Raybow USA News
Raybow USA Synthetic Chemist and Group Leader Dr. Yuening “Nathan” Jiao explains to Transylvania County Manufacturing Day Series attendees how the company’s chemists leverage 50L jacketed reactors to successfully transition chemistry from benchtop to full manufacturing scale.
Raybow USA Hosts High School Health Sciences Tour
May 29, 2026
Raybow USA in Brevard, North Carolina, hosted an educational tour for approximately 25 Health Sciences high school students from Transylvania County Schools on April 23. The visit was one segment of the three-part Manufacturing Day Series, created through a partnership between Transylvania Economic Alliance, Transylvania County Public Schools, and Blue Ridge Community College.
Chemists at Raybow provided each Brevard and Rosman High School student with customized safety glasses before they ventured into two laboratory areas used for pharmaceutical and specialty chemical research and development processes. Raybow USA President and General Manager, Matt Lauer, PhD, provided additional information about chemistry careers in the conference room.
“It’s important for all students to build an understanding of a wide variety of career types. Raybow USA team members are honored to introduce chemistry career path possibilities to students who may not have ever met a chemist of any sort,” explained Lauer.
“Raybow’s analytical and synthetic chemists work with our clients to develop innovative pharmaceutical products and specialty chemical compounds for use in diverse global settings. Bringing these products to market takes a team of dedicated chemistry professionals, and they all started off as high school students who were inspired along the way,” Lauer added.
Contact Raybow USA for support with your integrated small-molecule CMC discovery, IND-enabling studies, and GMP manufacturing.
Jesse Ingham, PhD, tours WCU Chemistry Department facilities on the day of his presentation to students
Raybow’s Ingham Presents at Western Carolina University Chemistry Seminar
May 22, 2026
Jesse Ingham, PhD, Senior Analyst at Raybow USA, addressed students and academic staff at Western Carolina University (WCU) on the topic of “Academia vs. Industry: A Brief Comparison” on April 17. Ingham’s presentation focused on comparing and contrasting the experiences, research, and approaches of two professional chemistry career paths.
While addressing the Spring Seminar Class for students enrolled in several Bachelor of Science and Master of Science programs in the Chemistry and Physics Department, Ingham relied on his research experiences in the doctoral program at Wake Forest University and his analytical work at Raybow. As a 2020 WCU graduate with a Master of Science in Chemistry, his goal was to deliver real-life examples for students at his alma-mater to use in preparing for their next steps.
“I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with students who are about to enter the workforce or further their education…talking with them about potential professional research directions for them to explore…and sharing some learned perspectives,” Ingham explained.
“It’s important to strengthen the professional chemistry community in western North Carolina. I hope to help and inspire future chemists,” added Ingham.
While visiting the campus, Ingham toured the classroom named for 1984 WCU graduate and former Raybow USA President Peter Newsome, PhD. Newsome, who retired in 2024, was co-founder of the Brevard company PharmAgra Labs, now operating as Raybow USA.
Contact Raybow USA for support with your integrated small-molecule CMC discovery, IND-enabling studies, and GMP manufacturing.
Tim McElroy (l) receives his 10-year award from Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer (r).
Raybow USA Celebrates Employee Anniversary
March 20, 2026
Raybow USA in Brevard, NC, recently recognized Tim McElroy for completing 10 years of employment with the company. Parent company JiuZhou Pharmaceutical presented McElroy with a silver and gold commemorative coin in honor of his service.
Brevard staff members assembled to honor McElroy as Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer made the presentation.
McElroy commented, “The years have gone by quickly. I am glad I spent that time synthesizing a wide variety of compounds. I work with a great group of people who care about designing and developing smart, safe, and efficient synthesis, making compounds that meet our customers’ needs.”
Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer stated, “Our team in Brevard, North Carolina, is proud to have experienced, knowledgeable chemists like Tim on staff when customers seek our assistance with moving their innovative projects from the molecular stage to their specific markets.”
Raybow USA and UNC Asheville staff pause during post-seminar networking
Raybow’s Lauer Speaks at UNC Asheville Chemistry & Biochemistry Seminar
March 5, 2026
Matthew Lauer, PhD, President of Raybow USA, addressed students, academic staff and area professionals during University of North Carolina Asheville’s Spring Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar Series on February 27. Lauer’s presentation, “Understanding Pharmaceutical CDMOs: Roles, Services, and Case Studies from Raybow USA,” highlighted ways that Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) increase discovery and production efficiencies in pharmaceutical and biotech applications.
Innovators use CDMOs to move their novel approaches from molecular discovery to the marketplace. Lauer’s talk provided insights into CDMO functions, including custom synthesis, route scouting, process development and scale-up, analytical method development and validation, stability studies, and manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients and specialty chemicals.
Lauer’s presentation used Raybow USA case studies as specific examples of CDMO capabilities. Diverse functions discussed included early-stage R&D, process research, custom synthesis, and seamless integration with global manufacturing resources.
“It is an honor to connect the next generation of professional chemists with current scientific applications and explorations. In addition to being technically trained, it’s important for chemistry students to understand possible employment tracks in the scientific industry,” Lauer explained.
Cells article explains Raybow USA support of Sophrosyne Preclinical Research
Raybow USA Supports Sophrosyne Preclinical Data Publication
February 17, 2026
Raybow USA supported the synthetic process for Sophrosyne Pharmaceuticals’ Preclinical Research on Alcohol Use Disorder Therapy preclinical data for SOPH-110S, as published in the peer reviewed journal, Cells. The article is entitled “A Novel ALDH2 Inhibitor for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: Preclinical Findings.”
The research findings supported FDA IND clearance and initiation of their Phase 1 study on Alcohol Use Disorder—an important step forward in the progress of transforming brain health therapeutics.
Raybow USA performed the initial racemic synthesis of SOPH-110. The chiral separation was performed under Raybow’s GMP protocol (Lotus Separations LLC, Princeton, NJ, USA) and produced >98% chemical purity and >99% chiral purity.
Yue Ning “Nathan” Jiao, PhD, Group Leader for Raybow USA, reflected on the multiple levels of the project’s impact.
“It is a great personal privilege to be part of this mission to develop an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder.
“Our Raybow and Sophrosyne teams’ rigorous, results-focused research and development lays the foundation for robust, replicable protocols that drive real advances in public health, bringing change to individuals and communities worldwide.
“It has been a genuine pleasure collaborating with Sophrosyne Pharmaceutical on this project, and together we’ve accomplished so much. Creativity and shared goals make project development a delight.”
Link to the full article here: https://res.cloudinary.com/drw/image/upload/v1768931660/comm-sophrosyne/pdfs/Marshall_Fowlie_Sabouni_Cells_2026_ALDH2_inhibitor_for_AUD_preclinical_findngs_tfcgoc.pdf.
Raybow USA co-authors article in Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
Raybow USA Co-Authors Industrial-Scale Synthesis Article
February 9, 2026
A Raybow USA co-authored article, “Industrial-scale chemical synthesis of gold nanorods: process optimization and 30 L scale-up toward GMP manufacturing,” was recently published in the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
David Perrey, PhD, Group Leader for Raybow USA and co-author, explained the work toward the scale-up of the production of gold nanorods.
“Our colleagues at the University of Bologna had a small-scale preparation and were seeking to produce nanoroads in larger quantity, having seen inconsistent results batch-to-batch in their own research. So, our challenge was to implement a more robust process, while also making the nanorods on a significantly larger scale than had been done previously.
“Our team was able to pinpoint the important reaction parameters to give consistent nanorod structures, as shown by the measured longitudinal LSPR.
“I very much enjoyed the collaboration and was very happy we were able to create a robust process to make gold nanorods for a variety of applications and research.”
Link to the full article here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1226086X26000481.
Take a tour of Raybow USA’s new website at www.raybow.com.
Raybow USA Launches New Website
April 29, 2025
Raybow USA in Brevard, NC, proudly announces a completely new look for its website. Current and potential clients are invited to experience the site’s new appearance and functionality at https://www.raybow.com.
The new site focuses on the R&D, Analytical, Synthesis, and Production Services offered at Raybow USA. The new Contact Us and Request a Quote forms feed directly to Brevard’s Chemistry Managers and the Business Development team, to ensure that all requests for information are delivered to the right people as quickly as possible.
Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer commented, “Our Brevard team approached this clean, straightforward website redesign with current and future customers in mind. Now, it’s even easier to see all the services we offer to help clients move their projects to market.”
The new design also presents multiple opportunities for viewers to link to its parent company, JiuZhouPharma.com, to learn about additional services available there. Raybow USA provides communications and logistics assistance for JiuZhou Pharmaceutical clients in America.
Left to right: T.J. Willi, Cristobol Zomosa, Former Raybow USA President Pete Newsome, Tim McElroy, David Perrey, Andy Stutesman, and Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer. Not pictured: Jonathan Edwards and Melissa Stutesman.
Raybow USA Celebrates Employee Anniversaries
April 17, 2025
Raybow USA in Brevard, NC, recently recognized nine individuals for completing at least five years of employment with the company. Parent company JiuZhou Pharmaceutical presented a silver commemorative coin to each individual in honor of their service.
Brevard staff members gathered to honor Jonathan Edwards, Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer, Tim McElroy, Former Raybow USA President Pete Newsome, David Perrey, Andy Stutesman, Melissa Stutesman, T.J. Willi, and Cristobol Zomosa.
JiuZhou Pharmaceutical President David Mei said, “Your years of dedication have been the driving force behind our company’s steady progress. We are truly thankful for your unwavering efforts.”
Raybow USA President and General Manager Matt Lauer commented, “Our team in Brevard, North Carolina, offers exceptional knowledge and experience to customers seeking help with moving their projects from the molecular stage to their specific markets. Our long-term staff members build important connections with our clients, which helps us meet their project goals.”
Pete Newsome displays his “25 years of service” recognition with President Matt Lauer standing by.
Lauer Tapped as New Raybow USA President
February 2, 2024
Raybow USA, Inc. announced today that Peter Newsome, Ph.D., is stepping down as company president. Newsome will remain engaged as a company advisor, providing continued guidance to projects and counsel to executive management. Effective today, Matt Lauer, Ph.D., has been promoted from vice-president to president of Raybow USA.
“I am confident that Raybow has chosen my successor wisely by tapping Matt. As a long-time employee, Matt has steadily risen through both lab and management positions, not only picking up the necessary skills but also becoming an integral part of project and company history,” commented Newsome.
Lauer joined the company in 2016 as a synthetic chemist. He holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northern Kentucky University. His extensive experience includes organic synthesis, catalysis, process development, and project management.
“Taking over as head of laboratory and business operations will be an exciting challenge, but we have a great team with impressive depth. I’m confident that Raybow USA is poised to build on the successes that both Pete and Roger kicked off more than 25 years ago,” Lauer said.