Corporate Retrospective 2007: PDR Chiral

PDR-Chiral evolved from a strong educational background in physics, mathematics, and chemistry, as well as extensive engineering development experience in particle physics (measuring g-factor of positron), astronomy (photon counting spectra-photometers and polarimeters), and defense (active and passive remote sensing suites). We are experts in systems engineering, optimizing all aspects of complex multidisciplinary processes.

In the late-1980s, we recognized that development of chiral pharmaceuticals would benefit from better optical activity detectors. Our advanced laser polarimeter was subsequently developed and patented in the early-1990s and released to production by the mid-1990s.

In the late-1990s, we started a chiral contract services lab to rapidly develop methods and purify compounds using HPLC and SFC. We were underwhelmed with off-the-shelf software and hardware, so we began to develop our own software and enabling hardware components almost immediately. Via the experience gained in our contract lab, we developed successful techniques for processing compounds that sometimes were in direct opposition to conventional wisdom. We have always spent a significant amount of our time traveling around the world teaching and preaching to pharmaceutical chromatographers. Our experiences in the contract lab and in teaching and preaching around the world give us a validated understanding of the challenges and needs of our customers – something many companies do very poorly, in spite of their claims of being customer driven.

In the early-2000s, we jumped the chiral corral and expanded our products and services to include achiral as well as chiral chromatographic applications.

Today, PDR-Chiral is a market leader in HPLC and SFC chiral detection, method development, prep purification, and contract services – both chiral and achiral.

In the future, we expect to maintain our leadership role in HPLC and SFC method development and prep purification with continuing R&D efforts that further expand the capabilities of our software, hardware, and services.

We support the efforts of LCGC as an excellent source for information about current products and techniques in chromatography and expect advancements in chiral chromatography to become an even bigger part of pharmaceutical development and production in coming years.

Gary W. Yanick

Gary W. Yanick

PDR-Chiral, Inc.