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RHODIA
MAKES CAPITAL INVESTMENT WORTH 30 MILLION EUROS AND
BOOSTS ITS RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY IN LIFE SCIENCES
Paris, March 20, 2000 - One year after acquiring two pharmaceutical
production units in the United Kingdom (Holmes Chapel and Dagenham),
Rhodia is stepping up its capital spending in the Life Science
Chemicals area with plans to devote almost 30 million Euros this
year to the synthesis of advanced intermediates and active molecules
for the pharmaceutical industry.
This capital
spending program will result in:
· Continuing
investment at Rhodia's Holmes Chapel site with production capacity
extension and the introduction of new technologies to develop
advanced molecules based on series of complex reactions. These
new facilities are due to come on stream in early 2001.
· The
construction of a pilot unit - compliant with the international
good manufacturing practices standard, cGMP - in the Group's Research
& Development Center at Lyon with a view to supplying its
partners in the pharmaceutical industry with pre-clinical samples.
In parallel
with this new capital spending program, Rhodia plans to start,
in the 2nd quarter of 2000, the manufacture of pharmaceutical
ingredients at its modernised Dagenham site destined, in particular,
for a major anti-cholesterol drug, as well as the production of
active ingredients for the veterinary market.
All in all,
Rhodia will be investing a total of almost 60 million Euros in
the area of Life Science Chemicals. The Group already invested
30 million Euros in 1999, namely in fine nitration at Mulhouse,
France, and in its range of anaesthetics at Avonmouth, UK.
Finally, Rhodia
is announcing a 30 percent increase in its research & development
resources in order to develop new technologies enabling it to
reinforce its expertise in advanced technologies such as chiral
chemistry, enzymatic catalysis, carbanions and organometallic
chemistry.
"Our
aim is to provide a global offering for all our partners in the
pharmaceutical industry, ranging from pre-clinical samples to
commercial batches," explained Jean-Claude Bravard, Deputy
President of Rhodia, in charge of the Fine Organics Division.
"This multi-service approach will enable us to accompany
our customers even more closely in the different phases of their
products' lives-development, industrialization and market launch-while
significantly reducing the time between each of these phases."
Rhodia, one of the world leaders in specialty chemicals, contributes
to improving the quality of life by developing value-added products,
services and solutions for the beauty, clothing, foodstuffs and
healthcare markets as well as for the environment, transport and
industry. Rhodia employs 24,800 people worldwide and recorded
sales of 5,525 million Euros in 1999. Rhodia is listed on the
Paris Bourse and the New York stock exchange.
Contacts
Press Relations
Jean-Christophe Huertas
Tel : 33 (0)1 55 38 42 51
Investor Relations
Angélina Palus
Tel : 33 (0)1 55 38 42 99
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