Wacker Designates DKSH as New Distributor for Biotech Products in Asia

27 Sep 2012 --- The Munich-based Wacker Group is restructuring its sales network for biotech products in Asia to enhance efficiency and generate cross-regional synergies. As of October 2012, DKSH will be responsible for the distribution of cyclodextrins, cystine and cysteine in Southeast Asia, India and South Korea. Wacker produces these products for food and personal-care applications.

As part of Wacker’s realignment of its sales structures in Asia, the company will entrust the DKSH Group with marketing and distribution of Wacker biotech products in the regions of Southeast Asia, India – including Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – and South Korea as of October 2012. The product portfolio comprises biotech cyclodextrins, as well as vegetarian-grade – i.e. fermentation-generated – cystine and cysteine. These Wacker products are primarily used in food and beverages, as well as in personal care and household products.

“The partnership with DKSH will significantly strengthen Wacker’s position in Southeast Asia, a region in which we see growing demand, particularly for our biotech products and solutions,” says Heiko Zipp, director of the Nutrition business team at Wacker Biosolutions, Wacker’s biotech and life-sciences division.

The DKSH Group is a leading provider of services to enterprises expanding into Asia. A Swiss company with headquarters in Zurich, DKSH has 650 offices in 35 countries worldwide and focuses on industry-specific fields of competence such as consumer goods, pharmaceuticals, specialized raw materials and technology.

Wacker’s involvement in R&D for biotech products such as cyclodextrins began in the early 1980s, and the company is now the global market leader in this segment. Cyclodextrins can be used to mask an unpleasant taste in food, stabilize sensitive food ingredients or increase the bioavailability of certain active agents. They can also be deployed as soluble fibers. In addition, cyclodextrins are utilized in personal care and household products. Wacker is the only company in the world to produce vegetarian-grade cystine and cysteine using an award-winning biotech process. Cysteine is an amino acid that is used as a raw material in aroma production or for bakery use.

Wacker Biosolutions deploys advanced biotech processes to produce tailored and innovative solutions and products for the life-sciences sector. These include pharmaceutical proteins, cyclodextrins and fermentation-generated cysteine. The Biosolutions portfolio is also complemented by catalog chemicals, such as acetyl acetone and high-quality polyvinyl acetate solid resins. The division focuses on developing customized solutions for growth sectors such as food additives, pharmaceutical actives and agrochemicals.