ST. LOUIS - Wells Fargo Foundation announced recently an $8,000 grant awarded to Van Andel Institute to help fund the research of rare disorders being conducted at VAI in cooperation with clinical providers of Spectrum Health. The objective of this research effort is to identify causal mutations for rare diseases. Individuals afflicted by rare disease
LANSING - Food and animal safety products developer Neogen Corp. announced Thursday that it has acquired the assets of Scidera Genomics, LLC, an animal genomics business based in Davis, California. The company, formerly operated as MetaMorphix, Inc., or MMI Genomics, was a pioneer in the development of cattle, poultry, swine, and canine genetic testing. Scidera?s
PLYMOUTH - Tim Mayleben, the CFO of the original drug developer Esperion, has rejoined Esperion Therapeutics as president and CEO. Mayleben was a partner in Esperion when it was purchased in February 2004 by Pfizer for $1.3 billion. Roger Newton, who is the founder of Esperion, bought the company back from Pfizer several years ago.
ALLEGAN - Perrigo Company has completed the acquisition of Cobrek Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held, Chicago, Illinois-based drug development company, for approximately $45 million on a cash free and debt free basis. In May 2008, Perrigo acquired an 18.5 percent minority stake in Cobrek in conjunction with entering into a product development collaborative partnership agreement with the
KALAMAZOO - Michigan will get about $1.3 million from Pfizer in a deceptive marketing practice settlement with 33 states, a spokeswoman for Attorney General Bill Schuette said. The settlement resolves allegations that the New York-based drugmaker engaged in deceptive marketing practices in relation to two of its drugs, Zyvox and Lyrica. The judgment awarding Michigan's
LIVONIA - Harvard Drug Group landed a one-year contract modification worth up to $53.5 million from the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency, just days after closing on a $117 million product line acquisition. Harvard makes generics and over-the-counter drugs. The company has been a government contractor for more than 20 years and a supplier to the
KALAMAZOO ? Life science startups will be able to rent wet lab space at the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center on an hourly, daily or monthly basis. Launch MI Lab provides more than 2,300 square feet of secure wet lab space, access to sophisticated scientific equipment, and an array of analytical services and experts available to
ANN ARBOR - Rubicon Genomics has partnered with Diagenode SA to integrate Rubicon's ThruPLEX technology into Diagenode's epigenetics platforms to increase the efficiency and quality of DNA sample preparation for chromatin immunoprecipitation applications. The new agreement allows Diagenode to incorporate the Rubicon ThruPLEX-FD technology into its new MicroPLEX Library Preparation Kit for ChIP-seq studies requiring
DETROIT ? Wayne State spinout Advaita Corporation received the final $125,000 installment of a Michigan Emerging Technologies fund award, this on the heels of a $2.2 million Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer grant. The company is based on technology developed by Sorin Draghici, Ph.D., professor of computer science in the WSU College of Engineering.
KALAMAZOO - Forensic Fluids Laboratories, a drug testing laboratory using oral fluid exclusively, continues to see strong business and employee growth. This year FFL has expanded its staff by 20 people, including new additions to its information technology and sales teams. Paul Riker recently joined FFL as Director of Information Technology. Riker is responsible for