Advancing industrialized Microcrystal Electron Diffraction (MicroED) capabilities for global drug development
SUZHOU, China, April 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Crystal Pharmatech is a science-driven CRO/CDMO specializing in solid-state research, preformulation studies, and formulation development and manufacturing for small molecule drugs. The company operates a global network of R&D and manufacturing sites across the United States, Canada, and China, providing specialized services to clients worldwide. On April 14th, the company announced the introduction of the ELDICO ED-1 microcrystal electron diffractometer, along with the further expansion of its strategic collaboration with ELDICO Scientific AG.
With this milestone, Crystal Pharmatech will become the first company in both China and the Asia-Pacific region to deploy a dedicated MicroED (Microcrystal Electron Diffraction) platform purpose-built for industrial applications, with the ED-1 to be installed at its Suzhou, China R&D site and made available to global clients worldwide. Beyond deployment, the company is advancing the integration of MicroED into routine solid-state workflows, transforming a historically specialized technique into a scalable, high-throughput platform for pharmaceutical development.
This investment represents a significant advancement in Crystal Pharmatech’s mission to industrialize next-generation solid-state characterization technologies and deliver faster, more reliable, and structurally informed insights for drug development programs worldwide — expanding access to industrial-grade MicroED capabilities for its global partners.
Unlike conventional approaches that rely on adapted transmission electron microscopes (TEMs), the ELDICO ED-1 is the world’s first dedicated electron diffractometer, purpose-built to determine crystal structures directly from sub-micron crystalline powders for small-molecule compounds.
Designed for real-world pharmaceutical development, the ED-1 supports automated, 24/7 operation with streamlined data acquisition and high reproducibility. This transforms MicroED from a specialized, expert-dependent technique into a scalable, high-throughput analytical platform suitable for routine industrial workflows.
Through this collaboration, Crystal Pharmatech will further strengthen its capabilities in:
- Direct determination of crystal structures, chirality, and absolute configuration from sub-micron crystalline powders, including complex polymorphic mixtures and low-crystallinity materials
- Comprehensive polymorph/salt/cocrystal screening and solid-form selection through full polymorphic landscape mapping and structural elucidation of all identified forms (anhydrous, hydrates, and solvates)
- Ultra-sensitive detection and qualification of trace polymorphic impurities at the single-particle level in drug products
- High-resolution characterization of amorphous solid dispersions (ASDs) to confirm the absence of residual crystallinity in drug–polymer systems
- Accelerated preformulation, formulation, and CMC development enabled by rapid, structure-driven decision-making
"Integrating the ELDICO ED-1 into our platform represents a major step toward making MicroED a routine tool in pharmaceutical development," said Alex Chen, Co-founder, Chairman & CEO of Crystal Pharmatech. "As the first company in China and the Asia–Pacific region to deploy this dedicated technology, we are advancing our commitment to delivering next-generation, industrialized solid-state solutions to global partners. A long-standing aspiration in solid-state science—to determine the crystal structure of every polymorph—is now becoming increasingly achievable. Leveraging our deep expertise in crystallography and solid-state research, we will integrate the ED-1 into routine polymorph, salt, and cocrystal screening workflows, with the goal of elucidating the structure of every form identified."
The collaboration builds on an established partnership between Crystal Pharmatech and ELDICO Scientific AG, particularly in solid-state research and advanced crystallography applications.
"Crystal Pharmatech is an ideal partner to bring MicroED into industrial practice," said James Berwick, CEO of ELDICO Scientific AG. "Their deep expertise in solid-state science and strong track record in supporting global pharmaceutical development uniquely position them to unlock the full potential of the ED-1 platform."
With this milestone, Crystal Pharmatech continues to strengthen its leadership in solid-state research, reinforcing its position as a trusted partner for pharmaceutical companies seeking high-quality, industrial-grade analytical solutions across the drug development lifecycle.
About Crystal Pharmatech
Crystal Pharmatech is a science-driven CRO/CDMO specializing in solid-state research, preformulation, and formulation development for small-molecule drugs. Leveraging deep expertise in crystallization and solid-form science, the company addresses critical developability challenges related to bioavailability, stability, and manufacturability.
Founded in 2010, Crystal Pharmatech provides integrated support across the drug development lifecycle—from early developability assessment and solid-form screening to formulation development and clinical-to-commercial manufacturing—through its global network of R&D and manufacturing sites in the United States, Canada, and China. To date, the company has supported more than 2,000 clients and contributed to over 4,000 compounds worldwide.
Guided by its Molecule–Material–Medicine (M3) framework, the company enables First-Time-Right development, reducing risk and accelerating timelines for its global partners.
About ELDICO Scientific AG
ELDICO Scientific AG is a technology company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, dedicated to advancing the application of electron diffraction in structural analysis. Its flagship ED-1 platform supports routine MicroED applications for sub-micron crystalline materials across the pharmaceutical, chemical, and materials science industries. As the world’s first industrial-grade microcrystal electron diffractometer, the ED-1 is purpose-built to enable direct crystal structure determination of small molecule compounds from sub-micron crystalline powders.
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