DSM Expands Industrial Biocatalysis Platform With c-LEcta Agreement

PARSIPPANY, N.J. and LEIPZIG, Germany, Dec. 15 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- DSM Pharmaceutical Products, the custom manufacturing organization of Royal DSM NV, today announces a license agreement with c-LEcta GmbH for proprietary screening technology.

The agreement grants DSM rights to c-LEcta's proprietary alcohol dehydrogenases for enzyme screening programs and development of sustainable manufacturing routes for manufacturing of pharmaceutical active ingredients and intermediates. Germany-based c-LEcta is an industrial biotechnology company developing and implementing sustainable and economic industrial processes based on customized enzymes and microbial production strains.

Based on its patent-protected technology platform for the identification and optimization of biocatalysts, cLEcta has built up a unique collection of several hundred enzymes and qualified enzyme mutants. Alcohol dehydrogenases make up one of the important enzyme classes in this field and can be used for the cost efficient synthesis of chiral alcohols from ketones with extraordinary purities.

DSM applies their InnoSyn™ route scouting to identify more cost efficient routes for the development and manufacture of drug intermediates and ingredients by combining biocatalytic solutions with advanced chemical and process technologies. The new routes result in shorter cycle times due to fewer steps in the process with the same reliability and quality using more renewable starting materials. DSM, a global leader in industrial biocatalysis, continuously broadens its enzyme platforms by in-house developments and partnering models with innovative biotech companies such as c-LEcta.

Dr. Oliver May, Business Manager for DSM comments: "This agreement further broadens our alcohol dehydrogenase platform which we set up for rapid screening programs for our customers and the development of cost efficient production of a large spectrum of chiral secondary alcohols."

DSM will also provide commercialization of sustainable enzyme-based manufacturing routes developed by their InnoSyn™ route scouting services for c-LEcta.

Dr. Thomas Greiner-Stoffele, Chief Scientific Officer for c-LEcta added: "We are pleased to have this cooperation with DSM which will give us very useful benchmarks for our alcohol dehydrogenase collection. We are constantly expanding our biocatalysts collection with unique enzymes from biodiversity and engineering projects to provide solutions also for challenging targets."

InnoSyn™ is a trademark of DSM

DSM Pharmaceutical Products

DSM Pharmaceutical Products is a global provider of high quality custom contract manufacturing and development services to the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industries. DSM contract manufacturing services include: chemical development, registered intermediates, registered starting materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients (API's), mammalian cell production of monoclonal antibodies and proteins, formulation development, clinical trial manufacturing and finished dose form manufacturing of solids, semi-solids, and scheduled drugs, aseptic liquid and lyophilized products. More information: www.dsmpharmaceuticalproducts.com

DSM – the Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company

Royal DSM N.V. creates solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance. Its end markets include human and animal nutrition and health, personal care, pharmaceuticals, automotive, coatings and paint, electrical and electronics, life protection and housing. DSM manages its business with a focus on the triple bottom line of economic performance, environmental quality and social responsibility, which it pursues simultaneously and in parallel. DSM has annual net sales of about euro 8 billion and employs some 22,700 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations on five continents. DSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information: www.dsm.com

c-LEcta GmbH

c-LEcta is a German biotechnology company focusing on the provision of customized enzymes and production strains for industrial applications. Patented technologies are employed for discovery and optimization of tailor-made enzymes and microbial strains. c-LEcta's know-how in microbiology and strain engineering is used for the efficient development of production strains for protein and small-molecule products. Proprietary technologies are used for the identification of new enzymes in biodiversity and for effective enzyme engineering.

More information: www.c-LEcta.com

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Forward-looking statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements with respect to DSM's future (financial) performance and position. Such statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections of DSM and information currently available to the company. DSM cautions readers that such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict and therefore it should be understood that many factors can cause actual performance and position to differ materially from these statements. DSM has no obligation to update the statements contained in this press release, unless required by law. The English language version of the press release is leading.

SOURCE DSM Pharmaceutical Products