Bachem acquires Clinalfa from Merck Biosciences

Bachem announced today that, with effect from July 1, 2007, the company is acquiring the business unit of Merck Biosciences AG, in Läufelfingen, Switzerland, an affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, that operates under the brand of Clinalfa®. According to the agreement, Bachem will acquire the Clinalfa® brand, the existing customer base, the team headed by Dr. Hana Märki and technical know-how on the Clinalfa® products. It was agreed not to disclose the financial aspects of the transaction.

Under the Clinalfa® brand, a wide range of biologically active peptides and other biologically active products are offered for use in clinical research at scientific institutions and universities. The Clinalfa® brand was created in 1989 and, through its increasingly comprehensive range of finished dosage forms for early clinical trial phases, it has become established in recent years as an important product offering in its market. Clinalfa® products are distributed internationally.

Clinalfa® will substantially expand Bachem's own range of finished dosage forms for clinical trials, which has been growing for some years. In addition, Clinalfa® will enable Bachem to broaden its customer base in this business area, expanding it beyond the existing main target group of biotechnology companies. For Bachem, the range of finished dosage forms for clinical trials and finished drug products represents an important service. Especially for small to medium-sized companies and institutions, it serves as a supplement to the supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients for test compounds and can also serve as a basis for long-term partnerships and supply agreements.

Walter Isler, Head of Marketing/Sales at Bachem AG commented: "We are pleased that this acquisition of the Clinalfa® brand enables us to strengthen our range of services in the field of research and to win additional customers, primarily in the university sector and customers who work with so-called challenging agents. This puts us in an even better position to realize our ambition of providing comprehensive support for the clinical development of peptide-based and other biologically active substances with quality products and services."

Bachem will systematically extend the product range of finished dosage forms for clinical trials under the Clinalfa® brand and, on the basis of its extensive GMP experience and certifications by national and international regulatory authorities, the company will also develop product ranges for advanced clinical studies and the launch phase of new substances. Within the Bachem AG Marketing/Sales organization, Dr. Hana Märki will be responsible for the business development of Clinalfa®.

Source: Bachem AG