Business Roundup

Akzo Nobel's Diosynth unit will manufacture the recombinant antigen component of Dendreon's Provenge cancer vaccine. Diosynth will initially make the product in Research Triangle Park, N.C., but says manufacturing may eventually be performed at larger facilities in Oss, the Netherlands.

Celanese Corp. has reached an agreement to pay remaining shareholders of its Germany-based predecessor corporation, Celanese AG, more than $60 per share to drop their objections to the takeover of the now U.S.-based firm. Celanese originally offered the shareholders about $53 per share.

UOP and Albemarle have formed a hydroprocessing alliance to help petroleum refiners produce cleaner, low-sulfur fuels. UOP brings hydroprocessing technology to the alliance while both firms bring production of hydrotreating catalysts.

Invitrogen will work with the NIH Chemical Genomics Center to identify small molecules that modulate signaling pathways associated with disease pathophysiology. All of the data from the collaboration will be deposited in PubChem.

Merck and Paratek Pharmaceuticals will develop Paratek's PTK 0796, a broad-spectrum aminomethylcycline antibiotic said to be an advance over tetracyclines. Merck will make an undisclosed up-front payment and up to $127 million in milestone payments.

BASF and the University of Alabama have formalized BASF's exclusive licensing of patents covering the use of ionic liquids to dissolve, regenerate, and process cellulose. UA will continue researching the use of ionic liquids with cellulose for BASF.

OM Group has agreed to acquire Plaschem Specialty Products, a Singapore producer of specialty chemicals for printed circuit board and semiconductor production. The firm had sales of about $11 million last year.