Bubendorf/Basel, April 17, 2015 – Bachem (SIX: BANB) is pleased to announce today that it has engaged University of Chicago Professor Stephen B.H. Kent as Scientific Advisor and Research Collaborator with the objective of expanding the company’s technology base for the chemical synthesis of complex peptides and small proteins.
Professor Kent is a leading expert in solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) and has been pushing the boundaries of chemical protein synthesis technology with unparalleled success. The synergies between Professor Kent’s outstanding scientific achievements and Bachem’s manufacturing expertise are in line with our strategic focus of pioneering new technologies for drug substance manufacturing.

Dr. Günther Loidl, Bachem’s Chief Technology Officer, comments:

“We are delighted to support Professor Kent‘s research and to collaborate with a world class research laboratory on developing and improving methods for peptide and protein synthesis. Today’s market demands increasingly complex peptide drug substances, and SPPS proves to be the technology of choice for industrial production.”

Prof. Kent, University of Chicago, adds:

“I relish the opportunity to work with Bachem to develop and apply improved methods for the synthesis of peptide and protein molecules. The next frontier in chemical manufacture is protein drug substances. Modern chemical ligation methods combined with Bachem’s expertise in SPPS will be key to success in this field.”

About Bachem

Bachem is a listed technology-based company focused on peptide chemistry. The company provides a full range of services to the pharma and biotech industries. It specializes in the development of innovative, efficient manufacturing processes and reliable production of peptidebased pharmaceutical ingredients. A comprehensive catalog of biochemicals and exclusive custom syntheses for research labs complete the service portfolio. Headquartered in Switzerland with subsidiaries in Europe and the US, the group has a global reach with more experience and know-how than any other company in the industry. Bachem shows total commitment to quality, innovation and partnership.

About Professor Stephen B.H. Kent, University of Chicago

Stephen Kent is a leading expert in SPPS. He provided fundamental insights into physicochemical aspects of the peptide-resin system, and elucidated the nature of chronic side reactions in SPPS and showed how to avoid them. This formed the basis for the development of the very successful ABI peptide synthesizer instruments. Prof. Kent also pioneered the modern ligation methods that are widely used for the total chemical synthesis of protein molecules. The Kent research group at the University of Chicago is devoted to inventing chemistries and applying them to reveal the molecular basis of protein function.