Onyx Scientific Launch Solid-State Polymorph Investigation and Screening Chemistry Services

Sunderland, United Kingdom, February 06, 2010 --(PR.com)-- Following a major round of capital expenditure, the UK based contract research organisation, Onyx Scientific Ltd, is pleased to announce the highly successful launch of its solid-state chemistry services to the pharmaceutical industry. Equipped with the latest X-Ray Powder Diffraction and Raman Spectroscopy instrumentation, for automated 96 well format sample preparation, this new solid-state laboratory positions Onyx-Scientific as a preferred outsourcing provider for rapid, solid-form polymorph screening, salt selection and crystallization studies; and complements Onyx Scientifics’ world-class chemical services, which include: custom synthesis, process development, lead optimization and GMP synthesis and scale up.

Onyx Scientifics - with its enviable reputation for multi-step, difficult to produce chemistry - conducts problem solving with unparalleled expertise and curiosity. The Onyx service model provides both dedicated FTE and fee-for-service resource, with full lab-to-client transparency and flexibility to switch resource on and off as needed and at short notice.

Dr Tony Flinn, CEO Onyx Scientific comments, “the pharmaceutical industry will increasingly align with trusted outsourcing partners for solid-state and custom synthesis services to reduce costs, risks and time-to-market. Squeezed by escalating R&D costs, the industry will accelerate its strategy to outsource non-core chemistry services and will no longer use contract services simply as a tactic to overcome near-term capacity shortage. Following our expansion to offer solid-state services, we are witnessing, first-hand, the accelerated trend within large pharma and biotechs to form sustainable outsourcing partnerships”.

Characterized by high risk – just 1 in 20,000 compounds become a pharmaceutical; at a commercial cost of $1 billion; with less than a 50% chance to return investment costs post launch – the industry will increasingly seek to align itself with risk-sharing partners and these relationships will transform the pace and extent to which pharma companies will outsource their R&D and the rigour used to protect IP rights and ownership. Increased productivity, quality results and optimum cost savings will be the collective aim, in order to reap ever greater returns, better use of in-house laboratory space and the removal of capital outlay for hi-tech analytical equipment.

Onyx Scientific has structured its expertise-rich organisation to be creatively involved in the pharmaceutical development process. Without this approach their services would lead to a commodity offering, rather than the opportunity to generate intellectual property. Green chemistry processes also serve to differentiate Onyx in their shared goal to reduce the environmental footprint of the industry.

Recognised as transformational, pharmaceutical outsourcing has taken the industry from its stand-alone company model to a fully integrated pharmaceutical network. Within this model, Onyx Scientific is well placed to provide unmatched chemical services to both the late discovery and early phases of new pharmaceutical development. Uniquely, Onyx successfully combines integrated manufacturing and development capability with solid-state analysis services. This winning combination assures optimal development of new pharmaceutical ingredients and maximum intellectual property return.

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