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SAFC, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group (NASDAQ: SIAL), and Novozymes Biopharma DK A/S today announced a 10-year extension of their joint agreement under which SAFC retains exclusive marketing and distribution rights for Novozymes Biopharma's LONGR³IGF-I (LONGR3) growth factor used for industrial cell culture applications. The highly potent growth factor is manufactured specifically for customers in the cell culture market, to enable them to reduce operational and regulatory complexity and minimize manufacturing risk.
LONGR3 is expected to enhance the productivity and performance of industrial cell culture processes, replacing insulin in cell culture, specifically binding to type I IGF receptors to stimulate cell growth and support survival in serum-free media.
The growth factor offers customers a range of benefits from ease-of-use and flexibility to reduced complexity of manufacturing processes and superior performance. LONGR3 provides increased cell density, higher viability and extended culture duration, without compromising on safety or regulatory compliance.
Michael D. James, marketing manager, SAFC, said, "SAFC is thrilled to continue our collaboration with Novozymes Biopharma. This exclusive 10-year agreement is expected to enhance SAFC's market-leading position as a critical raw material supplier into the biologic and vaccine markets. It is exciting to see how the unique attributes of LONGR3 meet key development and manufacturing challenges as cell culture processes continue to become more sophisticated."
Peter Rosholm, vice president, Novozymes Biopharma, said: "Novozymes Biopharma is very pleased to extend this successful partnership with SAFC. We are committed to supplying quality products for use in cell culture applications that reduce operational and regulatory complexity and minimize manufacturing risk. The outlook for LONGR3 is extremely positive as it uniquely offers both potency and innovation and we look forward to working closely with SAFC to service customers in this market."
The foregoing release contains forward-looking statements that can be identified by terminology such as "reducing operational and regulatory complexity," "minimizing manufacturing risk," "enhances the productivity and performance," "offers customers a range of benefits," "is expected to enhance," "meet key development and manufacturing challenges," "outlook for LONGR3 is extremely positive" or similar expressions, or by expressed 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 the LONGR3 growth factor will continue to meet the demands of the marketplace. Nor can there be any guarantee that LONGR3 growth factor 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 Novozymes
Novozymes (novozymes.com) is the world leader in bioinnovation. Together with customers across a broad array of industries we create tomorrow's industrial biosolutions, improving our customers' business and the use of our planet's resources.
With over 700 products used in 130 countries, Novozymes' bioinnovations improve industrial performance and safeguard the world's resources by offering superior and sustainable solutions for tomorrow's ever-changing marketplace.
Novozymes' natural solutions enhance and promote everything from removing trans fats in cooking, to advancing biofuels to power the world tomorrow. Our never-ending exploration of nature's potential is evidenced by over 6,000 patents, showing what is possible when nature and technology join forces.
Our 5,000+ employees working in research, production and sales around the world are committed to shaping business today and our world tomorrow.
About SAFC
SAFC (safcglobal.com) is the custom manufacturing and services group within Sigma-Aldrich that focuses on high-purity inorganics for high technology applications, cell culture products and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, biochemical production and the manufacturing of complex, multi-step organic synthesis of APIs and key intermediates. SAFC has manufacturing facilities around the world dedicated to providing manufacturing services for companies requiring a reliable partner to produce their custom manufactured materials. SAFC has four focus areas - SAFC Pharma, SAFC Supply Solutions, SAFC Biosciences, and SAFC Hitech- and had annual sales of over $600 million in 2009. SAFC is one of the world's 10 largest fine chemical businesses.
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. The Company 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 40 countries and has 7,600 employees providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service.
Contacts:
Novozymes Biopharma:
Sally Vernon, Customer Communications Manager SYKE[.]novozymes.com T: +44 115 955 3355
Corporate Contacts:
Press and media:
Johan Melchior
Tel. (direct): +45 4446 0690
Tel. (mobile): +45 3077 0690
René Tronborg
Tel. (direct): +45 4446 2274
Tel. (mobile): +45 3077 2274
Paige Donnelly (USA)
Tel. (direct): +1 919 494 3209
Tel. (mobile): +1 919 218 4501
Investor relations:
Tobias Bjørklund (USA)
Tel. (direct): +1 919 494 3483
Tel. (mobile): +1 919 649 2565
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SYKE[.]novozymes.com 
