Novasep has announced a €6.1 million investment to modernise API manufacturing at its site in Mourenx, south-west France. This followed on shortly after a €4 million investment had been announced at its main HPAPIs site at Le Mans.

Via the former investment, Novasep will install new equipment and revamp clean rooms for API isolation at Mourenx, creating seven new jobs. The company said that this will “enhance Novasep’s flexibility and develop a high-performance capacity for the custom manufacturing of innovative therapeutic molecules”.

Enzymatic biocatalyst specialist Enzymaster is to create a formal presence in the US, aided by business management consultancy Haig Barrett, which specialises in the life sciences and speciality chemicals. This will soon include facilities in the US, the company said.

Enzymaster is now launching business relationship models to address the specific needs of the North American market. These include fee-for-service models with client-centric IP constructs, development programmes including commercial manufacturing of engineered enzymes and collaborative engineering partnerships.

Shareholders approved the merger, first announced in February, between Origin Materials and special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Artius Acquisition on 24 June. As a result, Origin shares are now listed on the Nasdaq. Eight days before this, Apollo Global Management had agreed to invest up to $30 million in Artius in support of the combination and a further 3 million shares on closing of the transaction.

AlzChem, the only supplier of speciality nitriles outside China, has completed a €12 million expansion that took 15 months and will increase capacity by 50%. This is particularly targeted at the pharmaceutical and agrochemical markets and is expected to lead to additional sales of €10-20 million/year, depending on the product mix.

Johnson Matthey, Thomas Swan and the UK’s Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) have teamed up in the ICE-Batt project. This seeks how to optimise battery technology by using innovative forms of carbon to overcome some of the limitations of lithium-ion batteries, including energy density, power density and low temperature performance.

Evonik has agreed to buy Infinitec Activos, which is based at Montornés del Vallès near Barcelona supplies delivery systems for cosmetic active ingredients, including its Cosmetic Drone proprietary technology and its new polylactic-co-glycolic acid-based delivery system. The natural-based raw material producer, Naturethic, is also part of the deal.

Mitsui Chemicals has announced that its Y1,830/share tender offer for the common stock of its Japanese compatriot, Honshu Chemical Industry, was completed on 11 June. The company had originally announced its intention to buy most of Honshu Chemical eight months previously.