“Developing and optimizing custom processes, managing projects competently and successfully, and coordinating with our own partners in our section of the value chain – these are our strengths! And that is why many prominent companies worldwide employ Saltigo as a service partner for exclusive synthesis,” says Jörg Schneider. The head of Marketing at Saltigo GmbH in Leverkusen, Germany, is confident this profile will continue in the future to make the company an attractive partner for pharmaceutical companies around the world. “What we offer goes far beyond simple custom synthesis or even contract manufacturing. In line with the strategic goals of our customers, we are doing our part to create value over the long-term,” Schneider explains.

Saltigo, a wholly owned subsidiary of the specialty chemicals company LANXESS, is showcasing this full spectrum of expertise at CPhI Worldwide. The world’s leading trade fair for pharmaceutical intermediates and active ingredients is being held this year in Paris from October 7 to 9.

Implementing strategies – managing projects – creating value

For a supplier of exclusive synthesis aiming for a successful, collaborative partnership with its customer, one important prerequisite is a high degree of transparency with regard to facts and decision-making. That applies not only to scientific and technical questions, but also to strategic goals and overall business conditions – all the time, of course while maintaining strict confidentiality and safeguarding intellectual property. And if the service partner can take on the selection of technology partners and raw materials suppliers, this taps into the potential for reducing complexity throughout the value chain, which in turn boosts efficiency.

“That is where our systematic, comprehensive project management is the key to success. We have been developing it over many years, and continue to improve on it all the time,” says Schneider. It ensures smooth project workflows that strike a balance between technical and business interests. Project managers and teams are responsible for the entire life cycle of their project, from acquisition and evaluation, through process development, scale-up and piloting, all the way to production. And a central steering committee coordinates all projects and the allocation of technical and personnel resources. The company's recent move to bring together production and management at one site in Leverkusen offers ideal conditions for this.

Basic and premium competencies for exclusive synthesis

The fundamental competencies of a provider of exclusive synthesis include supplying substances reliably, on schedule, at a high, consistent quality and in compliance with environmental and safety regulations. Working on such a firm footing, a company in the pharmaceutical industry can quickly and reliably reach its milestones, significantly reduce the time it takes for newly approved products to make their market debut, and achieve maximum security of supply with minimum warehouse inventory – and thus minimum storage costs.

These requirements are also faced by synthesis providers in emerging economies, countries that have enjoyed very low production costs until recently. “The production conditions in China and India, for example, have changed considerably,” Schneider says. “Salaries and labor costs are rising, laws and regulations are getting more stringent, and inspection standards are becoming more demanding. Production costs there are increasing, in other words, so these suppliers' price advantage could potentially melt away.”

The real added value for a customer who works with an experienced European provider of exclusive synthesis, like Saltigo, is in the additional services the company can offer. They are the key to efficient realization of a pharmaceutical company's strategic and financial objectives. “These include our collaborative role in project planning, full-spectrum project management, raw materials procurement, process development, contributions in the area of supply chain management, and consultation and support with registration, to name just a few examples,” says Schneider.

Saltigo GmbH is a leading supplier in the field of custom synthesis. The company of specialty chemicals group LANXESS belongs to the Advanced Intermediates segment, which achieved total sales in 2013 of EUR 1,647 million. Saltigo, headquartered in Leverkusen and with production facilities in Leverkusen and Dormagen, employs around 1,200 staff worldwide.