Saturday, November 12 2005 11:27 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: United States-based W.R. Grace & Co. has acquired Flexit Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., a manufacturer and supplier of chromatography products headquartered in Pune. The announcement by W. R. Grace did not disclose the terms.

Founded in 1993, Flexit is a privately held company that manufactures columns and accessories for HPLC (high performance liquid chromatography) and SPE (solid phase extraction), tools used by life science and analytical companies for drug discovery and production.

Flexit will be integrated into the Discovery Sciences business of Grace's Davison Chemicals segment, the company said.

"This acquisition reflects our commitment to growing our Discovery Sciences business as well as our presence in India," said Greg Poling, President, Grace Davison.

"We are constantly evaluating opportunities in the Asia Pacific region that fit our strategy to expand our infrastructure, enhance our material science competencies and allow us to better support our customers' needs," he said.

Poling said the acquisition was particularly suitable since India's support for research and manufacturing investment encourages pharmaceutical and life science firms to establish a presence in that country. With Flexit, we will be positioned to grow along with these companies."