Agilent Buys Dow's Oligonucleotide Assets

Agilent Technologies has purchased the nucleic acid manufacturing assets of Dowpharma for an undisclosed sum. Agilent, which supplies measurement equipment and other technologies for life sciences research, entered the nucleic acid contract manufacturing arena in 2006 with the purchase of a 33,500-sq-ft current Good Manufacturing Practice-certified facility in Boulder, Colo., from SynPro. The new assets, including large-scale nucleic acid synthesis, purification, and drying capacity from Dow's discontinued oligonucleotide business, will be moved from Midland, Mich. They are due to come on-line in Boulder at the end of 2008.