Novasep buys Aventis Pharma subsidiary
French group Novasep, which specialises in the r&d of purification processes for active pharmaceutical ingredients, has acquired Seripharm, a subsidiary of Aventis Pharma.
Seripharm, which is based in Le Mans and employs some 70 people, uses Novasep's technology to produce its active ingredients. It was purchased by Aventis in 1996 to carry out the final phases of the purification of docetaxel, the active ingredient in the anti-cancer drug Taxotere. During 2004 Aventis will transfer its purification activities for docetaxel to its site in Vitry-sur-Seine, near Paris.
The acquisition by Novasep will enable Seripharm to accelerate its development and broaden its activities to cover other growth products, including semi-synthetic paclitaxel, the active ingredient used for another anti-cancer drug; and 10-DAB, an important intermediate in the synthesis of taxanes. Novasep intends to develop further its innovative separation technologies and to use Seripharm to produce the main active ingredients for anti-cancer compounds.
