Lanxess sets up US API site for early testing

The US unit of Germany's Lanxess has established a new site in Redmond, Washington, to serve the growing pharmaceutical business line of its affiliate, Saltigo GmbH. The site, which includes offices, laboratories and technical facilities formerly used by ICOS Corp, a subsidiary of US drug major Eli Lilly, provides the Lanxess company with USA-based pharmaceutical operations that it says will allow rapid response to customers.

Saltigo intends to use the facilities of the kilo lab and pilot plant, both of which meet certified Good Manufacturing Practices standards, to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients for early clinical testing up to and including Phase IIa. Timothy Fitzpatrick, former associate director of ICOS, has been designated manager of the Redmond site, where up to 25 people are to be employed. Sales support will be provided by Lanxess Corp.

The west coast of the USA is home to a number of small drug companies and, in the medium term, Saltigo expects to establish many new business relationships and thus achieve a corresponding increase in sales. In line with this strategy, the focus in Redmond will be on the early lifecycle phases of APIs, in which substances are initially needed on laboratory and pilot scales.