Sigma-Aldrich(R) Licenses RAFT Polymerization Technology From CSIRO(R)

ST. LOUIS, March 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sigma-Aldrich (Nasdaq: SIAL) announced today that it has entered into a worldwide licensing agreement with Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) to manufacture and sell Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) agents – organic molecules that can be added to polymerization reactions to precisely control molecular weights and structures of polymers.  Under the terms of the agreement, Sigma-Aldrich has the rights to manufacture and sell the RAFT agents worldwide for all research and development applications.  The RAFT agents are the latest addition to Sigma-Aldrich's growing line of polymer science products sold through its Aldrich® Materials Science Initiative.

"Commercial availability of RAFT agents is a critical requirement toward making RAFT polymerization accessible to the wider community of materials researchers," said Dr. Ilya Koltover, market segment manager for Aldrich Materials Science.  "We have successfully scaled up synthesis of RAFT agents and are pleased to offer a selection that is expected to enable researchers to explore a variety of experimental conditions without having to go through the trouble of making the RAFT agents in their own labs.  This effort is another example of the core value of Aldrich Materials Science - we focus on supplying materials so that our customers can focus on results."

RAFT technology is a living radical polymerization process and a powerful method for the synthesis of tailor-made polymers with predetermined molecular weights and highly complex architectures.  Such designer polymers can be used to prepare materials with unique properties controlled by their nanometer scale molecular architecture in industries such as biomedical, specialty chemical and personal care.  The RAFT method is applicable to a wide range of monomers and experimental conditions and its utility is reflected in more than 200 patents related to RAFT technology.  Sigma-Aldrich will manufacture and distribute the critical components of RAFT polymerization, RAFT agents, to enable companies and research organizations to undertake further research into this groundbreaking technology.

"The RAFT technology is creating global impact and has been licensed by a range of Australian and multinational companies," added Kate Dawson, CSIRO's business development manager, RAFT.  "Making RAFT agents available from Sigma-Aldrich is a big step toward enabling researchers to achieve the major improvements that RAFT can bring in areas such as coatings, biomaterials, polymer synthesis and personal care."

Sigma-Aldrich currently offers seven RAFT agents that can be supplied in quantities from standard 1g and 5g packs to several hundred grams and expects to make additional RAFT agents available later in 2010.  The new RAFT products expand the Aldrich Materials Science line of tools for controlled polymerization.  To learn more about polymer and polymerization products available from Aldrich Materials Science, please visit www.sigma-aldrich.com/poly.

Cautionary statement: The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "critical requirement," "expected to enable researchers to explore," "groundbreaking technology," "creating global impact," or similar expressions, or by express or implied discussions regarding potential future revenues from products derived therefrom. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of management regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that RAFT products will continue to meet the demands of the marketplace. Nor can there be any guarantee that any of these products will achieve any particular levels of revenue in the future. In particular, management's expectations regarding these products could be affected by, among other things, unexpected regulatory actions or delays or government regulation generally; the Company's ability to obtain or maintain patent or other proprietary intellectual property protection; competition in general; government, industry and general public pricing pressures; the impact that the foregoing factors could have on the values attributed to the Company's assets and liabilities as recorded in its consolidated balance sheet, and other risks and factors referred to in Sigma-Aldrich's current Form 10-K on file with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Sigma-Aldrich is providing the information in this press release as of this date and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

About Sigma-Aldrich:  Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its biochemical and organic chemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing. Sigma-Aldrich has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 38 countries and has 7,700 employees providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning website at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.

About CSIRO:  CSIRO Australia is one of the largest and most diverse scientific organisations in the world.  CSIRO carries out scientific research in areas including energy, the environment, information technology, health, mining, manufacturing, agriculture, and natural resources. More information on RAFT is available at www.csiro.au/products/RAFT.  

Sigma-Aldrich® is a registered trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich Co.

CSIRO® is a registered trademark of Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization Corporation Australia.

SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich