Tripos Is In Talks To Sell U.K. Lab

In announcing disappointing third-quarter results last week, Tripos disclosed that it is in "advanced discussions" with an undisclosed buyer for its Tripos Discovery Research (TDR) chemistry facility in Bude, England. The St. Louis-based informatics and drug discovery research contractor attributed an operating loss of $3.8 million largely to losses at TDR. Tripos eliminated 14 positions in Bude in August shortly after completing a major contract with Pfizer. "Throughout this year, we have dealt with the rapid realignment of the market for outsourced discovery research services to the low-cost venues in Asia and Eastern Europe," says John P. McAlister, Tripos CEO. The firm also attributes the third-quarter losses to a delay in an informatics project for Wyeth.