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SAFC Appointed by Curalogic to Provide Chemical Development Services
New cGMP Protein Extraction and Purification Facility
Will Support the Project
St. Louis, MO - SAFC, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group (Nasdaq:SIAL), announced today that its SAFC Pharma business segment has been appointed by Curalogic A/S, a Danish biotechnology company, to provide protein isolation, extraction and purification services in connection with the development of products focused on Allergic Rhinitis.
Curalogic seeks to develop pharmaceuticals that are just as effective as injection immunotherapy and also offer patients the convenience and safety equal to that of the best symptomatic treatments. Key products include a ragweed pollen extract that has just completed clinical Phase II trials, a grass pollen extract and cat extract currently in clinical Phase II, and a house dust mite extract that is in pre-clinical trials. These compounds have the potential to treat a variety of allergies that significantly decrease the quality of life of millions of people today.
SAFC Pharma chemists working at the existing St. Louis protein purification and extraction facility will begin initial phases of the project. These phases explore development of grass and house dust mite compounds to determine a suitable process for producing sufficient quantities of cGMP material for future clinical trials and commercial launch of these products. Subsequent phases of the Curalogic project will be transferred into SAFC's new cGMP protein extraction and purification facility after its scheduled completion in April 2007.
Ove Pedersen, Executive Vice President of Development at Curalogic, said, "We are looking forward to working with SAFC in this field, as process development is such an important area for biological products. SAFC's expertise in development of products derived from natural-sourced materials will be of great value to Curalogic."
Frank Wicks, SAFC President, said, "This appointment by Curalogic for protein purification and contract research is the perfect fit for our new protein extraction and purification pilot plant facility currently under construction in St. Louis. SAFC is a recognized leader in cGMP extraction and purification of therapeutic proteins from natural-sourced material, and we are pleased to act as Curalogic's partner for the development and manufacturing of these allergy products."
This announcement follows recent SAFC capacity and technology expansion activities. These include: the purchase of the SAFC Arklow, Ireland facility; a large-scale API manufacturing site with 90,000 liters of total cGMP capacity; the acquisition of SAFC Pharmorphix, a Cambridge, UK, based solid-state research studies company; and an $18 million dollar expansion of the SAFC Madison high-potency chemistry facility. In addition, seven-day-per-week work shift extensions have been introduced at the company's SAFC Gillingham, UK, API manufacturing site and its SAFC Manchester, UK, medicinal chemistry and development facilities.
About SAFC: SAFC is the custom manufacturing group within the Sigma-Aldrich group that focuses on both biochemical production and the manufacturing of complex, multi-step organic synthesis of APIs and key intermediates. SAFC has manufacturing facilities around the world dedicated to providing manufacturing services for companies requiring a reliable partner to produce their custom manufactured materials. SAFC has four operating segments - SAFC Pharma, SAFC Supply Solutions, SAFC Biosciences, and SAFC Hitech - and had annual sales of $437 million in 2005. SAFC is one of the world's 10 largest fine chemical businesses.
About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific and genomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 35 countries and has 7,200 employees providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at www.sigma-aldrich.com.
About Curalogic: Curalogic is a Danish biopharmaceutical company listed on Copenhagen Stock Exchange (CUR). Curalogic develops innovative pharmaceuticals for the treatment of allergy, which is a significant and growing problem with huge unmet needs. By combining the best of two worlds - the efficacy of immunotherapy combined with the safety and patient convenience of symptomatic treatments - Curalogic aims to develop a novel and user-friendly form of allergy treatment, and make it the preferred type of allergy treatment among GPs and patients.
Cautionary Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements relating to future performance, goals, strategic actions and initiatives and similar intentions and beliefs and other statements regarding the Company's expectations, goals, beliefs, intentions and the like, which involve assumptions regarding the Company's operations and conditions in the markets the Company serves. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Forward Inquiries To:
Dr. Frank Wicks
President, SAFC
+ (314).286.8008 |
Media Inquiries
Mr. Richard Kerns
Northern Exposure
+44.161.728.5880 |
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