Major expansion underway at CSS

Chemical Synthesis Services (CSS) is undertaking a major programme of expansion.

In October, as part of its strategy to develop a complementary stand-alone analytical services business, the Craigavon-based company acquired ABC Laboratories (Europe) based in Coleraine, Northern Ireland. CSS Analytical will now be able to offer a full range of GLP and GMP services at its sites in Coleraine, Belfast and Craigavon.

CSS is also undertaking a major building project at its Craigavon facility, where construction of a new 8,000m² facility is underway and is due to be operational by August. The new facility will include:

• Dedicated cGMP suites for oligonucleotide, cytotoxic and potent materials at multigram scale;

• Hydrogenation cells each offering up to 20l capacity and operating to 100barg;

• 8 reactor suites for portable and fixed reactors (20-50l);

• Preparative HPLC to hundreds of gram scale and chromatography suites for kilogram scale purifications

• State-of-the-art r&d laboratories;

• Analytical laboratories operating to GLP and cGMP;

• Instrument suites including High Field NMR and mass spectrometry;

• Stability chambers

At the beginning of this year CSS opened its Centre of Excellence for oligonucleotide synthesis. The specialist laboratory complex offers a range of contract r&d services initially encompassing nucleoside, nucleotide and oligonucleotide chemistry, analysis and purification. The initial focus on oligonucleotides will be followed by development of services in polypeptide and oligosaccharide chemistry, and separation sciences.