Bayer HealthCare acquires
German DIREVO Biotech AG
A recognized leader in protein
engineering /
Expanding technological know-how
in biologicals /
Strengthening Bayer HealthCare’s commitment to develop innovative
biologicals
Bayer HealthCare AG acquires the German biotech company DIREVO Biotech AG, Cologne. With the acquisition of the biotech company specialized in protein engineering, Bayer strengthens the research competence in biologicals of its pharmaceutical division Bayer Schering Pharma. The industrial biotechnology business of DIREVO Biotech is not subject to the transaction. Closing of the deal of a value of 210 million Euro is projected for end of September 2008.
DIREVO Biotech’s unique and proprietary protein engineering platform uses high throughput technologies for the rapid discovery and optimization of biopharmaceuticals. The platform has already been successfully applied to a wide range of proteins, including therapeutic antibodies and proteases that will be added to the preclinical pipeline of Bayer Schering Pharma.
DIREVO Announces Sale of its Subsidiary DIREVO Industrial Biotechnology GmbH and Series A Financing
DIREVO Biotech AG
announced today the sale of its fully owned subsidiary DIREVO
Industrial Biotechnology GmbH that was incorporated recently for
an undisclosed cash amount to a group of investors. In addition, the new company
completed a EUR 8 million financing in the form of Series A
Preferred Stock. The participating institutions included Bankhaus
Wölbern (Hamburg) and NRW Bank (Düsseldorf) as lead investors,
TVM-Capital (Munich), Danisco A/S (Copenhagen), a Sparkasse KölnBonn (Cologne) affiliated
private equity firm, Signet Healthcare (New York), Mulligan
BioCapital (Hamburg), several private investors, including Nobel
laureate Prof. Dr. Manfred Eigen, and management.
The company focuses on Food & Feed and Biorefinery
markets and
provides solutions through discovery, development and scale up of
enzymes and strains. It develops products both independently and
with global leaders such as Danisco/Genencor and Nestlé. For example, a collaboration
with Danisco A/S has yielded a significantly improved enzyme
which is marketed as part of a Danisco/Genencor product.
DIREVO Industrial Biotechnology GmbH
DIREVO Industrial Biotechnology GmbH was formed as a spin-out from
DIREVO's industrial biotechnology business unit and
AC Biotec GmbH.
In November 2007, DIREVO acquired AC Biotec GmbH, Jülich, Germany, a provider of bioprocess development and contract manufacturing services to the industrial biotechnology and pharmaceutical markets. Established in 2001, AC Biotec offers development, optimization and application of fermentation and downstream processes, using both microbial and plant cell-based systems. This includes the complete scale-up of biotechnological processes, ranging from multi-well plates and shake flasks up to pilot-scale stirred-tank-reactors.
Bayer MaterialScience expands global production network for polyurethane dispersions Low-VOC raw materials for high-quality, environmentally friendly formulations
Waterborne coating and adhesive raw materials now also from Shanghai
Bayer MaterialScience has
opened a state-of-the-art production plant at the integrated
production site in Shanghai to manufacture polyurethane
dispersions (PUD). The plant has an annual capacity of 20,000
metric tons. Bayer MaterialScience now therefore has facilities
in North America, Europe and Asia for these key raw materials for
manufacturing environmentally friendly, waterborne coating
systems and adhesives.
The production of polyurethane dispersions in Shanghai reflects
in two respects the significant increase in environmental
awareness that has also recently become evident in China. The
products in question form an important basis for
manufacturing waterborne and thus low-emission paints, coatings
and adhesives for a variety of applications. These include metal, wood and
plastic coatings, adhesives for the footwear, furniture and
automotive industries, textile and leather coatings and glass
fiber sizing. The second ecological aspect concerns the new production
facility itself.
This sets standards through technology that is not only
innovative and robust but also environmentally friendly and
energy efficient.
October 17, 2008
Bayer
Bayer significantly
strengthens its presence in China
Startup of 350,000 tons/year MDI train /
Groundbreaking for 250,000 tons/year TDI plant /
Isocyanate production also to be expanded in Europe in the medium
term
Bayer MaterialScience has
successfully started production at its new 350,000 tons/year
diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) complex at the Bayer Integrated Site
Shanghai (BISS). The new world-scale plant is the largest MDI
facility of its kind in the world. Furthermore, the company has
now broken
ground for a 250,000 tons/year toluene diisocyanate (TDI) plant at BISS which is scheduled to come
on stream in 2010. structures,” explained Patrick Thomas.
Other production facilities for the Asian market
Just last month, the company started up its 20,000 tons/year
polyurethane dispersions plant, which is the first unit producing
waterborne polyurethane coating raw materials in China.
Waterborne coating systems use little or no solvent, thereby
reducing emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during
application.
http://kaznak.web.infoseek.co.jp/blog/2007-02-1.htm#bayer-tdi
The company has also
completed the construction of its second polycarbonate line,
doubling its capacity for the high-tech engineering plastic
Makrolon(R) to 200,000 tons/year. The inauguration of this second
production line will depend on how the market develops.
New TDI production plant planned for integrated site in Dormagen
Bayer MaterialScience also plans to extend its isocyanate
production significantly in the Europe, Middle East, Africa
(EMEA) region in order to meet rising demand there. A new
world-scale plant for TDI with an annual capacity of
300,000 tons is slated for construction at the Dormagen/Uerdingen
integrated site in Germany. It will replace the existing TDI
plants at the Dormagen and Brunsbuttel sites. MDI production at
Brunsbuttel will be expanded to a total capacity of 400,000
tons/year by making use of the existing capacity of 160,000
tons/year and the existing infrastructure, and by converting the
present TDI plant to an MDI facility. Given the right business
conditions, i.e. political acceptance and the availability of a
suitable infrastructure for raw materials and energy, the two
projects are scheduled to be completed by 2013 at a total
investment cost of about EUR 300 million.
US warns Bayer over aspirins containing supplements
Two over-the-counter
Bayer AG aspirin products that contain dietary supplements have not been proven to
work and are
being
sold illegally,
U.S. health regulators warned on Tuesday.
Claims made about the products, Bayer Aspirin with
Heart Advantage
and Bayer
Women's Low Dose Aspirin + Calcium, also mislead consumers,
the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration said.
Bayer builds new chlorine
recycling plant for TDI production in Shanghai
Cost leadership through
implementation of best available technologies / License agreement
with Sumitomo Chemical
Bayer MaterialScience
plans to build another chlorine recycling plant at the Bayer
Integrated Site Shanghai (BISS). The process for this new unit is
based on the catalytic oxidation of hydrogen
chloride using oxygen. The new technology has been
developed by the Japanese company Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd., and was licensed to Bayer
MaterialScience. The plant will ensure the chlorine supply of the
new
250,000 tons/year toluene diisocyanate (TDI) facility in Shanghai. Bayer
MaterialScience has now broken ground for this new plant, which
is based on the company’s innovative gas phase
phosgenation process and is scheduled to come on stream in 2010.
The process will take hydrogen chloride co-produced during the
manufacture of isocyanates, and will convert it very efficiently
to chlorine which is re-used as raw material. During the past
years, Sumitomo Chemical has enhanced the process and proven its
technical viability in combination with already operating
manufacturing plants.
At BISS, Bayer MaterialScience has just started a new hydrochloric acid
electrolysis plant
to supply the 350,000 tons/year diphenylmethane diisocyanate
(MDI) train with chlorine. It uses the energy saving Oxygen
Depolarized Cathode technology, which has been developed by Bayer
and partners.
“By
combining these two innovative technologies, we will strengthen
our cost leadership in the isocyanate production. We will also be
able to significantly reduce energy consumption and by that
contribute to climate protection,” adds Peter Vanacker.
Bayer AG (Leverkusen, Germany; www.bayer.com), through a partnership with UhdeNora, a joint venture between Uhde (Dortmund, Germany; www.uhde.com) and de Nora SpA (Milan, Italy), and de Nora North America, has launched a worldwide marketing campaign for an electrochemical process that converts hydrochloric acid, a byproduct of vinyl chloride monomer or isocyanate production, to chlorine and water using 30% less electricity than the conventional diaphragm electroreduction process. Dubbed oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC 酸素還元カソード) electrolysis, the process yields Cl^sub 2^ that is 99.9% pure and can be recycled directly without the need for cleaning steps in between, says Fritz Gestermann, manager of process development for electrolysis at Bayer Material Science.
January 23, 2009 Xinhua via COMTEX
Chlor-Alkali Chemical to withdraw from JV with Bayer China
Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd Friday announced that it planned to withdraw its 10 percent interest in the Bayer (Shanghai) Polymer Co., Ltd.
Bayer (Shanghai) Polymer Co., Ltd was co-founded by Bayer China Co., Ltd and Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical on Sept. 24, 2001 with 564.3 million US dollars of total investment and 188.1 million US dollars of registered capital.
Of the total investment, 169.29 million US dollars were invested by Bayer China and 18.81 million US dollars by Chlor-Alkali Chemical, taking 90 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
Bayer Polymer has been engaged in the production and sale of polycarbonate, bisphenol-a and other polymer mixing materials.
The announcement showed that by Sept. 30, 2008, the total assets of Bayer Polymer amounted to 4,593.0163 million yuan, and its gross liabilities, 3,846.1686 million yuan, leaving owner's equity of 746.8477 million yuan.
Chlor-Alkali Chemical will quote the 10-percent stake in Bayer Polymer on the Shanghai United Assets Equity Exchange at a price higher than investment cost.
The share transfer is expected to improve cash flow of Chlor-Alkali Chemical, and further help it cut financial cost.
Apr 15, 2009 SinoCast Daily Business Beat
Chlor-Alkali Chemical Sells 10% of Bayer Polymers (Shanghai)
Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd. has sold a 10% stake in Bayer Polymers (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. for CNY 230 million to Bayer MaterialScience AG.
Bayer builds world's largest production plant for carbon nanotubes in Chempark Leverkusen
Bayer MaterialScience has begun work on the construction of a new facility for the production of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in Chempark Leverkusen. The new plant will have a capacity of 200 tons/year, making it the largest of its kind in the world. The company is to invest around EUR 22 million in the planning, development and construction of the plant, which will create 20 new jobs. "We are investing in a key technology of the future that will open up a broad range of new applications for us. We intend to utilize this opportunity to the full. At the same time, the construction of the new CNT facility is a declaration of faith in Leverkusen and the State of North Rhine-Westphalia as an industrial location," said Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, the member of the Bayer AG Board of Management responsible for innovation, technology and the environment, at a press conference to mark the start of construction. Current forecasts predict that the global market for carbon nanotubes will grow by 25 percent a year. In ten years, annual sales of these products are expected to reach US-Dollar 2 billion.
Bayer Schering Pharma to invest 100 million Euro in China to build a global R&D center
Bayer Schering Pharma AG, the pharmaceutical division of Bayer HealthCare (BHC), announced today that it will be strengthening its global Research and Development (R&D) capabilities through the foundation of a global R&D center in Beijing, China. The company will invest some 100 million Euro over the next five years to establish the center. With the establishment of the R&D center in China, especially Asian patients will benefit from considering their clinical profile and medical needs early-on.