Sartorius Stedim Biotech Partners With Cell Culture Media Specialist SAFC Biosciences(R) to Provide World-Class Fluid Management and Liquid/Powder System Solutions

GOETTINGEN, Germany and ST. LOUIS -

- Global agreement strengthens customized manufacturing solutions for upstream and downstream processing and moves the ‘disposable factory’ closer to reality

Sartorius Stedim Biotech (Euronext: DIM), and SAFC Biosciences, a business segment of SAFC and member of the Sigma-Aldrich group (Nasdaq: SIAL), both leading suppliers to the biopharmaceutical industry, announced the signing of a global partnership agreement that combines Sartorius Stedim Biotech’s (SSB) expertise in filtration and liquid handling systems with SAFC Biosciences’ proficiency in development and manufacturing of cell culture media and downstream purification products. The alliance is expected to provide more robust and comprehensive solutions to biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

The companies will combine their expertise in generating application data on filter and mixing performance with critical purification buffers and cell culture media. Similarly, extractable and leachable data will be generated with buffers and media, and filters and biobag combinations. In addition, SAFC expects to utilize SSB technology for storage and mixing of cell culture media to optimize its fluid/powder handling systems. According to the agreement, each company will offer its products with the assistance and support of its partner, working together to better serve customers in solution creation, validation support, process improvement, technical support and problem solving. Additionally, the strength of the partnership’s combined technical resources should create a larger range of integrated manufacturing solutions and a wider array of options for biopharmaceutical manufacturing customers.

Reinhard Vogt, Executive Vice President and board member of Sartorius Stedim Biotech, acknowledges the agreement as an essential milestone in expanding the full potential of single-use technologies for the benefit of the biopharmaceutical industry. “This additional capability is instrumental for offering fully integrated cell culture media storage and mixing solutions. For customers, this partnership will yield a powerful combination of fluid management and liquid/powder systems and help them to enhance the efficiency of their cell culture processes. With this agreement, we are moving one step closer to the reality of a “totally disposable factory” with integrated technologies and control systems.”

Archie Cullen, SAFC Vice President Global Sales, explained the benefits for SAFC, stating: “Sartorius Stedim Biotech offers SAFC Biosciences the opportunity to partner with a market leader in process and single-use technologies development, and enables us to provide integrated, single-use systems to the global biopharmaceutical cell culture community. This agreement enhances our position as the cell culture partner with the widest range of highly customized products and services. It further demonstrates that our customer intimacy approach helps us lead as the biopharmaceutical industry’s “responsive expert”.

About Sartorius Stedim Biotech: Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading provider of cutting-edge equipment and services for the development, quality assurance and production processes of the biopharmaceutical industry. Its integrated solutions covering fermentation, filtration, purification, fluid management and lab technologies are supporting the biopharmaceutical industry around the world to develop and produce drugs safely, timely and economically. For next-generation processes, Sartorius Stedim Biotech focuses on single-use technologies and value-added services to meet the rapidly changing technology requirements of the industry it serves. Strongly rooted in the scientific community and closely allied with customers and technology partners, the company is dedicated to its philosophy of “turning science into solutions” on a daily basis.

Headquartered in Aubagne, France, Sartorius Stedim Biotech is listed on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris. With its own manufacturing and R&D sites in Europe, North America and Asia and a global network of sales companies, Sartorius Stedim Biotech enjoys a worldwide presence. Its key manufacturing and R&D site is in Germany. The company employs over 2,300 people, and in 2008 generated sales revenue of 368.0 million euros. For more information about SSB, visit www.sartorius-stedim.com

About SAFC Biosciences: SAFC Biosciences is a leading provider of cell culture materials and development services for upstream and downstream processes in the biopharmaceutical industry. Providing an integrated services package in mammalian cell culture media development, along with analytical and regulatory support, SAFC Biosciences employs a wealth of industry experience and scientific know-how to deliver reliable, consistent solutions that accelerate customer success - from development through to commercialization. The unit has a 35-year history as a manufacturing partner providing leading biopharmaceutical companies with the broadest range of highly customized products and services possible.

About SAFC: SAFC(R) is the custom manufacturing and services business unit within Sigma-Aldrich that focuses on high-purity inorganics for high technology applications, cell culture products and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, biochemical production and the manufacturing of complex, multi-step organic synthesis of APIs and key intermediates. SAFC has manufacturing facilities around the world dedicated to providing manufacturing services for companies requiring a reliable partner to produce their custom manufactured materials. SAFC has four business segments - SAFC Pharma(R), SAFC Supply Solutions(R), SAFC Biosciences(R), and SAFC Hitech(R) - and had annual sales of over US$620 million in 2008. SAFC is considered a top 10 fine chemical company. For more information about SAFC, visit www.safcglobal.com.

About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company. Its chemical and biochemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 38 countries and has 7,800 employees providing excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating Customer Success through Innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at www.sigma-aldrich.com.

Cautionary Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements relating to future performance, goals, strategic actions and initiatives and similar intentions and beliefs and other statements regarding the Company’s expectations, goals, beliefs, intentions and the like, which involve assumptions regarding the Companies’ operations and conditions in the markets the Companies serve. The Companies do not undertake any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SAFC(R), SAFC Biosciences(R), SAFC Supply Solutions(R), SAFC Pharma(R), SAFC Hitech(R) and Sigma-Aldrich(R) are registered trademarks of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich Co.

Source: Sigma-Aldrich

Bruce Lehr, Director of Marketing of SAFC Biosciences, +1-913-227-6790, bruce.lehr at sial.com; or media, Mark Button of Impress Public Relations, +1-503-616-3817, mark at impress-pr.com, for Sigma-Aldrich. Logo: https://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050215/CGSIGMAALLOGO