Codexis, Inc.has announced the opening of Codexis Laboratories Singapore Pte. Ltd. (CLS). CLS is the company's first research facility in Asia, and is an expansion of the company's research and development operations in the US and Europe. CLS will support the company's pharmaceuticals business in both the innovator and generics markets.

The Guest of Honor at the laboratory opening ceremony was S Iswaran, minister of state for trade and industry. Other guests included Chu Swee Yeok, Bio*One chief executive officer, Alan Shaw, Ph.D., Codexis president and chief executive officer, Thomas Baruch, chairman of the board and other members of the company's board of directors. Bio One Capital led the Codexis Series D private financing round in August 2006.

"Our expansion to Singapore is a significant part of our global development strategy," Dr Shaw said. "Singapore offers us access to a highly skilled workforce, proximity to our growing customer base in Asia, and a productive business environment as our company grows. Codexis Laboratories Singapore will play an important role in the development of new products serving our pharmaceuticals markets worldwide".

"We are pleased that Codexis, one of the top biocatalyst companies in the world, has chosen to set up its research facility in Singapore," said S. Iswaran. "This investment is indeed a strong endorsement for our ability to host such cutting-edge R&D activities, and will, no doubt, contribute to ensuring the long-term sustainability of our pharmaceuticals manufacturing sector.

"Bio One is delighted to welcome Codexis to Singapore," said Swee-Yeok Chu. "Our investment in Codexis reflects Bio One's strong support for innovative biomedical sciences companies with cutting-edge technology that will significantly impact the growth of the biomedical industry in Singapore. We are pleased to be able to play a role in Codexis' expansion plans in Asia to further the company's growth."

Codexis, Inc., a clean technology company, is a leading developer of biocatalytic process technologies that can substantially reduce the cost of manufacturing across a broad range of industries. These technologies enable novel solutions for efficient, cost-effective and environmentally-friendly processes for pharmaceutical, energy and industrial chemical applications.