Leading pharmaceutical excipient producers, Kerry Bio-Science Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients and Foremost Farms USA® announced today that they have formed a strategic marketing alliance which will significantly strengthen their combined market positions. Effective from January 1, 2007, the worldwide sales and marketing agreement gives Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients a leading share of the global lactose excipient market. A business unit of Kerry Group plc, Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients will develop and support excipient production at both the Kerry Bio-Science Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients site in Norwich, USA and the Foremost Farms USA plant in Rothschild, WI., USA.

The strategic alliance will enable pharmaceutical companies to consolidate excipient purchases from one source, due to the availability of rennet-free, Kosher-certified, cGMP-compliant anhydrous and monohydrate lactose excipients and contingency manufacturing.

Tim O’Reilly, Global Business Director, Excipients, at Kerry Bio-Science says, "This agreement brings together over one hundred years of pharmaceutical innovation and excellence. Our Sheffield™ brand is now uniquely positioned to collaborate in drug and delivery development with customers from early clinical development to final dose formulation. The Foremost Farms USA product line and expertise will provide unmatched technology capabilities and reduce time to market for innovative products."

Jim Geyer, Vice President, Ingredients Division, of Foremost Farms USA says, "This sales agreement will be a real boost to our international reach. It enables us to access Kerry Bio-Science’s extensive global distribution network which covers over 120 countries."

The two companies are already globally recognized individually as market leaders in direct tableting and wet granulation technology, under the trade names of Foremost Fast Flo® and SheffieldTM Anhydrous Direct Tableting Lactose. This experience in pharmaceutical lactose technology will be complimented by the Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients line of glycerides for modified release systems, glidants, lubricants and plasticizers, as well as aqueous coating systems and media components for the traditional pharmaceutical fermentation and biotechnology industries.

The terms of the agreement will see Kerry Bio-Science Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients assume responsibility for the sales, marketing and technical support of Foremost Farms USA NF lactose products for pharmaceutical applications. In addition, Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients will also support new spray dried and monohydrate product development at Foremost Farms. New products are currently in development at both the Kerry Bio-Science Sheffield™ Pharma Ingredients and the Foremost Farms USA manufacturing sites.