GOETTINGEN, Germany and ST. LOUIS, July 14 --

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

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 RD 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 RD 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 US$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. Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050215/CGSIGMAALLOGO