WuXi PharmaTech Aids BASF Crop Protection Discover Research

WuXi PharmaTech Aids BASF Crop Protection Discover Research

September 06, 2006

 

    SHANGHAI, China, Sept. 6 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- WuXi
PharmaTech, a leading provider of pharmaceutical R&D
services in China, announced today that the extensive
synthesis cooperation with BASF's central research units at
Ludwigshafen and Limburgerhof has been very successful, and
the number of chemists dedicated to BASF projects are now
doubled.

    (Logo:
http://www.pharmatechs.com/newsmore.asp?newsid=88 )

    WuXi PharmaTech helps the Agricultural Products
division of BASF to synthesize chemical compounds that are
needed in the wide-ranging quest for new active
ingredients. These new compounds will eventually lead to
innovative products and processes including new crop
protection active ingredients.

    Cooperation with partners throughout the world is an
important aspect of the research strategy of BASF and BASF
spends nearly Euro 100 million a year on more than 1,300
collaboration projects. According to Dr. Peter Eckes,
Senior Vice President of Agricultural Products and
Development, Global Crop-protection Research is the first
unit of BASF to work together with a Chinese company.

    "Cooperation with external partners makes a
valuable contribution to the efficient organization of our
research processes," said Dr. Alfred Hackenberger,
President Specialty Chemicals Research "We enhance
flexibility and can thus achieve even more with our
research budget, for example by channelling more substances
into screening in a shorter period of time. That is an
important success factor because only a few of those
substances turn out to be successful crop-protection active
ingredients."

    All external BASF partners are extensively scrutinized
to make sure that no knowledge leaks out and that no
potentially new active ingredients are jeopardized. Success
factors in cooperation are unconditional reliability and
open communication. Naturally, product quality and
synthesis competence are evaluated because the BASF
researchers have to be able to depend upon the partner in
difficult situations to try everything they would also have
attempted to achieve results.

    "We are very pleased and honoured to be selected
by BASF as its collaboration partner," said Dr. Ge Li,
Chairman and CEO of WuXi PharmaTech, "This demonstrates
our superior R&D service capability and capacity have
been well recognized by our clients. We will continue
improving our service quality and help our partners achieve
their business goals sooner and more cost
effectively."
 
    About BASF

    As the world's leading chemical company, BASF's
portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics, performance
products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to crude
oil and natural gas. BASF's intelligent system solutions and
high-value products help its customers to be more
successful. BASF develops new technologies and uses them to
open up additional market opportunities. It combines
economic success with environmental protection and social
responsibility, thus contributing to a better future. In
2005, BASF had approximately 94,000 employees and posted
sales of more than Euro 42.7 billion. BASF shares are
traded on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London
(BFA), New York (BF), and Zurich (AN). Further information
on BASF is available on the Internet at http://www.basf.com
.

    For more information, please contact:

     Sherry Shao 
     Tel:   [phone]
     Email: [e-mail]

SOURCE  WuXi PharmaTech Co., Ltd.