Strem Chemicals, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals for research and development, and Novozymes, the world’s largest producer of industrial enzymes, has announced the signing of a distribution agreement.

The agreement grants Strem global distribution rights for research quantities of Novozymes’ Enzyme Screening Kits and samples for its lipase and protease enzymes for biocatalytic applications in the pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries. Lipases are one of the most commonly used classes of enzymes in biocatalysis, while proteases have a broad range of opportunities in process design.

Biocatalysis, the application of enzymes which can replace chemical catalysts in synthetic processes, is becoming increasingly widespread in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries. Novozymes offers a range of enzymes for biocatalysis and this new distribution agreement enables interested pharmaceutical manufacturers to test Novozymes’ enzymes in their production processes.

Novozymes’ Enzyme Screening Kits offer a fast, efficient way of easily accessing Novozymes’ portfolio of enzymes. Containing proven enzymes used in the biocatalysis process that not only enable new, more sustainable routes for the production of intermediates and APIs, but offer commercial benefits such as better and greener production, fewer side reactions and purification steps – all of which add up to lower costs.

“Strem is well regarded in the catalytic arena and the pharmaceutical industry. We are delighted to announce the signing of this distribution agreement”, comments Garrett Screws, Strategic Account Manager at Novozymes. He continues, “Working together we will provide more customers with the opportunity to have complete access to Novozymes’ portfolio of enzymes for screening purposes.”