A General provisions
1. Scope of application
These
general terms of business (these “Terms”) apply to all services (the
“Services”) and products (the “Products”) supplied by Solvias AG
(“Solvias”) to clients (the “Client(s)”). Different or additional
provisions, including a Client’s general terms of business, shall apply
only if agreed in writing by Solvias and the Client.
The Services
include chemical, physical and biological laboratory analyses, the
development and implementation of catalytic transformations and of
special methods of synthesis. Products include chemicals, equipment and
parts manufactured by or on behalf of Solvias and sold to Clients.
The
performance of Services shall be governed by sections A and B of these
Terms. The manufacture and supply of Products shall be governed by
sections A and C of these Terms.
No amendments or changes to these
Terms shall be effective unless made in writing. If, for any reason, a
provision of these Terms becomes invalid, the validity of the remaining
provisions will not be affected.
2. Orders
The
quotations of Solvias for the performance of Services or the supply of
Products are binding for 30 days unless otherwise specified in the
respective quotation.
Accepted quotations and/or orders by any
Client to Solvias for Services or Products (the “Order(s)”) must be
issued in writing, unless otherwise agreed, and shall be confirmed by
Solvias in writing to be binding on Solvias. However, in the event of
standard Services or standard manufacture of Products the written
confirmation may be replaced by the due performance of the Order and/or
supply of Products.
The quality standards applicable by Solvias in
the performance of Services and/or supply of Products shall be those of
ISO 9001:2000. The application of additional rules or standards, such
as GLP or cGMP, must be expressly agreed to and set forth in writing in
an Order.
Amendments to Orders by the Client shall be notified to
Solvias in writing. Solvias will make reasonable efforts to implement
any such amendment, but reserves the right to adjust the price and
terms of delivery.
3. Prices and terms of payment
The
prices for Services or Products shall be specified in the Orders. In
the absence of such specifications, Solvias’ then prevailing price list
shall apply. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all prices are in
Swiss francs, net of value added tax and additional costs such as
packaging, transport, insurance, duties and levies. An additional
charge shall be made for urgent or express Orders. Special prices shall
apply for Orders carried out in accordance with official rules such as
GLP and cGMP or requiring special safety precautions.
The payment
terms shall be specified in the Orders. Unless otherwise specified in
the Order, invoices are payable net, within twenty (20) days of the
invoice date.
Unless otherwise agreed in the Order, for Services
which are performed and Products which are manufactured within thirty
(30) days or less, invoices will be issued on completion of the Order.
Unless
otherwise agreed in the Order, Services which are performed and
Products which are manufactured within more than thirty (30) days and
which are charged on a time-spent basis shall be invoiced monthly as
the Order progresses.
Unless otherwise agreed in the Order, other
Services performed and Products manufactured within more than thirty
(30) days shall be subject to the following terms of payment:
Accounts payable to the Client by Solvias may be offset only with the prior written consent of Solvias. Interest of 1.5% per month, payable in arrears, shall be charged on late payments. In the event of late payment or if Solvias has reason to doubt the Client’s solvency or creditworthiness, Solvias may require a deposit before supplying further Services or Products and Solvias shall not be required to provide further Services or Products.
4. Deadlines
The
Services or Products shall be provided by the date agreed in writing
or, if no such date has been agreed, within a reasonable time period.
Solvias shall notify the Client without delay in the event of a serious
delay in the Services or Products in order to obtain an extension to
the extent necessary. If Solvias thereafter is unable to keep to the
agreed deadline, the Client shall be entitled to cancel the Order, but
not to claim any damages.
The delivery lead time shall begin
when all technical and business issues have been resolved between the
Client and Solvias i.e. on receipt of the binding documentation
(specifications, etc.).
The delivery lead time shall be extended by
an appropriate time period if the Client’s subsequent changes of the
information and documentation required to process the Order cause a
delay.
5. Handling, Storage and Archiving
(a) Handling of samples or materials provided by Client
The
Client shall package and label vessels containing hazardous materials
(including without limitation, materials which are explosive, toxic,
carcinogenic or radioactive, or which create an HIV risk or other
health risk or constitute a biological hazard of any kind) in full
compliance with applicable laws, rules, regulations and industry
standards. The Client shall be liable for any damage to property,
personal injury or death to Solvias or any third party caused by any
samples or other materials provided by the Client pursuant to this
article 5, unless the Client has provided Solvias with the
documentation concerning all known risks associated with any samples or
other materials provided by the Client (e.g. material safety data
sheets, etc.).
(b) Storage of samples or materials provided by Client
If
Solvias receives more than the quantity of samples or other materials
required to perform the Services or to manufacture the Products,
Solvias shall store the unused surplus for four (4) weeks, unless
otherwise agreed in writing, and use it for any further Services or
Products. Thereafter, samples or other materials provided by the Client
no longer required shall be disposed of or, if requested in the Order,
be returned to the Client.
(c) Document storage
The Client
shall be responsible for storing and archiving results and reports on
completion of the agreed testing or processing. Unless otherwise agreed
in writing, Solvias shall archive the working documents and raw data
used to carry out the project for a period of ten (10) years from the
completion of a particular Order.
6. Client’s access and inspection rights
Upon
reasonable advance written notice, Solvias shall grant the Client
access to the laboratories in which a pending Order is processed.
Solvias shall co-operate with the Client on quality control issues and
inspections by health authorities.
7. Cooperation with third parties
Unless
otherwise specified in the Order, Solvias reserves the right to
transfer, assign or sub-contract the performance of Services or the
manufacturing of Products to third parties. Solvias shall only use
sub-contractors with comparable standards of quality and
confidentiality requirements. If a project is to be carried out under
GLP or cGMP rules, Solvias shall not transfer, assign or sub-contract
the performance of Services or the manufacturing of Products to third
parties without the prior written consent of the Client. All rights of
the Client and Solvias shall inure to the benefit of, and be
enforceable by the respective successors and assigns of each of the
parties hereto.
8. Intellectual property
Unless
otherwise agreed in any Order, all results and underlying measurements,
drawings, documents, studies, reports, analyses, data, laboratory and
process records which are specifically developed by Solvias for the
Client in connection with the Services or the Products (the “Results”)
shall become the exclusive property of the Client at no additional cost
to the Client upon full payment of all fees and expenses due under any
Order. The Client will be responsible for all vindication of patents,
copyrights or similar claims, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Unless
otherwise agreed in any Order, all of Solvias’ patents, trade secrets,
copyrights, trade names, trademarks, service marks, proprietary
materials, methods, processes, know-how, technical documents and
production specifications or other intellectual property and all
improvements, or inventions, discoveries, formulae, writings,
procedures, techniques, engineering information, devices, manufacturing
information and other technology, whether or not patentable, or rights
or licenses relating to any of the foregoing (collectively “Solvias
Property”) used in connection with the Products or Services shall
remain the sole and exclusive property of Solvias.
Unless
otherwise agreed in any Order, Solvias grants the Client a
royalty-free, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the
Solvias Property arising out of the Services or Products to the extent
necessary for the commercialization of the Results.
9. Confidentiality
Unless
otherwise agreed in writing, Solvias and the Client both undertake not
to disclose information which is received from the other party in
connection with the Services to be performed or Products to be
manufactured and/or delivered by Solvias, unless (i) otherwise required
by law or judicial order, or (ii) the receiving party can prove that
such information has been known to it prior to receipt. Without
limitation, each of the parties undertakes:
10. Work on site
If
the employees or sub-contractors of Solvias are required to carry out
work on site, (such as pilot testing and process implementation), the
following conditions shall apply:
11. Local requirements
When
ordering Services or Products from Solvias, the Client must notify
Solvias of any local laws, rules, regulations and requirements of
authorities governing the design, assembly, operation, handling,
labeling, packaging, dispatch and health and safety of the items
supplied.
12. Force majeure
Solvias
shall not be liable to the Client, or lose any rights because of any
delay or failure in the performance of its obligations or any Order, if
and to the extent that such failure or delay is due to circumstances
beyond its control, including but not limited to, act of God, war or
insurrection; terrorism; civil commotion; destruction of essential
facilities or materials by earthquake, fire, flood or storm; act of
government, labor disputes; epidemic; or other similar event; provided
however, that Solvias shall notify the Client as promptly as reasonably
possible should it become aware of such circumstances.
13. Applicable law
These
Terms, any Orders or agreements between Solvias and the Client shall be
construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of
Switzerland, without giving effect to the principles of conflict of
laws thereof. The United Nations Convention for the International Sale
of Goods (1980) shall not apply.
14. Jurisdiction
The place of jurisdiction shall be the ordinary courts of Basel-Stadt, Switzerland.
B. Specific provisions for Services
15. Cancellation
The
Client may cancel an Order at any time. If an Order for Services is
cancelled by the Client, the Client shall reimburse Solvias for its
reasonable fees and expenses incurred or committed in connection with
the preparation of the Services to be performed under such Order
through the date of cancellation.
If an Order for Services is
cancelled by the Client (i) less than ten (10) days before the agreed
start date for the performance of any Services or (ii) after such date,
for reasons outside of Solvias’ control and unless otherwise specified
in any Order, in addition to the payment of reasonable fees and
expenses incurred or committed Solvias shall be entitled to
compensation for any losses including the loss of earnings or for 80%
of the value of the Order, whichever is the greater.
Amendments to
Orders for Services which Solvias cannot implement without incurring
unreasonable expenses or last minute requests for postponement shall be
deemed cancellations.
16. Certain obligations of Solvias
Solvias
shall perform the Services in a professional and workmanlike manner in
accordance with standard industry practices and applicable professional
standards in accordance with the ISO 9001:2000 standards, as specified
in the quality assurance documentation of Solvias.
Except as
otherwise expressly agreed in writing, Solvias shall be entitled to use
processes, methods or procedures as it deems appropriate in its sole
discretion and to modify, change or abandon any such processes, methods
or procedures at any time. Solvias shall not be required to meet any
quality standards other than ISO 9001:2000 (including but not limited
to GLP or cGMP) unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing.
Solvias is licensed in Switzerland as:
• Independent laboratory for Quality Control (chemical, physical, biochemical and microbiological) of medical products (cGMP)
• GLP-Test Facility for analytical and clinical chemistry testing and physical chemical testing
17. Warranty and liability
Solvias warrants that all Services will be performed in the manner set forth in article 16.
The
Client shall examine the performance of the Services on receipt
thereof, and report any apparent defects or deficiencies to Solvias in
writing within ten (10) days and any latent deficiencies as soon as
they are discovered.
EXCEPT FOR THE WARRANTIES SPECIFICALLY SET
FORTH IN THIS ARTICLE 17, SOLVIAS MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO ANY SERVICES PERFORMED BY SOLVIAS
OR ANY OF ITS AGENTS OR SUBCONTRACTORS. ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES,
INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS
FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED AND DECLINED. NO
CLAIM, SUIT OR OTHER PROCEEDING MAY BE BROUGHT FOR AN ALLEGED BREACH OF
WARRANTY OF SOLVIAS SET FORTH HEREIN MORE THAN TWELVE MONTHS AFTER
COMPLETION OF THE SERVICES CONCERNED.
Solvias shall have the right
to remedy any defect or deficiency in the Services which have been duly
reported by the Client within a reasonable period of time of receiving
such report. If Solvias fails to remedy such defect or deficiency on
time or to an acceptable standard, the Client’s exclusive remedy and
Solvias’ sole liability on any claim, whether in tort, contract or
warranty, shall be a reduction of the fees payable by the Client.
IN
NO EVENT SHALL SOLVIAS BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS OR
GOODWILL, OR ADDITIONAL EXPENSES INCURRED), WHETHER PURSUANT TO A CLAIM
IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE AND WHETHER IN AN ACTION FOR BREACH OF
WARRANTY OR OTHERWISE.
The liability of Solvias for losses which are caused by Solvias’ willful misconduct or gross negligence shall not be limited.
C. Specific provisions for Products
18. Cancellation
The
Client may not cancel an Order for Products before the Products have
been delivered, unless it pays for the work carried out by or on behalf
of Solvias up to the date of cancellation and compensates for any
losses including loss of earnings.
Solvias may cancel an Order if
its own suppliers fail to supply the correct items by the specified
dates, and Solvias is therefore unable to supply the Products to the
Client despite having made every reasonable effort to find substitutes.
The Client shall not be entitled to any damages if Solvias cancels an Order for any of the above reasons.
19. Technical documents and specifications
All
drawings, illustrations, descriptions and purity requirements shall be
based on the written specifications in the applicable Order.
20. Warranty and liability
Solvias
warrants that the Products are manufactured in accordance with the
specifications contained in the Order accepted by Solvias in accordance
with normal practices. Solvias shall carry out quality and operating
checks at its premises in accordance with its internal guidelines
before notifying the Client that the Products are ready for dispatch.
If the Client requires additional testing to be carried out, this must
be agreed in writing, and paid for by the Client.
If the Products do
not comply with the specifications contained in the Order, the Client
shall notify Solvias immediately. If such non-compliance turns out to
be a defect or deficiency caused by Solvias, Solvias shall have the
right to remedy such defect or deficiency in the Products which have
been duly reported by the Client within a reasonable period of time of
receiving such report. If Solvias fails to remedy such defect or
deficiency on time or to an acceptable standard, the Client’s exclusive
remedy and Solvias’ sole liability on any claim, whether in tort,
contract or warranty, shall be a reduction of the fees payable by the
Client.
IN NO EVENT SHALL SOLVIAS BE LIABLE TO ANY PERSON FOR
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS
OF PROFITS OR GOODWILL, OR ADDITIONAL EXPENSES INCURRED), WHETHER
PURSUANT TO A CLAIM IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE AND WHETHER IN AN
ACTION FOR BREACH OF WARRANTY OR OTHERWISE.
The liability of Solvias for losses which are caused by Solvias’ willful misconduct or gross negligence shall not be limited.
21. Limitation of warranty
The
descriptions of Products in catalogues, analysis reports and other
documents issued by Solvias are for identification purposes only, and
do not constitute warranties as defined in Article 197 of the Swiss
Code of Obligations or any other applicable law. Any additional
warranty may only be contained in an Order and must expressly state
that the Product concerned has a particular property and must bear a
legally valid signature.
Products manufactured by Solvias are for
the intended purposes only and may not be used otherwise unless
specifically agreed to in writing by the parties. Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Products may not be used as active
pharmaceutical ingredients, for in vivo diagnostic purposes, as food or
feed additives, human or veterinary medicines, or cosmetics.
EXCEPT
FOR THE WARRANTIES SPECIFICALLY SET FORTH WITHIN ARTICLE 20, SOLVIAS
MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, WITH RESPECT TO
ANY SAMPLES, SUBSTANCES OR OTHER PRODUCTS MANUFACTURED BY SOLVIAS OR
ANY OF ITS AGENTS OR SUBCONTRACTORS. ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING
WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ARE EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED AND DECLINED. NO CLAIM, SUIT
OR OTHER PROCEEDING MAY BE BROUGHT FOR AN ALLEGED BREACH OF WARRANTY OF
SOLVIAS SET FORTH HEREIN MORE THAN TWELVE MONTHS AFTER DELIVERY OF THE
SAMPLES, SUBSTANCES OR OTHER PRODUCTS CONCERNED.
22. Packaging
Solvias
shall provide suitable packaging for the Products in accordance with
the Client’s instructions, which packaging, unless otherwise agreed,
shall be non-returnable. Packaging shall be charged for separately.
23. Carriage and insurance
Products
are supplied “CPT” as defined in Incoterms 2000 to the destination
named in the Order unless otherwise agreed in writing by the parties.
Solvias can arrange carriage and insurance for an additional charge.
24. Transfer of possession and risk
Possession
and risk shall pass to the Client on delivery of the Products to any
common carrier. If dispatch is delayed at the Client’s request, or for
other reasons beyond the control of Solvias, risks shall pass to the
Client on the date originally scheduled for delivery to a common
carrier.
25. Retention of ownership
All
Products shall remain the sole and exclusive property of Solvias as
long as any payments are still outstanding and due to Solvias.
Basel, Switzerland, September 1, 2006