SAFC and BioTools provide end-to-end chiral technology tools and services

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation’s custom manufacturing and services business unit, SAFC, has entered into a collaborative technology agreement with BioTools Inc. The partnership aligns BioTools, a Jupiter, Florida-based manufacturer of advanced chiroptical spectroscopic instruments, with SAFC’s solid-state R&D business, Pharmorphix. The combined offer provides customers with direct access to a range of chiral structural determination tools and separation services, potentially accelerating timelines to market for chiral-based drugs.

Pharmorphix solid state technologies contribute expertise to the partnership in the application of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction technology, including chiral structure determination of small molecules and enantioselective resolution services using crystallisation and chromatography. BioTools brings proficiency in the field of vibrational optical activity (VOA) and the use of its instruments and software — ChiralIR-2X, ChiralRAMAN-2X, ComputeVOA and CompareVOA — that undertake the absolute configuration determination of chiral compounds required for regulatory IND submissions of pharmaceuticals.

“Our partnership with BioTools enables customers to approach a single service provider to get access to the highest levels of efficiency and confidence in structural determination, including the configuration of chiral structures,” commented Dr. Chris Frampton, chief scientific officer at SAFC’s Pharmorphix solid state research laboratories. “This extended range of structural and chiral separation solutions will play an important role in accelerating the drug discovery and development process.”                  

“The alignment of knowledge, experienced staff and advanced instrumentation and software creates a formidable force to effectively help researchers meet the complex challenges of chiral drug development,” added Dr. Rina Dukor, BioTools president.

 To learn more about SAFC’s Pharmorphix solid state technologies, visit: www.bioreliance.com/pharmorphix_solid_state_services.aspx.          

SAFC, www.sigma-aldrich.com/safc.

BioTools Inc., www.btools.com.