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Biotech / Medical : SYNTHETECH - NZYM
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To: tuck who wrote (299)10/20/1999 12:22:00 PM
From: Dan Gibbs  Read Replies (2) of 372
 
Tuck,

NZYM makes synthetically modified, non-natural amino acids that are used by drug companies to make peptide-based drugs. The non-natural modifications of these so-called peptide building blocks usually confer some enhancement to the drug compared to the naturally occurring peptide. This might include longer duration of action, increased potency, or the creation of an antagonist which blocks the action of the natural peptide. A newer market for NZYMs amino acids is for so-called small molecule drugs. These mimic the action of peptides by including the stucture of only the active sites. This allows the drugs to be given orally unlike most peptides which are broken down by proteases in the stomach and gut and must be given intravenously or as a nasal spray. Examples of small molecule drugs would be several of the HIV protease inhibitors. The small molecule drug area is a rapidly growing portion of pharmaceutical research and will probably be a source of growth for NZYM in the future.

I recently visited NZYM. As you may recall, when they built the new plant, only two of six bays were equipped with reactors. The current expansion includes moving the mid-size reactors from the old facility into the new plant, constructing a state of the art, automated solvent delivery system, and constructing a new building for storing flammable materials away from the main plant. The last two of these are completed. All of these changes will markedly improve efficiency and enhance the company's ability to respond rapidly to any new large orders.
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