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Click here for details on Cell Signaling and Neuroscience  |
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Sigma-Aldrich is a leading supplier for Life Science applications. Our sales in the sector are $900 million. We supply the world's largest range of high quality biochemical and organic chemicals on both a small and large scale. These products are used in academic research and the health care industry, particularly by Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies. Research Life Science is a fast-growing area. The momentum in fundamental and Genomic research and the race, especially by Pharmaceutical companies, to discover how genes influence disease, offers tremendous opportunities for Sigma-Aldrich.
At Sigma-Aldrich we are already making a major contribution by supplying all the basic research organic chemicals and biochemicals required to advance knowledge in Life Science. Our sales in this area are about $650 million. Our research divisions supply a broad spectrum of products with Scientific Research mainly focused on reagents and Biotechnology on kits. But there is a considerable overlap in activities. Our major sales base is in reagents. But certainly we're rapidly moving into kits because of the large product markets and higher growth potential. Our Scientific Research division had a good year in 2001 by focusing on the basics - adding new products (over 5,000) and improving service worldwide. We also distributed a new Fluka/Riedel-de Haën catalog containing over 15,000 products which was extremely well received by the research community. The Biotechnology division met expectations particularly due to strong demand for our Molecular Biology and "synthetic" DNA products. In both divisions, we expanded our sales force to build stronger, more collaborative relationships with our customers. At the same time, we are increasing ties with industrial and academic institutions to add to our over 150 patents and 400 licensing agreements. We believe these measures will help us attain our ultimate goal of becoming a premier supplier of innovative solutions for Life Science research. The diversity of biochemistry and organic chemistry capabilities within our Scientific Research division is truly remarkable. It ranges from isolating milligrams of biochemicals from animal or plant tissue to extremely complex organic synthesis. And we make every effort to be at the forefront. In 2001, we produced many new biochemical products. We've also developed a whole range of organic products for "Suzuki Coupling" (we show the reaction scheme for the pleasure of chemists with apologies to others!). Such chemistry is widely used in organic synthesis. The 2001 acquisition of Isotec makes us the world's largest producer of stable isotopes.
Apart from use in pure research, our products are also used "as is" to help discover new drugs. Pharmaceutical companies often want to quickly obtain and produce as many new chemical compounds as possible. The compounds are then screened for drug activity. Sigma-Aldrich, with over 85,000 products, is the leader in supplying these needs. In addition, our "Rare Chemical Library," with over 125,000 compounds, provides another valuable resource. Newer trends in drug discovery involve combinatorial chemistry and high throughput screening techniques that enable scientists to screen even more chemicals. Again, we supply a wide variety of products. Much of the fundamental Life Science research is increasingly related to Genomics. We now know the sequence of the roughly 3 billion chemical "letters" (A, C, G, T) that make up our human DNA - life's instruction booklet. About 5% of our total DNA makes up the all-important genes. It's a sobering thought that humans with 30,000 genes have not many more than worms or the common mustard weed. In fact, humans are 99.9% the same genetically. And most of the 0.1% difference pre-existed in our African ancestors 100,000 years ago. It's the drive, especially by drug and Biotechnology companies, to uncover these minute differences that will dramatically influence the future diagnosis and treatment of disease. The DNA code of various bacteria, plants and animals is now also being actively studied. This broader understanding of genetics will play a major role in feeding the world by improved breeding of animals and higher yielding plant crops. 
A wide variety of Sigma-Aldrich products are specifically designed for pure genome research. Here our sales already exceed $100 million. We play a major role in providing Cell Culture products to grow the cells from which DNA is extracted. Our new DNA extraction kits have great performance characteristics. Sigma specialty enzymes are used to make (amplify) more DNA, a process which also requires "synthetic" DNA supplied by Sigma-Genosys (we're a major supplier). And, our S-Galª enables the ready identification of the required cloned cells. We're involved in the whole process of Genome research.
Now that the Human Genome has been sequenced, the task becomes figuring out how the genes work and, in particular, what proteins (the building blocks of life) they produce. We are already providing gene arrays for humans/mice/microorganisms and "synthetic" DNA (oligos) to help discover what triggers gene activity. The new area of Proteomics (the study of a cell's protein produced by the genes) again offers tremendous opportunities for our Company. Our Flag™ protein expression and detection system has been a great success. And we've launched unique Protein Purification kits by collaborating with Proteome Systems (Australia) and Shimadzu Biotech (Japan) to stay at the forefront. We have a long history in the protein analysis and characterization areas, including immunochemicals, so we already have a broad range of products and a head start. However, we should not underestimate the scientific challenges. The unit of life is not the gene but the cell - and we humans have 5 trillion in our bodies! Particularly the brain (over 1 trillion connections) is tremendously complex and we have little understanding of what causes such diseases as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. But, here again, Sigma-Aldrich plays a leadership role in Cell Signaling and Neuroscience research with sales of $100 million.
The complexity of the research becomes very evident when one considers the intricate interrelationship of cell signaling (influenced by internal and external events), genes and proteins. It's worth noting embryonic stem cells have the staggering potential power to replace diseased brain and body tissues and even grow distinct new organs.
All these developments, unthinkable a few years ago, present major opportunities for our Company. The completion at the end of 2001 of our new $55 million, world-class Life Science and High Technology Center in St. Louis, the largest project in Sigma-Aldrich's history, and increased R&D expenditures, will considerably expand the flow of new and innovative products. The facility is now the proud home of over 100 scientists and we'll be hiring more. Expansion is also underway at our Sigma-RBI plant in Natick, Massachusetts, which specializes in the products used for Cell Signaling and Neuroscience. We are also ramping up our "synthetic" DNA manufacturing capabilities for our Sigma-Genosys products worldwide. Clearly, we are at the beginning of a major Life Science adventure. And the Human Genome with its approximately 30,000 genes and the up to a million related proteins, all potential targets for discovery, leaves no shortage of opportunities for Sigma-Aldrich. Furthermore, we are also collaborating with and licensing technologies from academic and industrial partners throughout the world. And, of course, patents play an increasingly important role. All these activities will make us an even stronger player.
Looking ahead, Life Science research stands on the edge of tremendous discoveries with huge commercial opportunities. Governments and companies will be investing heavily. The Pharmaceutical industry particularly has much to gain from the use of Genomic research to develop more effective drugs, including those that will be tailor-made to fit a person's genetic makeup, increasing effectiveness and decreasing side effects. Drugs are the fastest growing segment of the health care budgets, so there is no doubt that Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology companies will continue to invest heavily in this area in search of the next blockbuster drug. The Diagnostics industry will also experience major developments coming out of the Human Genome and Biotechnology advancements i.e. which genes influence disease. We are well- positioned to meet our customers' needs for their research.
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