Aptuit to Acquire Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Business from EaglePicher.

Acquisition Begins a Phase of Significant Expansion of Aptuit's API Development Offerings, Including Post-Market Commercial Drug Manufacture

GREENWICH, Conn. -- Aptuit, Inc. announced today that it has signed an agreement to acquire the assets and operations of EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services (EPPS) - the first step forward in Aptuit's plan to build capabilities in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) development and drug substance manufacturing. As part of this plan, Aptuit will invest substantially to expand its API and drug development offering, building state-of-the-art API development scale capabilities in the EaglePicher facilities and in new facilities around the globe. The acquisition is expected to close within 90 days.

As part of the deal announced today, Aptuit will acquire EaglePicher's facilities in Lenexa, Kansas and Harrisonville, Missouri. This acquisition will give Aptuit the ability to provide its customers with process development and novel route development, preclinical drug substance supply, clinical drug substance supply, radio synthesis, niche commercial supply, and technology transfer packages. The current facilities are configured to provide milligram, gram, kilogram, and tonne scale production.

"API is one of the key pillars in drug development," noted Michael A. Griffith, CEO of Aptuit. "To promise a seamless drug development offering, you must first supply active ingredients, as all further development is dependent upon API. This acquisition represents a significant milestone for Aptuit and differentiates our offering as we seek to engineer a better drug development process. We intend to make significant investments in our new API operation over the next 18 months to upgrade the EPPS Harrisonville facility, extend its range of capabilities, and improve its regulatory profile. Additionally, we will be building a first class lab-based process development and kilo lab capability."

Stuart E. Needleman, Senior Director, Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Development, said, "Drug development begins with synthesis of the molecule, making a successful API program critical to any drug development program. Our approach is to offer state-of-the-art technologies, industry leading talent, and a 'get it right the first time' mentality to accelerate customers through key milestones in the drug development process. Through the acquisition of EPPS, we gain infrastructure, systems, processes, and personnel, which will be the foundation as we continue to build our API offering."

Needleman continued by saying, "Existing EaglePicher customers will see no interruptions in current or on-going projects and Aptuit will be working to continually improve customer service, technologies, and processes for these customers through our additional investment in this key area."

Serving a diverse customer base, from large pharmaceutical to small biotechnology companies, Aptuit has established a comprehensive suite of drug development services for customers, including industry-leading consulting expertise, preclinical technologies, analytical chemistries, informatics and information management, and clinical packaging and logistics. The acquisition extends Aptuit's capabilities to include API supply from post-discovery to market.

Following this acquisition, Aptuit will have 12 facilities globally, complemented by a clinical trial distribution network of 27 supply depots, accessing more than 70 countries worldwide.

EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services was formerly known as Chemsyn.

What is API?

An active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) is the compound in a drug or therapeutic that is clinically or biologically active. Traditionally, a drug (tablet, pill, syrup, inhalant, intravenous fluid, etc.) consists of two components, the API itself and an excipient, a non-clinically or non-biologically active or inert material. The API is suspended in the excipient in order to make up the final drug or therapeutic product.

About Aptuit:

Aptuit, Inc. is a global company focused on streamlining and supporting the drug development process for biotechnology and pharmaceutical innovators. The company was founded by a group of industry experts with extensive market experience who have a track record of building a similar, highly successful company through acquisitions and investment. Aptuit provides a comprehensive suite of product development services and competencies to biotechnology companies and large, fully integrated pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Currently, the company has more than 2,100 employees, 12 global facilities, and resources to reach 70 countries. Aptuit's mission is to engineer a better drug development process, and is partnered with Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, one of the world's largest private equity investors. For more information about Aptuit, please visit http://www.aptuit.com.