Methods and models
Adlershof companies identify even the tiniest contaminations in medicines, food, and the environment
Medicines should be safe, but must be produced at low cost if they are to benefit a broad population all over the world. This conflict of objectives can be resolved with refined analytics. The reliable monitoring of production processes ultimately gives rise to safe drugs. Hence a key role is assigned to quality control. “We need robust, fast, simple, and low cost methods that do not ignore health, safety, or the protection of the environment if we are to guarantee affordable and, above all, safe drugs for every one of us”, explained Alexander Schmidt, Managing Director of Chromicent GmbH.
In saying so, he described the heart of his company that in just a short time had made a name for itself as a specialist in chromatographic analytical methods. Chromicent develops, validates, and optimises methods, including ultra high performance liquid chromatography. “Combined with our innovative development approaches, these ultra modern analytical technologies save on average over 90 percent of analysis times and chemicals. We are therefore making a major contribution to the protection of the environment and safety at work,” reported Schmidt.
Exactly these aspects motivated Schmidt and his partner Mijo Stanic towards the end of 2013 to set up their own company after they had both been working for many years in a contract and research laboratory at a pharmaceutical company. Chromicent customers are both small and large pharmaceutical and chemicals companies, including BASF, the Aristo Group, Medinsa of Spain, and the World Anti-Doping Agency WADA.
For over two years now, Eurofins Umwelt Ost GmbH, an environmental laboratory within the Eurofins Group, has also been represented at a location in Adlershof. “We analyse water, soil, waste, compost, and sediments as well as vegetation,” explained Detlef Lewinsky of Eurofins. Moreover, the company offers consultancy, engineering, and research services including sampling and project management. Its customers are industrial companies; public institutions and authorities; universities; engineering offices; and farms. In the Berlin-Brandenburg region, the company’s services regularly benefit many customers, including BSR, Berliner Wasserbetriebe, Freie Universität Berlin, HOWOGE, Stadt & Land, and Vattenfall. “Thanks to their reliability and precision, the data we provide prove a valuable aid for our customers’ decisions and not only serve to assess risks, but also help to comply with the growing stringency of official quality standards and requirements,” explained Lewinsky.
By Chris Löwer for Adlershof Special