MADRID--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arch Pharmalabs, Ltd., a leading provider of small molecule process R&D and full life-cycle custom synthesis and manufacturing services, announced today it has entered into a strategic partnership with Orochem Technologies, Inc., to manufacture a U.S. innovator’s active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) in late-stage clinical development using Simulated Moving Bed (SMB) technology. Orochem Technologies manufactures SMB equipment and stationary chromatography phases for Bioanalytical, Solid Phase Extraction, Flash and Preparative applications. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The collaboration between Orochem Technologies and Arch Pharmalabs marks the first time that plant-scale SMB has been used to manufacture an API in India.

“We are proud to synergize our world-class API development and manufacturing capabilities with SMB technology to work on a U.S. innovator’s molecule in India,” said Ajit Kamath, CMD, Arch Pharmalabs. “Using our flexible SMB capabilities, we can rapidly and cost-effectively tackle separation and purification challenges during scale-up, and provide a reliable API or drug intermediate supply chain throughout the product lifecycle. Our collaboration with Orochem Technologies further strengthens our position as an innovation-driven company and a trusted development and manufacturing partner for global pharmaceutical companies.”

“By partnering with Arch Pharmalabs, we are better able to bring Orochem’s novel products and expertise to help pharmaceutical companies achieve higher efficiencies in manufacturing processes requiring separation or purification,” said Asha Oroskar, president and CEO, Orochem Technologies. “This collaboration will significantly benefit our customers by offering dependable and cost-effective solutions during API production.”

About Simulated Moving Bed Technology

Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography is a continuous purification technique that has higher throughput and requires up to 90 percent less solvent than regular batch chromatography. Compared with other large-scale separation technologies, SMB can provide high yield and high purity in a relatively short time, and can reduce time to market while being eco-friendly.

About Orochem Technologies, Inc.

Orochem Technologies provides products and services that support academic, government research institutions, pharmaceutical and biotech companies with specialized chromatography stationary phases and sample preparation products such as DNA and RNA purification kits, protein purification plates and other materials to enable bioanalysis and oligonucleotide synthesis and purification. The Company is a leading developer of customized individual and high throughput sample preparation tools that span liquid handling, parallel synthesis, purification and processing.

www.orochem.com

About Arch Pharmalabs Limited

With 2008-09 revenues of USD 200 million, 2,400 employees and 11 manufacturing facilities (including cGMP, US FDA- and EDQM-approved sites) backed by two state-of-the-art Process Technology centres, Arch Pharmalabs is a top-tier, India-based pure-play provider of API development and manufacturing services to the global pharmaceutical industry. In addition to SMB, Arch Pharmalabs’ manufacturing capabilities include bio-catalysis, high-potency manufacturing, cryogenics, phosgenation, organometallics, diketene and other specialized chemistry. The Company offers process R&D, custom synthesis and manufacture of intermediates and APIs for pre-clinical, clinical and post-approval requirements that are supported by comprehensive analytical and regulatory services. Arch Pharmalabs also offers a wide range of merchant APIs backed by DMFs and other suitable documentation. Arch was the recipient of the 2006 CNBC-ICICI Emerging India award as the No.1 Medium Sized Company in the Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals category.

www.archpharmalabs.com