Nottingham-based purification specialist Reach Separations has launched its European expansion plans through a new alliance with a French discovery contract research organisation.

The alliance aims to develop superficial fluid chromatography (SFC) capabilities at the NovAliX facility near Strasbourg.

Reach has made a significant investment at NovAliX’s Strasbourg premises to install new analytical SFC instrumentation. SFC expert Stéphanie Dubant will join the team to ensure a smooth transition of projects between Strasbourg and Nottingham.

The alliance involves Reach Separations providing chiral separation and sophisticated purification capabilities, utilising its specialist purification expertise that will provide NovAliX with access to molecules of higher structural complexity with multiple chiral centres, in order to deliver greater success in medicinal chemistry programmes.

Business development director Reach said: “Reach Separations and NovAliX have a shared focus on delivering best-in-class client service at all times.

“Our longstanding relationship means we will offer fully integrated, insourced service to NovAliX clients with greater access to purification expertise.”

Managing director of Reach Duncan Cliff added: “Growing our presence in Europe is one of our key strategic aims and working with NovAliX in Strasbourg will allow us to establish the business in key European markets and offer increased exposure to new and existing European clients through welcoming Stéphanie Dubant to the team.”

Julien Marin, NovAliX director of chemistry, said: “Our chemists are tackling synthetic challenges every day across various industries, spanning pharmaceuticals, biotech and agrochemical.

“With the increasing complexity of chemical structures, SFC purification has become an essential tool for chemists, and working hand in hand with chiral separation experts from Reach Separation, will streamline our internal processes and definitely benefit our clients.”