Page 161 - CW E-Magazine (27-8-2024)
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News from Abroad                                                              News from Abroad


 DIVESTMENT  made possible by the use of agri-food  like Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, and  price increases. Often, the answer isn’t
 Merck sells pigments business to China’s GNMI   side  streams  and  an  asset-light  tech-  Zeelandia.  to prohibit a product but to step back
       nology quick to scale. Additionally, the
                                                                          and  create  a  superior  alternative  that
 for €665-mn  technology also boasts a 90% reduction   “The  global  demand  for  palm  oil  naturally compels a switch. This fund-
       in CO  emissions and a 99% decrease  grows by 4% annually, and there’s no  ing  is  pivotal  for  us  to  demonstrate
            2
       in  land  use  compared  to  traditional  strategy to meet the additional 22-mil-  large-scale  production  and  reach  our
 Germany’s  Merck  has  agreed  to   long-term  lease  contract  with  GNMI   palm oil production.”  lion tons needed by 2030 without clear-  next milestone of producing 1.5-million
 sell  its  Surface  Solutions  business   and a clear separation plan for the area   ing  rainforests  1.5  times  the  size  of  kilograms  of  sustainable  oil  annually,
 unit  to  Global  New  Material  Inter-  used by the Surface Solutions business.   After  a  pre-seed  round  in  2022,  Ireland. With new regulations banning  solidifying our role as a trusted partner
 national (GNMI) of China for €665-mn   The GreenTech Park Fluxum in Gern-  NoPalm  Ingredients  has  developed  deforestation-related  products,  European  in the food and personal care industries.
 ($720-mn) in cash.  sheim is not affected by the sale.  an in-house pilot line producing kilo-  companies can only source sustainably  We  are  on  track  for  industrialisation
       grams of oil per batch and completed  certifi ed palm oil, which excludes 83%  and  commercialisation  in  2025,”
 The  Surface  Solutions  business   Merck intends to use the net pro-  several pilot projects with companies  of  current  supplies.  This  will  drive  commented Mr. Langhout.
 makes  pigments  used  in  coating,   ceeds from the divestment to strengthen
 industrial  and  cosmetic  applications   its strategic core businesses.   PHARMA INJECTABLES
 and generated sales of Euro 411-mn last   Ashland bolsters bioresorbable polymer chemistry
 year. Around 1,200 employees, approxi-  “The  divestiture  of  the  Surface
 mately  700  of  whom  are  based  in   Solutions  business  unit  will  further   capabilities at Irish facility
 Germany, are to be transferred to GNMI  and Asia,  while  maintaining  its  exist-  sharpen our focus on high-tech applica-
 as part of the transaction.  ing production facilities in Gernsheim,  tions in electronics, such as driving the
 Germany, Onahama, Japan, and Savannah,  development  of  next-generation  chips   US-based speciality chemicals fi rm,  improved  pharmaceuticals,  medical  and  General  Manager,  life  sciences,
 As  per  GNMI  plans,  the  Surface  Georgia, USA.  as an integrated solutions provider for   Ashland, has announced the completion  devices and tissue engineering solutions.  Ashland.  “Our  Viatel  bioresorbable
 Solutions  business  unit  would  have   our  semiconductor  customers,”  said   of the second expansion of its pharma-  polymers play a crucial role in devel-
 three  regional  headquarters  with  one   Merck will remain the owner of the  Ms.  Belén  Garijo,  Chair  of  the  Exe-  ceutical injectables manufacturing and   This  project  is  supported  by  oping improved treatment solutions for
 each  in  Germany,  the  United  States  property  at  the  Gernsheim  site  with  a  cutive Board and CEO of Merck.  R&D lab at the National Science Park  the  Irish  Government  through  IDA  chronic diseases including long-acting
       in Mullingar, Ireland. The expansion is  Ireland.                  release  formulations,  bioresorbable
 PALM OIL ALTERNATIVE  focused on delivery of innovative bio-             medical devices, and tissue engineering
                                           “Expansion  of  our  facility  in  Ire-
                                                                          scaffolds,”  informed  Dr.  Seán  Mc-
 NoPalm Ingredients secures €5-mn funding  resorbable polymer chemistry to meet   land showcases Ashland’s commitment  Mahon,  Global  Business  Manager,
       increasing market demand.
                                         to  continued  innovation  in  injectables  pharmaceutical injectables, Ashland.
 NoPalm Ingredients, the Dutch bio-  The  investment  also  underscores  technology.  We  are  actively  engaging
 technology  company  producing  yeast   Ashland’s  commitment  to  the  com-  with our customers to help them solve   Ashland  supplies  over  70  GM
 oils, has announced the successful clo-  pany’s  new  innovative  technology  for performance attributes  that  reduce  grades  of  lactide/glycolide/caprolactone
 sure  of  a  €5-mn  seed  funding  round.   platforms  announced  last  September.  injection  frequency  and  yield  better  copolymers  within  its  Viatel  portfolio
 The  funding  round  was  led  by  Rubio   One of seven platforms, bioresorbable  therapy  outcomes,”  said  Ms.  Ales-  and offers custom-made and ultrapure
 Impact Ventures, one of Europe’s lead-  polymers  enable  customers  to  create  sandra  Faccin,  Senior  Vice  President  polymer production options.
 ing  impact  venture  capital  fi rms,  and
 co-led  by  Oost  NL,  Fairtree  Elevant   Sirio sets USP reference standards for ubidecarenone
 Ventures,  and  family  offi ce  Willow
 Capital Investments with participation   chewable gels
 from The Netherlands Enterprise Agency
 (RVO)  and  other  private  investors.   Sirio Pharma, a China-based nutra-  and  reference  standards.  These  new  are widely used by regulatory bodies,
 The  investment  will  accelerate  the   ceutical  contract  development  and  standards will be the benchmark against  industries, and independent third-party
 company’s mission to provide a local,   manufacturing  organisation  (CDMO),  which all future products are validated  laboratories across over 150 countries.
 circular,  and  sustainable  solution  for   has announced that its ubidecarenone  in terms of quality standards, minimum  Signifi cantly,  this  is  the  fi rst  time  a
 the global palm oil market.  oil,  which  is  found  in  60%  of  super-  side streams, such as potato peels and   chewable gels have been added to the  dose criteria, and formulation.  CDMO headquartered in China has es-
 market  products.  NoPalm  Ingredients  whey permeate, into yeast oils.  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  (USP)   tablished a dietary supplement standard
 Founded in 2021 by Mr. Lars Lang-  employs a unique fermentation process   monograph.  USP  reference  standards  are  used  with  the  USP  and  subsequently  been
 hout and Professor Dr. Jeroen Hugen-  using  non-GMO  proprietary  yeasts   NoPalm Ingredients said its oils are   to assess nutraceutical specifi cations –  added to the USP monograph.
 holtz,  NoPalm  Ingredients  aims  to  combined  with  a  patented  low-capex  an ideal drop-in replacement for palm   The addition comes after three years  including  identity,  potency,  quality,
 address  the  environmental  and  supply  technology.  This  process  transforms  oil,  requiring  no  recipe  reformulation   of working alongside the USP to estab-  and  purity  of  dietary  supplement  and   In total Sirio has now been involved
 chain challenges of conventional palm  upcycled,  locally-sourced  agri-food  and  achieving  price  parity.  “This  is   lish the required candidate documentary  active pharmaceutical ingredients – and  in the formulation of 35 global standards.


 160  Chemical Weekly  August 27, 2024  Chemical Weekly  August 27, 2024                               161


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