Rockwood unit, Novasep to merge
French separations specialist Novasep will create a unique company
to serve the life sciences industry, according to the two
companies.
Rockwood's Dynamic Synthesis unit will merge with Groupe Novasep to form a new, standalone company within the Rockwood group that will take the Novasep name and be headquartered in France. The new entity will be able to offer proprietary separation technologies along with fine chemicals.
Roger-Marc Nicoud, founder and CEO of Novasep, will assume the role of president and CEO of the combined company. Rockwood will be the majority shareholder, and the management will hold a significant stake in the company.
Nicoud said the new company would be able to provide development services, separation systems or contract manufacturing using chemistry, chromatography or a combination of the two. To date, Novasep has focused finding purification solutions by the research and development of new purification processes as well as active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) production.
In the life science market today, customers demand higher purity levels, cost efficient solutions, strict regulatory and operational controls, and shorter times to market. Our vision for the new company is to be the integrated and innovative resource customers count on to meet all of these requirements."
The new Groupe Novasep would have had combined revenues in 2003 of approximately €300 million and 1,500 employees, serving customers worldwide through its European facilities in France, Germany and Switzerland and branch locations in North America and Asia.
This deal follows an acquisitive period for Rockwood Specialties, which recently acquired the Dynamit Nobel business from mg technologies of Germany.
