Accelrys Acquires ChemSW, Expands Chemical Management Software

Accelrys has acquired environmental health and safety (EH&S) compliance company ChemSW in a move that the lifecycle management software provider says will allow it to expand its services by providing products for managing and tracking the source, use and disposal of chemicals along the entire lab-to-plant value chain.

Accelrys agreed to pay ChemSW shareholders about $15.3 million, subject to working capital and other adjustments. In addition, certain executives of ChemSW may be entitled to receive up to $2 million based on achievement of certain operating milestones during the first two years following the date of the closing of the transaction, Accelrys says.

Accelrys will retain the entire ChemSW management team and employees as part of the transaction.

The ability to manage chemicals across the full product lifecycle helps organizations across industries comply with increasingly complex global, national and local environmental health and safety regulations, and is critical to advancing their sustainability strategies, Accelrys says.

ChemSW’s EH&S compliance portfolio eliminates inconsistencies and errors associated with paper-based methods of chemical inventory management, the company says. Errors and lack of accurate information on the location, quantity and usage of chemicals from lab to plant slows innovation, impacts operational efficiency, can threaten health and safety, and puts organizations at risk of non-compliance with environmental health and safety regulations.

With the acquisition of ChemSW, Accelrys offers customers an automated inventory system for tracking and tracing chemicals including: monitoring and tracking location and quantity specifics, monitoring usage, generating reports and assessing hazard information during an emergency. The system is available both on premises and via the cloud.

Accelrys says EH&S compliance complements its laboratory informatics portfolio, including its Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELNs) and Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and will be integrated with the Accelrys Enterprise Platform for managing the end-to-end scientific innovation lifecycle.

Earlier this month, the EPA launched a web-based tool that it says will help manufacturers choose safer chemicals to use in everyday products.

The tool, called ChemView, improves access to chemical-specific regulatory information developed by the EPA and data submitted under the Toxic Substances Control Act. By increasing health and safety information, as well as identifying safer chemical ingredients, manufacturers and retailers will have the information to better differentiate their products by using safer ingredients, the agency says.