ChromaCon signs worldwide marketing and distribution agreement for Contichrom equipment

Today, ChromaCon AG and Knauer GmbH announced a license and collaboration agreement, whereby ChromaCon grants Knauer a semi-exclusive license for world-wide marketing, distribution and after-sales services of the Contichrom lab-scale preparative chromatography unit for use in discovery, process development and small scale production. Financial details were not disclosed. The launch is scheduled for late 2011, having a competitive price compared to standard preparative chromatographic equipment.

The Contichrom platform is a unique all-in-one process solution, allowing to use multiple process principles such as batch chromatography, sequential multi column chromatography, simulated-moving-bed and ChromaCon’s MCSGP process principle with the same equipment. The Contichrom labscale unit is based on components of Knauer’s BlueShadow equipment platform. The software allows automated process transformation from batch to MCSGP, thereby shortening the development time for biopharmaceutical processes while improving purity and yield.

Guido Ströhlein, CEO of ChromaCon states: “We are very pleased to enter into this collaboration with Knauer. We believe that Knauer is an excellent marketing partner with a track record for manufacturing of superior equipment. The Contichrom platform will allow users in the biopharmaceutical industry and academia to develop superior processes and to have the flexibility to use different processes with the same equipment.”