Sigma-Aldrich restructures research units
fine chemicals unit SAFC will be unaffected by the restructuring.
Sigma's two life science and high-tech research businesses will be divided up into three new units 'to better meet customer needs', according to the company.
SAFC, which offers fine chemical products in the pharmaceutical, biosciences and high-tech industries, is already well positioned and differentiated, it said. Fine chemicals represents about 25 per cent of Sigma's overall sales.
The new units include Essentials, which represents about 20 per cent of current sales and will be headed by Gilles Cottier; Specialties, which represents about 35 per cent of sales and will be headed by David Julien; and Biotech, with about 20 per cent. The latter will be headed by Shaf Yousaf. Cottier and Yousaf will also join the company's executive management team.
Essentials will handle high-volume sales of research supplies to pharmaceutical, academic and research clients, while Specialties will handle the thousands of smaller-volume products, mainly sold on-line and through catalogues. Biotech will focus on providing innovative, first-to-market research tools for life scientists.
Meanwhile, Sigma-Aldrich also said that it had extended its partnership with Reaxa, the recently formed spin-off unit from UK headquartered chemicals company Avecia.
Sigma will distribute the company's QuadraPure metal scavenging resins worldwide under the terms of deal. Other financial terms were not disclosed.
QuadraPure removes heavy and precious metals contaminants from products, intermediates and waste streams, and will complement a chemistry enabled by Reaxa's EnCat catalyst technology that reduces time, costs and environmental impact in developing new drugs.
