US-based eMolecules, a chemical compound search-and-fulfilment platform for early discovery chemistry research, announced on Thursday, May 25, that it has acquired Dutch-based Specs – Compound Handling BV.
Specs claims to be the world’s leading provider of compound management services and a supplier of research compounds.
Specs: Everything you need to know
Founded in 1987, Specs provides chemical compound management services to the life sciences sector, primarily to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and academic industries in Europe.
These services help customers’ large-scale drug candidate screening programmes run quickly and affordably. The company has commercial and chemical reformatting activities in Europe, the US, and Asia.
Specs began as a compound broker, finding and collecting diverse research compounds from global partners before selling them to the life science business.
By the mid-1990s, Specs’ experience in storing and processing compounds enabled it to enter the outsourced services industry – first in compound reformatting and eventually in full-service repository services.
Currently, the company has two full-service compound management facilities and serves several of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical corporations.
Zoetermeer, the Netherlands, serves as the company headquarters and European facilities. Since 2001, Specs’ US location in Cumberland, Maryland, has served as a compound management facility.
Dr Johan Tijhuis, CEO of Specs, says, “We are excited to join forces with eMolecules and believe that the combination of our two teams will enhance our value to the drug discovery research community.”
“Specs’ customers greatly appreciate the white-glove support that we offer, especially to those with important chemistry operations in Europe.”
“We are delighted that they will benefit from eMolecules’ expertise in global chemical procurement and expanded reformatting and inventory management services in the US through our facilities,” he adds.
Aim of the acquisition
With this deal, eMolecules’ capabilities for compound management and reformatting are strategically expanded globally.
Dr Niko Gubernator, CEO and President of eMolecules, says, “Welcoming the highly reputable and talented Specs team into eMolecules represents a major milestone and opportunity for our companies and customers.”
“We are thrilled by the prospect of deepening our relationships with research organisations who have expressed the need for a truly global, end-to-end partner to support efficient compound procurement and management across regionally distributed chemistry groups.”
“This acquisition accelerates eMolecules’ vision of delivering world-class capabilities that support the rapid transformation of chemicals into knowledge.”
“eMolecules and Specs share a goal of enabling chemists to focus on the highest value activities and reduce the inefficiencies associated with drug discovery, resulting in tangible operational returns for our customers,” adds Dr Gubernator.
eMolecules’ existing investors, including Avista Capital Partners, supported the deal.
About eMolecules
Founded in 2005, eMolecules aims to shorten drug research timelines by improving efficiency in compound search and purchase. As a result, the industry’s dependable and accurate digital chemical search engine was developed, directly linking scientists to readily available chemical space.
The firm specialises in structures with trustworthy delivery choices sourced from a global network of hundreds of suppliers.
With a vast chemical library and supply chain management, eMolecules provides compounds to chemists reliably, allowing them to complete more syntheses with confidence and less time in the lab.
eMolecules has expanded its services to include compound reformatting and inventory management, chemical intelligence data, specialty reagent procurement services, and integrated ecommerce software for chemical building blocks, screening compounds, and primary antibody supply chains.