Business Roundup

Bruker has acquired SkyScan, a Belgian maker of high-resolution microcomputed tomography (CT) systems for three-dimensional X-ray imaging. SkyScan is expected to have $13 million in revenues this year, half from materials science applications and half from life sciences and preclinical imaging applications.

Ube Industries will set up production facilities for lithium-ion battery separators at its plant in Sakai, Japan, near Osaka. The company already makes the materials at its site in Ube, in southern Japan.

GE Healthcare has acquired SeqWright, a provider of nucleic acid sequencing services. GE says the acquisition adds genomic capabilities to the clinical molecular diagnostics offerings of its Clarient unit. SeqWright is based in Houston and employs 34 people.

BASF has joined with Catalent Pharma Solutions to help customers solve drug bioavailability problems. The partners will provide expertise in excipients, formulation, solid-state chemistry, and dosage manufacturing to address solubility and permeability challenges.

Yara, a Norwegian fertilizer maker, will spend $40 million for a nearly 20% stake in IC Potash, a Canadian firm that is developing a potash fertilizer mine in New Mexico. IC Potash hopes to complete construction of the mine by the end of 2015.

Richman Chemical has formed a partnership with Auditweaver, a supplier of cloud-based supply chain management software. Richman, which provides custom chemicals and intermediates, says it will recommend the software to small or start-up customers.

Eli Lilly & Co.'s Amyvid has been approved by FDA as a radioactive diagnostic agent. Known generically as florbetapir, Amyvid detects amyloid-β plaques, a characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, in patients with cognitive impairment.

Arrowhead Research has acquired Alvos Therapeutics, a privately held company that licensed a library of human-derived homing peptides from M. D. Anderson Cancer Center. Arrowhead says the peptides can be used to shuttle small-molecule drugs to target cells.

H.I.G. BioVentures has raised $268 million for its latest venture capital fund, which will focus on investments in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and diagnostics. H.I.G. BioVentures commits between $3 million and $40 million per company over the life of an investment.