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Sekisui Chemical (Tokyo, Japan) is to acquire privately held US CRO XenoTech (Lenexa, Kansas), which specialises in pre-clinical safety studies. Specific terms of the all-cash transaction have not been disclosed; it is expected to be completed at the end of July.
XenoTech will become part of Sekisui Chemical’s medical division, which is the leader in the Japanese pharmacokinetics sector. The deal is the first step in the division’s plan to enter new geographic markets. “The acquisition … provides the platform to introduce the technology and know-how of Sekisui Medical to the large US marketplace,”
Sekisui Medical is part of the High Performance Plastics Company, one of three divisions in Sekisui Chemical. In October 2006, HPPC acquired Daiichi Pure Chemicals, which it integrated with its medical products division and renamed Sekisui Medical in April 2008. Sekisui Medical produces diagnostic reagents, medical devices, pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. In addition, is ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion) and toxicology research business offers custom synthesis of radio-labelled compounds, evaluation tests and contract research services in pharmacokinetics.
Founded in 1994 by Dr Andrew Parkinson, XenoTech specialises in evaluating drug candidates as substrates, inhibitors and inducers of cytochrome P450 enzymes. The company offers various in vitro studies and products for drug metabolism research, ranging from standard reagents such as subcellular fractions and hepatocytes to the latest transporter membranes. XenoTech has about 100 staff. “The acquisition by Sekisui will provide XenoTech with significant scientific, distribution and financial resources to accelerate XenoTech’s growth plan," said Dr Parkinson. Artical submitted by www.jobs4dd.com, a specialist online recruitment service for the clinical trial and drug development sectors.
