma
What does Copea Pharma do?
Copea Pharma is a UK-based contract organization providing independent Qualified Person (QP) services to pharmaceutical companies. Core offerings include QP certification for imported bulk and finished products (clinical and commercial), importation of clinical, commercial, and unlicensed medicinal products, secondary packaging and multi-language labelling, MHRA-approved temperature-controlled storage (15-25°C and 2-8°C), audits, QMS review, and inspection readiness preparation. All services are delivered under MHRA licences (WDA(h), MIA, MIA IMP, Specials) from its Liverpool facility.
Is Copea Pharma a public or private company?
Copea Pharma is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Copea Pharma founded?
Copea Pharma was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Copea Pharma based?
Copea Pharma is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Copea Pharma make money?
One revenue line is on record: QP Project Services.
Who are Copea Pharma's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Almac Group, Recipharm, Piramal Pharma Solutions, Catalent, Thermo Fisher Scientific (Patheon) and Aesica Pharmaceuticals (Consort Medical). Direct peers are Wasdell Group, PCI Pharma Services and Sharp Clinical Services. Eurofins PSS Insourcing Solutions is listed as an emerging player.
Does Copea Pharma have an API?
No public API is recorded for Copea Pharma.
What industry is Copea Pharma in?
Copea Pharma's product category is Pharmaceutical Contract Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAIAJAL, Third-Party Logistics (3PL) & Warehousing for Pharmaceuticals, with a secondary code of HLAGAMAC, Clinical Trial Logistics & Depot Services (IRT-integrated, kitting, returns). Its NAICS code is 42421 and its SIC code is 5122.