Nobel Prize Laureate Professor Barry Sharpless Visits WuXi AppTec Headquarters in Shanghai

SHANGHAI, April 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi PharmaTech (Cayman) Inc. (NYSE: WX), a leading open-access R&D capability and technology platform company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, announced today that Professor Barry Sharpless visited WuXi AppTec's Shanghai headquarters on April 8 and gave an inspiring scientific lecture. Professor Sharpless holds the W. M. Keck professorship in chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute. His visit was part of the 2015 Distinguished Lecture Series, an annual program at WuXi since 2007 that aims to train and inspire WuXi's scientists to pursue scientific excellence. 

Professor Sharpless won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001 for his work on chirally catalysed oxidation reactions that now bear his name: Katsuki-Sharpless epoxidation, Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation and Sharpless aminohydroxylation. Professor Sharpless is also well known for Click Chemistry, a term he coined in 1998 for an efficient and chemoselective synthetic method with broad applications in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, chemical biology and materials science.

"Professor Sharpless's passion for science is an inspiration to scientists everywhere," said Dr. Ge Li, Chairman and CEO of WuXi AppTec. "At WuXi, we have been diligently building the world's largest and the most advanced platform in synthetic chemistry and medicinal chemistry. Professor Sharpless's achievements will greatly inspire our 8,000 scientists, including 4,000 chemists, in their pursuit of innovation and excellence to benefit our industry and society."  

About WuXi PharmaTech

WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) is a leading open-access R&D capability and technology platform company serving the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, with operations in China and the United States. As a research-driven and customer-focused company, WuXi PharmaTech provides pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies with a broad and integrated portfolio of laboratory and manufacturing services throughout the drug and medical device R&D process. WuXi is also building a platform to provide clinical diagnostic services directly to physicians and their patients globally. WuXi PharmaTech's services are designed to help its global partners in shortening the cycle and lowering the cost of drug and medical device R&D. The operating subsidiaries of WuXi PharmaTech are known as WuXi AppTec.

For more information, please contact:

Ronald Aldridge
Director of Investor Relations
+1 (201) 585-2048
[email protected]

Aaron Shi
Director of Corporate Communications
+86-21-5046-4362
[email protected]

SOURCE WuXi PharmaTech