IN BRIEF
BioDuro, Cenra launch JV US CRDMO BioDuro has formed a joint venture that will unite its early-stage drug development with the commercial-scale GMP API manufacturing of Taiwanese firm Cenra API Solutions. Cenra’ s campus in Taipei has ten GMP API production lines with a total reactor volume of more than 350,000 L to support API output of up to 200 tonnes / year.
EQT completes Azelis exit Private equity firm EQT has completed its exit from Azelis after seven years. It has sold about 24 million shares, 10 % of the share capital, for aggregate proceeds of about € 190 million. EQT originally acquired Azelis in November 2018 and launched an IPO in September 2021, since when Azelis has grown by acquisition and expanding its technical lab footprint.
Low carbon EO-deal Syensqo is to introduce Shell Chemicals Europe’ s low-carbon ethylene oxide( EO) products to the agricultural and industrial markets in Europe. These are said to deliver up to 51 % lower carbon footprint versus conventional EO, enabled through the use of carbon capture utilisation credits via a massbalance approach that has been verified under the ISCC Carbon Footprint Certification.
Quinacridone expansion DIC affiliate, Sun Chemical will invest approximately $ 10 million to expand quinacridone pigment capacity at its facility in Newport, Delaware. No timeline was disclosed. DIC said that this will enable Sun Chemical to optimise production performance by integrating its proprietary and advanced manufacturing processes with targeted upgrades at the site.
Olon in green protein partnership
Italian CDMO Olon has formed a strategic partnership with Austrian biotech myBios that it described as“ a significant step toward sustainable, environmentally responsible and scalable protein manufacturing”.
Olon will apply its industrial-scale expertise in microbial fermentation, where it has 60 years of experience and over 5,000 m 3 of capacity, plus downstream processes to myBios’ s myPichia platform. This is a methanol-free fermentation technology for the production of recombinant proteins using Pichia pastoris yeast.
While Pichia pastoris has long been used to make proteins, enzymes and bioactive peptides, the process traditionally uses methanol induction. Instead, myPichia uses engineered strains, inducible promoters and non-toxic inducers to achieve high titres. It is also said to reduce energy consumption and minimise environmental impact, while maintaining high yields and industrial scalability.
This announcement came shortly after Olon formed a strategic collaboration with Zymvol. This similarly brings together Zymvol’ s advanced computational enzyme design techniques with Olon’ s industrial-scale biomanufacturing, large-scale( 5,000 m 3) microbial fermentation, process development and capabilities.
Croda International has inaugurated a greenfield manufacturing site at Dahej in Gujarat state, India. It will supply the consumer care, life sciences and industrial specialities sectors in India and certain export markets. The site, Croda said, has been built with sustainability embedded from the outset. Scope 1 and 2 emissions will be“ significantly” reduced thanks to renewable electricity and fuel sources. Additional features include Zero Liquid Discharge systems and the use of RSPO-certified oleochemicals.
12 SPECIALITY CHEMICALS MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED 1981