SGS announces partnership with RLP AgroScience, a CRO in Germany specializing in 14C E fate and residues studies

SGS is expanding its comprehensive service portfolio through cooperation with RLP AgroScience. RLP AgroScience complements SGS's existing service portfolio in the area of good laboratory practice (GLP) contract research with 14C metabolism and environmental studies. This partnership enables RLP AgroScience to extend its portfolio of safety studies and expand its customer base to include chemicals, biocides, veterinary drugs and pharmaceuticals.

Olivier Coppey, EVP Agriculture, Food & Life at SGS said: "This partnership corresponds to our strategy in being able to offer innovative solutions to the market in the area of agriculture, food and pharmaceuticals, and to support product safety assessment. This cooperation expands our portfolio in metabolism research and environmental risk assessments for chemicals, biocides and pharmaceuticals."

The environmental chemistry department of RLP AgroScience, GLP certified since 1990, has conducted numerous studies on the environmental behavior, metabolism and residue profile of agrochemicals with 14C-labeled pesticides (PPPs) under laboratory, outdoor and greenhouse conditions. To expand its capability, its radioactive control area was renewed and expanded in 2016. In addition to the standard OECD study types on metabolism and environmental behavior, the company also focuses on the development and application of higher-tier test systems.

An example of an innovation at RLP AgroScience includes their outdoor wind tunnels, which quantify volatilization-related deposition of PPPs on non-target areas. Plant-uptake via the roots and wash-off of pesticides from leaves are further processes that can be mapped with RLP AgroScience test systems and successfully validated in corresponding round robin tests.

"The partnership with RLP AgroScience enables SGS to extend its services in the purpose of environmental safety and residue analysis with 14C studies in plants and environmental matrices. Furthermore, we can extend the existing GLP study types for the approval procedures of plant protection products to the areas of chemicals, biocides, and pharmaceuticals and veterinary drugs, and offer our customers even more targeted support in product development and validation." said Dr. Christian Hummert, Director of Agriculture and Food at SGS in Germany.