Intertek ASG Laboratory, Manchester, UK

Intertek ASG News Archive 2005

Intertek ASG News Releases from 2005

To view recent news items, visit the current news page.

GLP/GMP NMR Services Case Study (December 2005)

Intertek ASG recently launched GLP/GMP NMR services from the laboratory in Manchester. There has been a strong customer response to this service offering, principally from pharmaceutical and fine chemical companies seeking these advanced services from an established laboratory with track record and relevant regulatory accreditations.

The laboratory operates two NMR spectrometers, 300MHz and 500MHz, both qualified to cGMP standards. To meet regulatory requirements hard copy data is provided to customers and copies of the raw data can also be provided electronically or in Bruker file format which could be processed by software such as XWINNMR, ACD, MestReC or NUTS.

GMP services have included studies on small molecules, macromolecules and impurities in these products. Through its team of capable scientific specialists, Intertek ASG is offering in depth knowledge of NMR technology and its application to chemical development while still meeting the regulatory demands of cGMP. Intertek ASG is also able to offer a broader solutions based approach which integrates the NMR service into a much wider range of service offerings to GLP/GMP standards.

The dedicated QA team at Intertek ASG is happy to talk through regulatory requirements for these advanced services with clients.

For more information see:

• GLP/GMP NMR Services Case Study
• Intertek ASG NMR Services
• Rapid Response NMR Services

Intertek ASG and Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. Launch Global Marketing Agreement

Companies will Co-Promote Services to the Life Sciences Industry with International Focus

December 5, 2005 — Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. (NASDAQ Capital Market: CBTE) and Intertek ASG, an operating business unit of Intertek Group plc (LSE:ITRK), have concluded a joint marketing agreement to co-promote services to the Life Sciences Industry. The agreement will provide for ready access of customers to the combined capabilities of the two organizations, and enable better overall solutions to be developed on the demanding timescales required by clients in the Life Sciences Industry. The broad geographic reach brought about by this partnership will offer a new solution for multinational companies with global service requirements.

“This is one of those true win-win relationships where each company stands to benefit enormously from the added technology offerings and extended global reach. In the past, CBI has made forays into the global market, especially the European markets, with only limited success. The major barrier has always been lack of a physical presence or a bona fide partnering arrangement. By partnering with Intertek ASG, that barrier will be removed”, said Richard J. Freer, Chairman & COO of CBI.

“Here at Intertek ASG, we have been excited by the range and quality of technical skills and capabilities available within CBI, and we believe that these complementary offerings will be of great interest to our customers in this industry. Intertek has an excellent global network of facilities and through this partnership we believe we will be able to deliver effective new services with companies seeking the specialist skills accessible through this combined offering”, said John Conti-Ramsden, Laboratory Director of Intertek ASG.

Intertek ASG is based in Manchester, UK and provides comprehensive laboratory services in chemical analysis for Pharmaceutical, Biotechnology and Specialty Chemical companies. These services include multi-faceted offerings for complex characterization, problem solving, regulatory analysis and combined regulatory packages to support product development and manufacture. The laboratory is GLP registered with the MHRA, and also has cGMP compliant systems, enabling support to clients at all stages of the development pipeline. Intertek ASG is part of Intertek Group plc, a leading testing, inspection, outsourcing and certification organization, assessing customers’ products and commodities against a wide range of quality, safety, regulatory and performance standards, and certifies the management systems of customers. The Intertek Group operates 300 laboratories and employs 14,500 people around the world. www.intertek.com

Commonwealth Biotechnologies, Inc. is a solutions provider to the global biotechnology industry, academic institutions, government agencies, and pharmaceutical companies. It offers broad ranging expertise and a complete array of the most current analytical and synthetic chemistries and biophysical analysis technologies, many of which are not available from other commercial sources. CBI has crafted a stimulating, open environment where scientists collaborate among themselves and with our clients, take on interesting challenges and develop creative solutions. Through its FIL division, CBI offers comprehensive genetic identity testing, including paternity, forensic, and CODIS analyses. CBI is accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks, CLIA, and the National Forensic Science Technology Council, and operates fully accredited BSL-3 laboratory.

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Founded in 1992, CBI is located in Gateway Centre, Chesterfield County at 601 Biotech Drive, 23235 (1-800-735-9224). For more information, visit CBI on the web at www.cbi-biotech.com and visit FIL at www.fairfaxidlab.com.

Intertek is dedicated to Customer Service. Please visit Intetek on the web at www.intertek-cb.com.

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No statement made in this press release should be interpreted as an offer to purchase any security. Such an offer can only be made in accordance with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and applicable state securities laws. Any statements contained in this release that relate to future plans, events or performance are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties as identified in CBI’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results, events or performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undo reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as the date hereof. Specifically, CBI cannot guarantee that the Agreement executed with Intertek ASG will produce any revenues or prospects referenced herein. CBI undertakes no obligation to publicly release the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect the events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Nanotechnology Recognition for Intertek ASG

(October 2005)

Intertek ASG has been awarded the MNT Quality Mark. This benchmarks development and implementation of best practice in all aspects of commercial operations, and has been initiated by the UK Micro and NanoTechnology Network (MNT). The 2005 awards ceremony was held in London on 29th September 2005 and the awards were presented by Professor Hugh Clare, Director of the MNT Network. Dr John Conti-Ramsden received the award of behalf Intertek ASG.

Intertek ASG is able to provide a range of services to companies developing and applying nanotechnology, and especially nanobiotechnology, in their products. Intertek ASG is particularly well placed to deliver services in support of Healthcare and Life Science developments, where the regulatory status of ASG (GLP registered and cGMP compliant) enables customers to work with the latest developments in chemical analysis and characterisation technology and meet the demanding regulatory requirements of the sector.

For more information see:

• MNT Quality Mark
• UK Micro and NanoTechnology Network (MNT)
• Intertek ASG Nanotechnology Capabilities

Intertek Works to Boost Scientists Productivity in Excel

(September 2005)

An article written to highlight the unique features and benefits of the Intertek ASG Excel for Scientists course has been published in the September 2005 issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Industry and Technology Forum Newsletter. The Industry and Technology Forum (ITF) has almost 14,000 members, each of whom will receive a print copy of this newsletter, and is concerned with supporting the scientific, technological and managerial application of chemical science across industry and commerce.

The course is run regularly at Intertek ASG, Manchester, and can also be run at other global locations on request. For more information on the course, please visit the Excel for Scientists Web Page. For specific questions or to book a place on a forthcoming course, please email ASGlab@intertek.com.

For more information see:

• RSC Industry and Technology Forum (ITF)
• ITF Newsletter September 2005 (pdf)
• Excel for Scientists Course

Elemental Microanalysis Services

(August 2005)

Additional web content has been added to the Intertek ASG site detailing our capabilities in the area of Elemental Microanalysis. This is used for the determination of elemental composition in milligram amounts of sample.

For more information see:

• Analytical Services for Elemental Microanalysis

Rapid Response Services Launched

(July 2005)

Rapid response services are now available offering fast turnaround analysis in the areas of:

• NMR (Proton and Carbon)
• Mass Spectrometry (Electrospray)
• Infrared Spectroscopy
• Elemental Analysis (CHNS)

For more information see;

• Intertek ASG Rapid Response Services

Pharmaceutical Stability, Storage and Testing Services

(July 2005)

A partnership set up with a local company allows Intertek ASG to offer a full stability study service comprising cGMP sample analysis and stability storace compliant to ICH requirements. The storage facility includes multiple chambers covering a range of world climatic ICH storage conditions.

Stability storage and analytical services include:

• long-term, accelerated and comparative stability testing
• forced degradation studies
• stability testing of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API)
• pharmaceutical formulation component compatibility

For more information see:

• Pharmaceutical Stability, Storage and Testing Services

New Mass Spectrometry Purchase Enhances Capabilities

(July 2005)

Investments have recently been made in additional mass spectrometry and related automation equipment to enhance capabilities in biopharmaceutical and bioanalytical areas. The purchase of an Applied Biosystems 4000 Q TRAP® LC/MS/MS system gives additional capabilities in the characterisation and analysis of complex therapeutic macromolecules such as proteins and peptides.

For more information see:

• LC/MS/MS Analysis
• Protein and Macromolecule Analysis
• Applied Biosystems 4000 Q TRAP® LC/MS/MS System

New DSC Strengthens Materials Science Capabilities

(April 2005)

Intertek ASG have invested in a new top-of-the-range research grade DSC. This new DSC complements existing DSC and TGA instrumentation to stengthen capabilities in thermal analysis. The TA Instruments Q1000 DSC is fully automated with robotic sample handling and a 50-position autosampler. The system offers improved understanding of complex thermal transitions and, due to its sensitity, can be used to investigate subtle thermal events such as protein denaturation or polymer glass transitions.

For more information see:

• Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)