Codexis and Merck Sign Technology Collaboration
Merck Becomes First Subscriber to Codex Biocatalyst Panels, Next-Generation Technology Driving Early Stage Adoption Of Custom Biocatalysts by Pharma ManufacturersREDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 03, 2007 /PRNewswire/ -- Codexis, Inc., a private biotechnology company, today announced a significant technology collaboration with Merck & Co., Inc. under which Merck will become the first subscriber to the new Codex(TM) Biocatalyst Panels, a next-generation biocatalysis research product. The Codex Panels enable pharmaceutical manufacturers to harness the power of biocatalysts to increase R&D and manufacturing productivity while significantly reducing cost.
Under terms of the three-year agreement, Merck will gain non-exclusive access to proprietary Codexis biocatalysts for in-house application to its pipeline. Additional terms were not disclosed.
"We are very pleased that Merck, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, is the first customer for our new Codex Panels, just introduced in February," said Alan Shaw, Ph.D., Codexis President and Chief Executive Officer. "Use of these panels can cut custom biocatalyst development time significantly, and the resulting new development processes can potentially reduce cost of goods and capital expenditures in both the near and long term. Merck can now apply Codexis technology in-house to identify optimizable biocatalytic process solutions for multiple drug candidates across its pipeline."
Codex(TM) Biocatalyst Panel Technology
Codexis now offers sets of diagnostic enzyme panels that partners can use internally to screen for reactivity in desired process reactions. These enzymes have been optimized for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing, and are provided in a convenient 96-well format to efficiently determine if a biocatalytic solution is available for a chemically-challenging process step. The panels are designed to quickly and broadly exploit Codexis' proprietary technologies. Panel data is used by Codexis to quickly develop product- specific, customized biocatalysts and biocatalytic processes for pharmaceutical partners.
About Codexis
Codexis, Inc. is a leading developer of biocatalytic process technologies that can substantially reduce the cost of manufacturing across a broad range of industries. Codexis' proprietary directed evolution technologies enable novel solutions for efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly processes for pharmaceutical, energy and industrial chemical applications. In 2006, Codexis was recognized by the U.S. EPA with a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for developing an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative manufacturing process. Codexis began operations in 2002. Codexis is a registered trademark of Codexis, Inc. For more information, please visit http://www.codexis.com
Contact: Justin Jackson, or Tricia Morsch, of Burns McClellan, 212-213-0006, or Lyn Christenson, Codexis, , 650-298-5368. jjackson@burnsmc.com tmorsch@burnsmc.com lyn.christenson@codexis.com
CONTACT: Justin Jackson, , or Tricia Morsch,, both of Burns McClellan, +1-212-213-0006, or LynChristenson, Codexis, or , +1-650-298-5368 jjackson@burnsmc.com tmorsch@burnsmc.com lyn.christenson@codexis.com
Web site: http://www.codexis.com//
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