Over 50% of current drugs in development are chiral. At Symeres we apply a suite of state-of-the-art technologies to obtain the desired chiral compound in high enantiomeric purity. For decades, Symeres has been supporting the global pharma and biotech industry with the synthesis and delivery of chiral compounds, both through synthesis and purification strategies.
Chiral Supercritical Fluid Chromatography (SFC) is often the method of choice for a quick delivery of ~100g quantities of the single enantiomer in pre-clinical drug R&D. Resolution techniques (right side of the scheme below), although fast and reliable, have a maximum of 50% theoretical yield. However, by applying racemization conditions, e.g. mild basic conditions or establishing retro-synthetic equilibria, one can turn the already known resolution method into a 100% theoretical yield (better economics, less waste). As a further improvement on this, Symeres often applies the racemization in the same pot (DKR type of processing: CIDT – Crystallization-Induced Diastereomeric Transformation), or even without a chiral resolving agent by conglomerate crystallization behavior (e.g. Viedma Ripening or TCID – Temperature Cycling Induced Deracemization).
Alternatively, the desired single enantiomer compound can be obtained efficiently by chiral pool synthesis or via asymmetric synthesis using a prochiral starting material. Chiral catalysis methods (bio- and chemo-catalysis) are often applied in later stages of the drug development trajectory, when slightly longer timelines allow for route scouting and process development and cost of goods come into play. Symeres has in-house bio- and chemo-catalysis expert teams developing scalable chiral catalytic processes to deliver the single enantiomer. For example, we use commercially available ketoreductases, transaminases, imine reductases, and chiral Ru-complexes, respectively.
For all chiral technologies, Symeres has the experience to deliver the single enantiomer of choice in high purity and on time.
Latest news
Symeres earns first SBTi approval as part of long-term sustainability journey
Nijmegen, Netherlands – 17.12.25 – Symeres, a leading contract research, development, and manufacturing organisation (CRDMO), has received its first approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets. This marks a major milestone in Symeres’ environmental strategy and affirms its commitment to building a more sustainable, low-carbon future. […]
Symeres appoints Gabriella Gentile as Chief Operating Officer to drive transatlantic growth
With more than 25 years of international experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, and services sectors, Gabriella brings a proven track record in operational performance, lean methodologies, and global transformation programs.
Symeres announces acquisition of DGr Pharma
DGr Pharma specializes in preclinical and clinical regulatory strategy and consultancy for biotech and pharmaceutical partners working in early drug development. Its core services include chemical-pharmaceutical, non-clinical and clinical development planning, quality assurance, and regulatory submissions. DGr Pharma has deep expertise in small and large molecules including antibodies, ADCs, and oligonucleotides.
Symeres and Yoneda Labs use AI to optimize cross-coupling reactions
San Francisco, May 29, 2025 – Yoneda Labs, a leader in computational tools for reaction optimization, has successfully collaborated with Symeres, a leading transatlantic, small molecule contract research and manufacturing organization. The aim was to optimize transition metal catalyzed cross-coupling reactions to improve reaction yield and efficiency utilizing Yoneda Labs’ cutting-edge software.
New production lines D1 and D2 at our Prague site
The new production lines D1 and D2 were launched for the first time in May 2024 at the Prague site. The first batch of 11 kg of API was produced in the following weeks, and the tremendous efforts of the many people involved in planning the entire production line have finally paid off. Since the production line was launched, all equipment has been continuously utilized.
New NMR technology – meet “Maggie”
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy is a powerful analytical tool well known to all organic chemists and to anyone that works in pharmaceuticals. By placing a sample dissolved in deuterated solvent into a strong magnetic field (roughly 4000x the strength of Earth’s magnetic field) and pulsing it with radio frequencies, the chemist is given an enormous amount of information from the identity and placement of functional groups to relative stereochemistry of diastereomers. Recently, Exemplify added NMR to our expanding list of capabilities.
Symeres announces leadership evolution
Symeres announces the evolution of its leadership team ahead of the company’s next phase of development. After nearly three decades at the helm, Symeres’ co-founders, Dr. Eelco Ebbers (CEO) and Dr. Frank Leemhuis (Head of Corporate Development), have decided to step back from their current executive roles.
Official opening of new Oncolines home, the Marie Curie Building at the Pivot Park in Oss, the Netherlands
After months of dedication and collaboration, the official opening of the Marie Curie building at the Pivot Park in Oss was opened on Sep 19th, 2024. The Marie Curie building is a multitenant laboratory building which houses Oncolines B.V., the in vitro biology services laboratory of Symeres. Read more about this exciting development!
New equipment at Exemplify
Exemplify has recently acquired a Mettler-Toledo EasyMax 402 automated reactor system to add to its process development capabilities. This instrument can accommodate reactor sizes of 100 and 400 mL and allows for the precise automated control of reaction parameters such as temperature, stirring speed, reagent addition rate, and pH, providing real-time data collection that can greatly enhance our understanding of a reaction’s unique profile.
New 100 L vessels in Groningen
The first of the two new 100 L glass-lined stainless steel reactor lines has successfully finished the testing and now it is operational at our Groningen site. By doubling our batch size capacity, we have increased the efficiency for large-scale non-GMP production projects. This will result in faster delivery times for our clients and less batch routine work for our chemists.
Organix: New facility
On March 26th we had the Grand Opening of our brand new, state-of-the-art Organix synthetic and analytical chemistry laboratories in Woburn, just outside Boston MA.
Innovative macrocycles as powerful Mcl-1 inhibitors
This is a recap of the article “Development of potent Mcl-1 inhibitors: structural investigations on macrocycles originating from a DNA-encoded chemical library screen” published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
Myeloid cell leukemia 1 (Mcl-1) is a protein that plays a crucial role in the regulation of cell survival and cell death. It is part of a family of proteins called the Bcl-2 family, which are known for their involvement in controlling the life span of cells.
Oncolines unveils new state-of-the-art laboratories
In a significant stride towards advancing cancer research and drug development, Oncolines, has officially received the keys to its new laboratories and offices situated within the prestigious Curie Building on the Pivot Park in Oss, the Netherlands.
Peter Molenveld assumes role as secretary of KNCV (Royal Netherlands Chemical Society)
Symeres is proud to announce that our colleague Dr. Peter Molenveld has been appointed as a board member of the Royal Netherlands Chemical Society (KNCV). His appointment as Secretary marks a crucial milestone in Molenveld's career and signifies his commitment to advancing the interests of the chemical community in the Netherlands.
π-facial selectivity in the Diels–Alder reaction of glucosamine-based chiral furans and maleimides
Symeres explorations into opportunities to access novel chemical space by using carbohydrates as sustainable chiral starting materials for library synthesis has led to yet another publication.
Symeres acquires Oncolines, further strengthening its drug discovery and biology capabilities
We are proud to announce the acquisition of Oncolines, a Netherlands-based CRO that provides early biology services and cell-line profiling assays.
Symeres acquires Exemplify BioPharma, further strengthening its strategic foothold in the US
Another strategic move. Exemplify has expertise and consultancy services in Process Chemistry, expertise and consultancy services in Process Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Formulation Development.
Expansion of solid-state center of excellence
At Symeres, we’ve doubled our Solid-State laboratory facilities in the Netherlands to add to our capacity and capabilities. The new lab space is dedicated to high-throughput screening and analytics, especially for the form-selection programs like salt, cocrystal and polymorph screening using automated crystallization platforms. The existing lab is now dedicated to physicochemical analyses (e.g., DSC, […]
Introducing Petr Cermak: “Returning to Prague feels like coming back for the future.”
Our GMP-certified development and manufacturing site in Prague is expanding rapidly. To realize this expansion and to support the local team, Petr Cermak recently joined our ranks as Site Director of Prague. A father of three and grandfather of five, Petr lives an active life in the small town of Tisnov. He was trained as a chemical […]
Symeres acquires Massachusetts-based Organix Inc., adding lipids expertise and creating a strategic foothold in the US market
We are happy and proud to announce the acquisition of Organix, a US-based provider of high-quality organic chemistry services. The company is dedicated to the discovery and preclinical stage of the drug-discovery value chain, with a focus on lipids and small molecules. Organix has 47 employees, the majority of which have a PhD in chemistry, […]
Expanding the toolbox: Resolving racemates
Symeres has quite a legacy when it comes to university collaborations. For many years, we’ve been encouraging early research and bringing in students to learn the tricks of the trade. Many of these students are now part of Symeres’ much valued workforce. With their genuine passion for drug discovery and development, they expand our toolboxes […]
Symeres joins forces with Keensight Capital
Paris (France) – May 25th 2021 We are pleased to let you know that Keensight Capital, one of the leading European Growth Buyout firms focusing on Technology and Healthcare will acquire a majority stake in Symeres. This will facilitate our existing strategic plans to build upon what we have created at Symeres over the last […]
Speak with our experts
Let’s discuss how Symeres can support the discovery and development of your next breakthrough