The History of Cayman Chemical Company

Origins

Cayman Chemical Company was incorporated June 6, 1980 in Denver, Colorado. The goal of the new business was to demonstrate the value of naturally growing gorgonian corals as a renewable, economically viable source of prostaglandins. Careful environmental studies and negotiations with the Grand Cayman government culminated in August of 1981, when an eight pound sample of the gorgonian Plexaura homomalla was collected near Fisherman's Cay in the North Sound of Grand Cayman Island. The coral was frozen and transported to a small lab in Denver where 30 grams of relatively pure Prostaglandin A₂ was extracted. Inspired by this success and the vision of producing affordable, high quality prostaglandins to the research community, the new laboratory printed and mailed a flier offering five prostaglandin standards. In November of 1981, Cayman Chemical closed its first sale.

Growth

After several years of growth, the fledgling company moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and established its first complete synthetic chemistry laboratory. From there, operations expanded along with the rapidly growing field of eicosanoid research. Product growth was accelerated by the acquisition of AIA Reagents and the addition of their eicosanoid Enzyme Immunoassy kits to Cayman's product line. Another significant growth spurt came in 1998 with the purchase of our 40,000 square foot research laboratory. A short five years later, we added to capacity again by acquiring a neighboring parcel, bringing the Cayman Campus to 14 acres. Acquisitions continued to expand the product line; this includes the purchase of the Chicago area company Biophosphates which added proprietary inositol phosphate technology. Most recently, a dedicated cGMP facility for prostaglandins was acquired near Prague, Czech Republic. NeraPharm, a company located within the Spolana complex since the late 1970s was producing mainly veterinary prostaglandins. Under Cayman ownership, the company was renamed Cayman Pharma and launched on an aggressive plan to manufacture advanced therapeutic prostaglandins such as Epoprostenol, Travoprost, and Latanoprost, among others.

Support for the Research Community

Cayman is committed to the advancement of scientific research and we focus our product development on the introduction new and innovative biochemical tools into the research market. A key step in the generation of those ideas is our attendance at meetings and conferences. One of the ways that Cayman honors their ongoing commitment to the research community is via their support of young research scientists. We offer travel funds and support to graduate and post-doctoral students pending approval of their support request. While we can't guarantee funding of all of the requests, we have already donated many thousands of dollars directly to support the attendance of young scientists at important meetings.

Today

Although Cayman Chemical has changed dramatically over the years, we remain firmly committed to our original goal of providing high quality, affordable products to researchers worldwide. In recent years we have expanded upon our core product lines to include generic bulk drug manufacturing, contract services (analytical, bioanalytical assay, bioconjugation, custom organic synthesis, and medicinal chemistry), new assay platforms, and support of high-throughput screening. However, as we grow to meet the needs of our customers we remain committed to our origins and our founding vision. To provide researchers the affordable, high-quality products, most of our biochemicals are now manufactured by total synthesis. We continue to express appreciation for marine ecosystems by featuring them in our promotional material whenever possible. Their presence serves as a reminder of the significant contributions marine organisms have made to science and the importance of preserving their habitats.

Today Cayman Chemical employs 247 people worldwide, with a significant international presence. More than 5,280 research products are manufactured and exported from the Ann Arbor site. For a review of current products and services, please see company profile.