Company and People Notes: King Acquires Alpharma for $1.6 B; Wyeth Names Michael Kamarck President of Technical Operations & Product Supply; More...

Company Notes

Cambridge, MA (Nov. 24)-Agios Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company, has leased a 21,000-ft² facility in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The new facility will be dedicated to cancer metabolism research.

Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India (Nov. 21)-DuPont opened the DuPont Knowledge Center (DKC) in Hyderabad, India, 17 months after breaking ground last summer. The center will be a research hub in the areas of agricultural and industrial biotechnology and will include a biotechnology center, materials research center, and global engineering design center. DKC is home to more than 180 scientists today and is expected to accommodate more than 300 scientists and other employees by next year. At full capacity, about 600 scientists, engineers, and other employees will work at the DKC.

Woodbury, NJ (Nov. 19)-Isogen, a contract development and manufacturing organization for sterile filling, announced the January 21, 2009, launch of its contract facility in Newark, Delaware. Isogen's Phase I facility will accommodate GMP vial and syringe filling, ranging in fill size up to 4,000 units per shift in fully segregated, isolator-based fill lines in a potent capable facility. Isolator-based lyophilization capacity is planned for later in 2009.

New Brunswick, NJ (Nov. 24)-Johnson & Johnson (J&J) will acquire Omrix Biopharmaceuticals (New York), a biopharmaceutical company that provides biosurgical and immunotherapy products, for approximately $438 million, or $25 per share, in a cash tender offer. The transaction is expected to close by the end of December 2008. Omrix is expected to operate as a stand-alone entity reporting through ETHICON, Inc., a J&J company providing suture, mesh, hemostats, and other products for a wide range of surgical procedures.

Bristol, TN (Nov. 24)-King Pharmaceuticals and Alpharma (Bridgewater, NJ) signed a definitive merger agreement under which King will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Class A common stock of Alpharma for $37 per share in cash for a total equity value of approximately $1.6 billion. The boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved the transaction.

Boston (Nov. 20)-PAREXEL International, a biopharmaceutical services provider, opened an office in Lima, Peru, to provide regulatory consulting and clinical research capabilities. PAREXEL also has locations in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.

People Notes

Elmsford, NY (Nov. 21)-BioScrip, a specialty pharmaceutical healthcare organization, appointed Richard M. Smith president and chief operating officer, effective January 2, 2009. Smith will report to Richard H. Friedman, BioScrip’s chairman and chief executive officer.

Wilmington, MA (Nov. 19)-Charles River Laboratories, a contract research organization, promoted Foster Jordan to corporate senior vice-president of endotoxin and microbial detection products. Jordan joined Charles River in 1994. He became executive director of in vitro detection systems in 2001 and a corporate vice-president in 2006.

Dublin, Ireland (Nov. 20)-Elan, a neuroscience-based biotechnology company, appointed Carlos V. Paya president of the company, effective Nov. 25, 2008. Paya will be based at Elan’s South San Francisco, California, campus.

San Francisco, CA (Nov. 20)-InCode BioPharmaceutics, a biopharmaceutical company, appointed Kevin L. Stark president and chief executive officer, effective immediately. The company announced that William St. John has resigned as president and chief executive officer and will remain on the board of directors. In conjunction with this transition, InCode will shift operations from its San Francisco, California, location to the Thousand Oaks area.

Madison, NJ (Nov. 20)-Wyeth promoted Michael Kamarck to the position of president of technical operations and product supply (TO&PS). Kamarck will be responsible for technical operations and product supply for Wyeth, including its pharmaceutical, biopharma, vaccine, consumer healthcare, and nutritional units. He succeeds Charles Portwood, who has been appointed to the new role of executive vice-president, TO&PS operational excellence. Both positions will report to Joseph Mahady, president of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Seattle, WA (Nov. 21)-The biotechnology company ZymoGenetics promoted Douglas E. Williams, the company’s president, to the position of CEO, effective January 2, 2009. Bruce L.A. Carter will retire from the position and will continue to serve as chairman of the board of directors in a nonexecutive capacity.