Beckman inks licensing deal with Sigma-Aldrich - Biologics Delivery

Beckman inks licensing deal with Sigma-Aldrich
May 21, 2007
Los Angeles Business from bizjournals - by St. Louis Business Journal
The SAFC unit of Sigma-Aldrich Corp. said Monday that its supply solutions business segment received a license for Beckman Coulter Inc. chemistry used in synthesizing DNA and RNA.
The agreement covers Beckman Coulter's acetyl-protected cytidine DNA- and 2'-O-methyl phosphoramidites, fast deprotection chemistry for the synthesis of oligonucleotides, which are short sequences of nucleotides, either RNA or DNA. Procedures that use oligonucleotides include the synthesis of artificial genes.
SAFC is the first company licensed to the full range of these phosphoramidites, which will be produced at its Proligo Reagents manufacturing facility in Hamburg, Germany. The licensing agreement expands SAFC's oligo synthesis reagents product offerings in the sector, according to a release. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Dr. Andreas Wolter, SAFC's Proligo Reagents managing director, said in a statement, "Oligo therapeutics are now the focus of over 120 preclinical studies or clinical trials and the industry has seen investments of over $3.5 billion in the past four years. Our licensing agreement with Beckman Coulter provides customers with access to these key components in oligonucleotides synthesis."
St. Louis-based Sigma-Aldrich Corp. (Nasdaq: SIAL) produces biochemical and organic chemical products used in research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and chemical manufacturing. Representing 25 percent of corporate sales, the SAFC fine chemical operation is Sigma-Aldrich's second-largest business unit.
Fullerton's Beckman Coulter Inc. (NYSE: BEC) designs, manufactures and sells biomedical testing instrument systems, tests and supplies, primarily for clinical laboratories.