Sigma-AldrichCorp.’s custom manufacturing and services business unit, SAFC Commercial, has entered into a collaborative technology agreement with BioTools, Inc. to combine its advanced chiroptical spectroscopic instruments with SAFC’s solid-state R&D business, Pharmorphix. The combined services will offer access to a comprehensive range of chiral structural determination tools and separation services aimed at accelerating timelines for chiral-based drugs.
 
Pharmorphix solid state technologies will contribute the application of powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction technology, including chiral structure determination of small molecules and enantioselective resolution services using crystallization and chromatography. BioTools will apply its instruments and software, including ChiralIR-2X, ChiralRAMAN-2X, ComputeVOA and CompareVOA, to determine the configuration of chiral compounds required for regulatory IND submissions of pharmaceuticals.
 
“Our partnership with BioTools enables customers to approach a single service provider to get access to the highest levels of efficiency and confidence in structural determination, including the configuration of chiral structures,” said Dr. Chris Frampton, chief scientific officer at SAFC’s Pharmorphix Solid State Research Laboratories. “This extended range of structural and chiral separation solutions will play an important role in accelerating the drug discovery and development process.”
 
“The alignment of knowledge, experienced staff, and advanced instrumentation and software creates a formidable force to effectively help researchers meet the complex challenges of chiral drug development,” added BioTools president Dr. Rina Dukor.