New Hydrogenation Suite Complements Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals Facility in Gillingham, UK.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

BIOWIRE2K

ST. LOUIS--(BW HealthWire)--July 13, 2000

Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals (Nasdaq:SIAL) is pleased to announce the latest addition to our Gillingham, UK plant: A new cGMP hydrogenation suite, which complements the multi-step synthetic solutions that Sigma-Aldrich provides to its customers.

The hydrogenation suite - which is fully integrated into the Sigma-Aldrich cGMP operations - houses two Buchi hydrogenators (2 and 20 liters) and a 400-liter Biazzi hydrogenator, offering the following features:

-- Efficient heat and mass transfer performance combined with

high levels of process control provide high throughput and

excellent reproducibility.

-- Fully cGMP compliant design includes segregated processing and

catalyst handling areas, and clean-in-place systems to all

process vessels and process transfer lines (including vent

mains).

-- Seamless scale-up ensured by truly equivalent hydrogenation

from a 1 liter up to a 400 liter scale with Biazzi technology,

and laboratory and kilo-scale equipment designed to model

performance of a larger plant.

-- Maximum flexibility in processing up to 150(degree)C, and

operating pressure of 50 bar, using either homogeneous or

heterogeneous catalysts.

-- Corrosion resistance across a wide range of hydrogenation

conditions ensured by using Hastelloy C22 for construction of

all process contact equipment.

-- In-house high-pressure calorimetry (Mettler RC1) and

accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC) allow thorough

investigation of safety-critical process parameters during the

initial Laboratory Development Phase.

-- Fully automated control systems provide safe and reproducible 

processing and comprehensive batch record retrieval.

"The Biazzi hydrogenator is the first of its kind in the UK," says David Smith, Vice President for Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals. "Given the need for cGMP hydrogenation in custom synthesis, our new hydrogenation suite complements our cGMP capabilities, so we can provide a complete solution for our customers' phase l & ll clinical requirements."

Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals, a division of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, provides raw materials, process development, scale-up and complex, multi-step custom synthesis services to the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and industrial marketplace. Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals offers a wide range of products from 16 worldwide manufacturing sites, including cGMP plants in St. Louis, Missouri; Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin; Gillingham, UK and Buchs, Switzerland.

For more information contact David Smith at Sigma-Aldrich Fine Chemicals at Tel: [phone], Fax: [phone], email: [e-mail], or visit our website at www.sigma-aldrich.com/safc.