ST. LOUIS, May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma-Aldrich® Corporation's (NASDAQ: SIAL) custom manufacturing and services business unit, SAFC Commercial (www.sigma-aldrich.com/safc), has entered into a collaborative technology agreement with BioTools Inc. (www.btools.com). The partnership aligns BioTools, a Jupiter, Fla.-based manufacturer of advanced chiroptical spectroscopic instruments, with SAFC's leading solid-state research and development business, Pharmorphix ®. The combined offer provides customers direct access to the most comprehensive range of chiral structural determination tools and separation services in the market, potentially accelerating timelines to market for chiral-based drugs.
Pharmorphix solid state technologies contribute extensive expertise to the partnership in the application of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction technology, including chiral structure determination of small molecules and enantioselective resolution services using crystallization and chromatography. BioTools brings insight and proficiency in the field of vibrational optical activity (VOA) and the use of its advanced instruments and software—ChiralIR-2X™, ChiralRAMAN-2X™, ComputeVOA™ and CompareVOA™—that undertake the absolute configuration determination of chiral compounds required for regulatory IND submissions of pharmaceuticals.
"Our partnership with BioTools enables customers to approach a single service provider to get access to the highest levels of efficiency and confidence in structural determination, including the configuration of chiral structures," commented Dr. Chris Frampton, Chief Scientific Officer at SAFC's Pharmorphix Solid State Research Laboratories. "This extended range of structural and chiral separation solutions will play an important role in accelerating the drug discovery and development process."
"The alignment of knowledge, experienced staff, and advanced instrumentation and software creates a formidable force to effectively help researchers meet the complex challenges of chiral drug development," added BioTools President Dr. Rina Dukor.
To learn more about SAFC's Pharmorphix solid state technologies, visit: www.bioreliance.com/pharmorphix_solid_state_services.aspx.
About SAFC:
SAFC Commercial, the custom manufacturing and services business unit of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, is recognized as a top 10 global specialty chemicals and biologics supplier. As a trusted manufacturer for the life science and high-technology industries, SAFC works closely with customers to resolve development challenges and accelerate the product pipeline using its global "Centers of Excellence" and dedicated manufacturing facilities. Its rich portfolio includes high-purity inorganic materials for high-tech applications, critical raw materials and extensive biologics safety-testing services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and complex, high-potent APIs and key intermediates for pharmaceutical manufacturing. For more information, visit www.sigma-aldrich.com/safc.
About Sigma-Aldrich:
Sigma-Aldrich, a leading life science and high-tech company focused on enhancing human health and safety, manufactures and distributes 230,000 chemicals, biochemicals and other essential products to more than 1.4 million customers globally in research and applied labs as well as in industrial and commercial markets. With three distinct business units—Research, Applied and SAFC Commercial—Sigma-Aldrich is committed to enabling science to improve the quality of life. The company operates in 37 countries, has more than 9,000 employees worldwide and had sales of $2.7 billion in 2013. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its website at www.sigma-aldrich.com.
Pharmorphix, SAFC and Sigma-Aldrich are registered trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC. ChiralIR-2X™, ChiralRAMAN-2X™, ComputeVOA™ and CompareVOA™ are trademarks of Bio Tools Inc.
CONTACT: SAFC INQUIRIES: Kristi Fortschneider, Marketing Communications Coordinator, +(314) 286-8331 x2407; MEDIA INQUIRIES: Beth Willers, Impress Labs, + (415) 846-9891, [email protected]