CEM Signs Exclusive Licensing Agreement with SpheriTech

MATTHEWS, N.C., Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CEM Corporation, a leading global provider of microwave laboratory instrumentation is pleased to announce that CEM has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with SpheriTech Ltd, UK to manufacture and sell their range of SpheriTide® -based resins. The initial applications for these resins will focus on peptide synthesis. SpheriTide has unique properties that provide benefits toward the production of higher purity peptides. CEM is in the process of completing the manufacturing facility for this resin, which will be located at the Company's World Headquarters in North Carolina. Product shipments are expected to begin in the second half of this year.

Commenting on the agreement, Michael J. Collins, president and CEO of CEM Corporation, said, "We are very pleased to have this agreement with SpheriTech, as it will allow us to fully commercialize the SpheriTide resin. Based on our initial evaluation of the resin, and the results we observed for a wide range of peptides, we believe this resin represents a major technological breakthrough and will have a significant impact on peptide synthesis in the future."

"The manufacturing facility is being completed and will be operational in the next few months. We expect the resin to have applications for both the research and process scale markets. We are very excited to be pursuing this new opportunity and look forward to bringing it to market later this year," Collins concluded.  In the short term, SpheriTide resin can be obtained through SpheriTech or CEM.

Don Wellings, CEO of SpheriTech commented, "We believe CEM is the ideal company to commercialize the SpheriTide resin, as they are well known as innovators in the field of peptide synthesis. Their microwave synthesizers have dramatically impacted the field in the past few years.  I sincerely believe that microwave-based peptide synthesis is scalable and there is no doubt that CEM is perfectly placed to do this.  Their new instruments are already making great inroads to this. I am confident CEM will be successful in commercializing the SpheriTide resin and SpheriTech looks forward to working with them."

About CEM Corporation
CEM Corporation, a private company based in Matthews, North Carolina, is the leading global company specializing in scientific solutions for critical laboratory applications. The Company has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom & Ireland, Germany, Italy, France, and Japan, as well as a global network of distributors. CEM designs and manufactures systems for bioscience applications, life sciences, analytical laboratories and processing plants worldwide. The Company's products are used in many industries including pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical and food processing, as well as academic research.

About SpheriTech
SpheriTech, located in the United Kingdom, specializes in polymer and particle design supporting a range of industries including peptide synthesis, cell culture, tissue regeneration and wound dressings. The Company also offers custom synthesis of small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides and polymers. The senior management team of SpheriTech has a total of 50 years of experience in cGMP manufacture and over 150 combined years' experience in peptide synthesis.  The Company provides consulting services related to process scale needs. SpheriTech also has a broad range of intellectual property covering a diverse platform of technologies. SpheriTide® is a registered trademark of SpheriTech Ltd.

SOURCE CEM Corporation