Sartorius Stedim Biotech Partners With Cell Culture Media Specialist SAFC Biosciences(R)...

Sartorius Stedim Biotech Partners With Cell Culture Media Specialist SAFC
Biosciences(R) to Provide World-Class Fluid Management and Liquid/Powder
System Solutions

Global agreement strengthens customized manufacturing solutions for upstream
and downstream processing and moves the 'disposable factory' closer to reality

GOETTINGEN, Germany and ST. LOUIS, July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sartorius
Stedim Biotech (Euronext: DIM), and SAFC Biosciences, a business segment of
SAFC and member of the Sigma-Aldrich group (Nasdaq: SIAL), both leading
suppliers to the biopharmaceutical industry, announced the signing of a global
partnership agreement that combines Sartorius Stedim Biotech's (SSB) expertise
in filtration and liquid handling systems with SAFC Biosciences' proficiency
in development and manufacturing of cell culture media and downstream
purification products. The alliance is expected to provide more robust and
comprehensive solutions to biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

The companies will combine their expertise in generating application data on
filter and mixing performance with critical purification buffers and cell
culture media. Similarly, extractable and leachable data will be generated
with buffers and media, and filters and biobag combinations. In addition, SAFC
expects to utilize SSB technology for storage and mixing of cell culture media
to optimize its fluid/powder handling systems. According to the agreement,
each company will offer its products with the assistance and support of its
partner, working together to better serve customers in solution creation,
validation support, process improvement, technical support and problem
solving. Additionally, the strength of the partnership's combined technical
resources should create a larger range of integrated manufacturing solutions
and a wider array of options for biopharmaceutical manufacturing customers.

Reinhard Vogt, Executive Vice President and board member of Sartorius Stedim
Biotech, acknowledges the agreement as an essential milestone in expanding the
full potential of single-use technologies for the benefit of the
biopharmaceutical industry. "This additional capability is instrumental for
offering fully integrated cell culture media storage and mixing solutions. For
customers, this partnership will yield a powerful combination of fluid
management and liquid/powder systems and help them to enhance the efficiency
of their cell culture processes. With this agreement, we are moving one step
closer to the reality of a "totally disposable factory" with integrated
technologies and control systems."

Archie Cullen, SAFC Vice President Global Sales, explained the benefits for
SAFC, stating: "Sartorius Stedim Biotech offers SAFC Biosciences the
opportunity to partner with a market leader in process and single-use
technologies development, and enables us to provide integrated, single-use
systems to the global biopharmaceutical cell culture community. This agreement
enhances our position as the cell culture partner with the widest range of
highly customized products and services. It further demonstrates that our
customer intimacy approach helps us lead as the biopharmaceutical industry's
"responsive expert".

About Sartorius Stedim Biotech: Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading provider
of cutting-edge equipment and services for the development, quality assurance
and production processes of the biopharmaceutical industry. Its integrated
solutions covering fermentation, filtration, purification, fluid management
and lab technologies are supporting the biopharmaceutical industry around the
world to develop and produce drugs safely, timely and economically. For
next-generation processes, Sartorius Stedim Biotech focuses on single-use
technologies and value-added services to meet the rapidly changing technology
requirements of the industry it serves. Strongly rooted in the scientific
community and closely allied with customers and technology partners, the
company is dedicated to its philosophy of "turning science into solutions" on
a daily basis.

Headquartered in Aubagne, France, Sartorius Stedim Biotech is listed on the
Eurolist of Euronext Paris. With its own manufacturing and R&D sites in
Europe, North America and Asia and a global network of sales companies,
Sartorius Stedim Biotech enjoys a worldwide presence. Its key manufacturing
and R&D site is in Germany. The company employs over 2,300 people, and in 2008
generated sales revenue of 368.0 million euros. For more information about
SSB, visit www.sartorius-stedim.com

About SAFC Biosciences: SAFC Biosciences is a leading provider of cell culture
materials and development services for upstream and downstream processes in
the biopharmaceutical industry. Providing an integrated services package in
mammalian cell culture media development, along with analytical and regulatory
support, SAFC Biosciences employs a wealth of industry experience and
scientific know-how to deliver reliable, consistent solutions that accelerate
customer success - from development through to commercialization. The unit has
a 35-year history as a manufacturing partner providing leading
biopharmaceutical companies with the broadest range of highly customized
products and services possible.

About SAFC: SAFC((R)) is the custom manufacturing and services business unit
within Sigma-Aldrich that focuses on high-purity inorganics for high
technology applications, cell culture products and services for
biopharmaceutical manufacturing, biochemical production and the manufacturing
of complex, multi-step organic synthesis of APIs and key intermediates. SAFC
has manufacturing facilities around the world dedicated to providing
manufacturing services for companies requiring a reliable partner to produce
their custom manufactured materials. SAFC has four business segments - SAFC
Pharma((R)), SAFC Supply Solutions((R)), SAFC Biosciences((R)), and SAFC
Hitech((R)) - and had annual sales of over $620 million in 2008. SAFC is
considered a top 10 fine chemical company. For more information about SAFC,
visit www.safcglobal.com.

About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High
Technology company. Its chemical and biochemical products and kits are used in
scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology,
pharmaceutical development and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic
and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life
science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in
industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products.
Sigma-Aldrich operates in 38 countries and has 7,800 employees providing
excellent service worldwide. Sigma-Aldrich is committed to Accelerating
Customer Success through Innovation and Leadership in Life Science, High
Technology and Service. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit
its award-winning Web site at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.

Cautionary Statement: This release contains forward-looking statements
relating to future performance, goals, strategic actions and initiatives and
similar intentions and beliefs and other statements regarding the Company's
expectations, goals, beliefs, intentions and the like, which involve
assumptions regarding the Companies' operations and conditions in the markets
the Companies serve. The Companies do not undertake any obligation to update
these forward-looking statements.

SAFC((R)), SAFC Biosciences((R)), SAFC Supply Solutions((R)), SAFC
Pharma((R)), SAFC Hitech((R)) and Sigma-Aldrich((R) )are registered trademarks
of Sigma-Aldrich Biotechnology L.P. and Sigma-Aldrich Co.

SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich

Bruce Lehr, Director of Marketing of SAFC Biosciences, +1-913-227-6790,
bruce.lehr@sial.com; or media, Mark Button of Impress Public Relations,
+1-503-616-3817, mark@impress-pr.com, for Sigma-Aldrich