Pall completes acquisition of Ciphergen business

Pall completes acquisition of Ciphergen business

NEWS Polypore posts strong thirdquarter results US-based Polypore Inc’s net sales for the quarter ended 2 October 2004 were $117.5 million — an incre...

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NEWS

Polypore posts strong thirdquarter results US-based Polypore Inc’s net sales for the quarter ended 2 October 2004 were $117.5 million — an increase of 8% compared with net sales of $109.0 million posted for the equivalent quarter in 2003. According to the company, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, this $8.5 million increase is attributed to a $4.4m increase in the company’s energy storage segment and a $4.1m increase in its separations media segment. The latter was driven by an increase in sales volumes to the microelectronics and beverage markets, and the positive effect of the dollar–euro exchange rate. The increase in the energy storage segment was driven by higher sales volumes in the transportation and industrial separators markets and similar exchange-rate effects, partially offset by a decline in lithium battery separator sales. Polypore, a wholly owned subsidiary of Polypore International Inc, is a growing worldwide developer, manufacturer and marketer of highly specialized polymer-based membranes used in separation and filtration processes. Contact: Polypore International Inc, 13800 S. Lakes Drive, Charlotte, NC 28273, USA. Tel: +1 704 588 5310, Fax: +1 704 587 8585.

Cartridge filters provide high throughput Millipore Corporation of Billerica, Massachusetts has announced the availability of its Vitipore II and Vitipore II Plus cartridge filters for the removal of ‘beverage-spoiling’ particles and micro-organisms. The high throughput, low binding filter cartridges are suitable for the microbiological stabilization of beverages such as wine, beer, cider and bottled water. Vitipore II cartridges are constructed with a single layer of

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Durapore polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane within a polypropylene cage, generating high flow rates and preserving product taste and appearance, says the company. For liquids with heavy particulate load, or high colloidal content, Vitipore II Plus cartridges are equipped with an additional pre-filter layer of cellulose esters for higher throughput and longer filter life. The filters are built to support the demanding process conditions of the beverage industry, says Millipore. They are made from materials that provide broad chemical compatibility with commonly used sanitizing agents. This means that the filters can withstand repeated cleaning — reducing overall filtration costs. The cartridges are available in a wide selection of configurations to meet all particle removal challenges and manufacturing processes.

Pall and Ciphergen have also entered into a collaboration for process proteomics, based on the combination of Ciphergen’s ProteinChip technology and BioSepra’s chromatography products. As reported in the December issue of Membrane Technology, the purchase price for the company was $32 million, net of cash and debt.

Contact: Millipore Corporation, 290 Concord Road, Billerica, MA 01821, USA. Tel: +1 978 715 4321, Fax: +1 781 533 3110, www.millipore.com

The Biotech Division of Germanbased Sartorius AG has received Frost & Sullivan’s ‘2004 Product Differentiation Innovation Award’ for biopharmaceutical production technologies. The award was bestowed on the company for producing a full spectrum of downstream processing products and services through technical innovation and industrial collaboration. ‘Sartorius Purification Technologies has been commended for its ability to offer superior application development services in tandem with developing a range of bioprocess technology, with a particular focus on downstream processing,’ says Frost & Sullivan research analyst Phil Webster. Realising the need to provide the biopharmaceuticals industry with an integrated portfolio of technology products and services, Sartorius has worked to build a range of products, including fermentation, separation and automation systems, as well as training and validation support.

Pall completes acquisition of Ciphergen business In the US, Pall Corporation has completed the acquisition of the BioSepra Process Division from Ciphergen Biosystems Inc. Eric Krasnoff, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pall, says: ‘The addition of this broad range of chromatography chemistries strengthens our ability to serve the needs of biotechnology customers. The marriage of BioSepra’s capabilities and Pall’s existing product portfolio allows customers to benefit from a highly integrated total fluid management approach.’ Pall plans to establish additional process proteomics service centres to assist customers in selecting and optimizing sorbents and membranes for the purification of proteins used in the production of therapeutic proteins and other bioprocess applications.

Contacts: Ciphergen Biosystems Inc, 6611 Dumbarton Circle, Fremont, CA 94555, USA. Tel: +1 510 505 2100, Fax: +1 510 505 2101, www.ciphergen.com Pall Corporation, 2200 Northern Boulevard, East Hills, NY 11548, USA. Tel: +1 516 484 5400, Fax: +1 516 484 3649, www.pall.com

Sartorius wins F&S award

Contacts: Sartorius AG, Weender Landstrasse 94-108, D-37075 Goettingen, Germany. Tel: +49 551 3080, Fax: +49 551 308 289, www.sartorius.com Frost & Sullivan, Clemensstrasse 9, D-60487 Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Tel: +49 69 77033 12, Fax: +49 69 234566, www.frost.com

In Brief Pennvest approves $102m for water projects In the US, Pennvest’s board of directors has approved $97.3 million in low-interest loans and $4.9 million in grants to fund 39 brownfield remediation, acid mine drainage, drinking water, wastewater and storm water projects in a number of counties across Pennsylvania. The grants were targeted at seven prohibitively expensive projects to bring them within the financial reach of their customers. A loan of $9.5m will be used to construct an RO treatment facility that will allow the effluent at the Shannopin Mine pool in Dunkard Township, Greene County, to meet water quality standards, over and above the best available treatment standards currently being provided. Scientific advisory board for Proton Labs Proton Laboratories Inc, a US biotech company that develops new practical uses for electrolyzed water, has assembled its new scientific advisory board. With plans for the scientific advisory board to be expanded to five people, the company has named its first three members. The founding members are materials scientist Dr Richard Wullaert, membrane scientist Dr Kokichi Hanaoka, and Dr Gabriel Fernandes with his expertise in applied biology and immunology. QI Systems appoints distributor In Canada, QI Systems Inc of Vancouver, British Columbia has appointed MoBetta Water Inc as a distributor of its SmartVend smart card payment system. MoBetta Water, a supplier of commercial RO water treatment equipment, offers systems for numerous applications including hospital drinking water installations, bottled water plants, spot-free rinse systems, greenhouses and skating rinks. It has recently introduced a product line specifically tailored for use by small-volume water bottlers and water stores. The company now offers card payment with its systems using QI SmartVend which is compatible with a range of MoBetta equipment configurations.

Membrane Technology January 2005