CSS acquires controlling interest in peptide company

Northern Irish custom synthesis and API manufacturing company CSS has acquired a controlling interest in Albachem, a peptide synthesis company based in Edinburgh, Scotland, and serving the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

The acquisition will strengthen the CSS service offering to global clients and further strengthen the company's provision of niche speciality areas to the pharmaceutical industry.

'This acquisition further enhances CSS's market differentiation through provision of specialist high technology services,' said Dr Stephen Barr, managing director of CSS. 'It builds upon the chemistry expertise that is within the company and furthers our position at the interface between chemistry and biology.'

Albachem was founded by Professor Robert Ramage in 1994, within the University of Edinburgh. Its vision has been to service the anticipated need for advanced peptide chemistry in biotechnology following elucidation of the human genome. Albachem has developed methods for the production of small protein structures that cannot be made by biological recombinant techniques. Professor Ramage and the existing expert team will continue to play a pivotal role in the development of the new company.

'For Albachem, this validates our approach in offering robust synthesis of long chain peptides for the diagnostic and therapeutic markets,' said Professor Ramage. 'We can now expand our r&d capability to meet the changing needs of our established and future customers, throughout drug development. Provision of cGMP synthesis will be a key feature of the company.'