Sigma-Aldrich acquires Research Organics; opens new facility in China

USA-headquartered Sigma-Aldrich (Nasdaq: SIAL) has acquired all outstanding shares of Cleveland, Ohio-based, Research Organics to expand the company's buffer production capacity and to increase its portfolio of PharmaGrade raw materials for the biopharmaceutical and diagnostic markets. Terms of the purchase, which is expected to be neutral to 2012 earnings per share, were not disclosed.

Research Organics is a leading supplier of high purity biochemicals for use in molecular biology, diagnostics, cell culture, pharmaceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, life sciences and biotechnology and will transition into SAFC, the custom manufacturing and services business unit of Sigma-Aldrich.

"Research Organics is an important addition to our pharmaceutical grade portfolio of raw materials for the biopharmaceutical industry," said Gilles Cottier, executive vice president, Sigma-Aldrich, and president, SAFC. Adding: "This acquisition is an outstanding complement to our existing raw materials portfolio and will help us provide more innovative solutions for some of our customers' toughest supply challenges. It will also enable us to provide SAFC's customers with true dual sourcing of buffers from two of the world's leading manufacturing sites."