Thar Process will bring its supercritical fluid chromatography systems back to European pharmaceutical labs through a new distribution deal with France’s ExtrateX, effectively reviving a technology segment that Novasep abandoned years prior.
The Pittsburgh company announced the partnership on Sept. 24, 2026, positioning ExtrateX as its exclusive representative for SFC equipment sales and technical support across Europe. This move addresses a regional supply gap in bioprocessing tools used for high-resolution purification.
Under the agreement, ExtrateX will manage equipment sales, installation, maintenance, and customer training beginning Jan. 1, 2027. The French firm specializes in supercritical fluid systems and carries an established technical support network serving pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, cosmetic, and food industries throughout Europe.
Thar Process’s Isolator SFC line targets purification of pharmaceutical APIs, peptides such as GLP-1s, fermented products, and natural compounds like omega-3s and cannabinoids. The platform relies on upcycled CO2 for separation work, which the company claims delivers faster processing, higher efficiency, and lower environmental impact than conventional methods.
Todd Palcic, CEO of Thar Process, framed the collaboration as a return to a market his company had previously served. He described SFC as both highly efficient and sustainable, citing ExtrateX’s regional expertise and customer relationships as decisive factors in the partnership.
ExtrateX CEO Gonzague Choppe emphasized the complementary strengths of the two firms. Thar Process contributes advanced SFC solutions and chromatography knowledge, while ExtrateX brings process engineering, scale-up capabilities, and longstanding European market presence.
As a result, pharmaceutical and biotech labs across Europe will regain direct access to prep-to-process scale SFC equipment, along with local technical support that had remained scarce since the earlier market exit. The partnership signals renewed investment in sustainable purification infrastructure for the region’s life sciences sector.
