REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Codexis, Inc. today announced an agreement with Roche under which Roche will purchase Codex(TM) Biocatalyst Panels, a biocatalysis-based research and manufacturing productivity product.

The Codex(TM) Panels are used by pharmaceutical manufacturers to increase manufacturing productivity while reducing cost. They are based on Codexis proprietary custom biocatalysts, which can accelerate production of human therapeutics through early development of faster, lower cost, cleaner manufacturing processes. They have been used by more than 10 pharmaceutical companies worldwide.

"We are very pleased that Roche, a world leading company, will use Codexis biocatalysis technology to enhance pharmaceutical process manufacturing productivity," said Peter Seufer-Wasserthal, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Codexis Pharmaceuticals. "Since their introduction in 2007, the Codex(TM) panels have been used to generate first kilogram quantities of a target material in weeks, instead of months. Some processes have already advanced to commercial scale. Shorter development time can contribute to lower drug development costs over many years - a priority in tight economic times."

Biocatalysts enable development of environmentally-friendly, low cost methods to produce chirally pure chemicals and have already replaced chemocatalysts in certain processes. Codexis offers panels covering major classes of enzymes that can produce a broad range of chemicals widely used by the pharmaceutical industry.

Sets of diagnostic enzyme panels are provided in a convenient 96-well format to efficiently determine if a biocatalytic solution is available for a challenging process step in the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates needed to produce human therapeutics. Panel data is then used to rapidly develop product-specific, customized biocatalysts and biocatalytic processes for Codexis' pharmaceutical partners.

Codexis Inc. is a clean technology company. The company develops industrial biocatalysts, including enzymes and microbes. Codexis technology is used in the energy industry to enable next generation, non-food biofuels and by global pharmaceutical companies for cost-effective manufacturing of human therapeutics. Future commercial applications include carbon management, water treatment and chemical manufacturing. For more information, visit www.codexis.com.

Contact: Lyn Christenson, lyn.christenson@codexis.com, 650-421-8144 or Saskia Sidenfaden, ssidenfaden@mww.com, 212-827-3771

CONTACT: Lyn Christenson of Codexis, Inc., +1-650-421-8144,
lyn.christenson@codexis.com; or Saskia Sidenfaden, +1-212-827-3771,
ssidenfaden@mww.com, for Codexis, Inc.

Web site: http://www.codexis.com/