Genzyme Corp. said Monday that it acquired Sygena Ltd., apharmaceutical manufacturing company in Liestal, Switzerland, forabout $14.5 million.Genzyme, of Cambridge, Mass., paid about $5.95 million in cash andwill pay the remainder in cash or stock over the next two or moreyears, Lori Lass, a public relations specialist for Genzyme, toldBioWorld. She said Sygena, located near Basel, specializes in theproduction of synthetic phospholids and peptides, amino acidderivatives and chiral fine chemicals. Sygena has 45 employees andhad 1993 revenues of about $5.5 million.Genzyme now has facilities in eight European countries, includinganother manufacturing plant in the U.K. Lass said Genzyme will divideEuropean manufacturing between the facilities in the U.K. andSwitzerland. Genzyme said the acquisition is the first by an Americanbiotechnology company of a Swiss firm.Genzyme (NASDAQ:GENZ) stock closed down 94 cents Monday at$25.81. _ Jim Shrine

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