Business Roundup

IHS, a publishing and market intelligence firm, has acquired the Houston-based petrochemical consultancy Chemical Market Associates Inc. (CMAI). Last year, IHS acquired SRI Consulting, Harriman Chemsult, and Chemical Week magazine from Access Intelligence.

SK Capital, a New York-based private equity firm that owns nylon maker Ascend Performance Materials and Aristech Acrylics, has participated in the recapitalization of Houston-based sulfur dioxide and derivatives maker Calabrian Corp. SK, along with management, now own 100% of Calabrian’s stock.

Perstorp plans to build a 40,000-metric-ton-per-year neopentyl glycol plant at its Shandong Fufeng Perstorp Chemical site in Zibo, China. Scheduled to be on-line during the second half of 2012, the plant will supply NPG to makers of powder coatings.

Lanxess will invest about $25 million to expand capacity for poly­chloro­prene solid rubber at its Dormagen, Germany, site. The project will increase capacity 10% to 63,000 metric tons per year upon completion by the end of 2012, the company says.

BioAmber, a biobased succinic acid producer, has raised $45 million in a second round of venture financing. The company says the money will help accelerate commercialization of the chemical intermediate, including construction of a large-scale plant in North America. It will also further a partnership with Cargill to develop a second-generation organism to make succinic acid, among other initiatives.

Cobalt Technologies, a start-up firm that converts cellulose and other nonfood waste products into biobased butanol, has raised $20 million in its fourth round of venture capital funding. The firm will use the money for projects including a 470,000-gal-per-year demonstration plant in Alpena, Mich.; the development of its first commercial facilities; and work with the U.S. Navy to develop biobased jet fuel.

Total will buy a 60% stake in California-based SunPower, a manufacturer of traditional and high-efficiency solar cells and systems. The stock buy is valued at $1.4 billion.

Grifols has reached a consent agreement with the Federal Trade Commission to facilitate its acquisition of Talecris Biotherapeutics (C&EN, June 14, 2010, page 26). Under the agreement, Grifols will sell a blood fractionation facility, two plasma collection centers, and one product line to Kedrion. It will also manufacture certain products for Kedrion.

AstraZeneca has declined to exercise its option to license TC-5619, an alpha7 neuronal nicotinic receptor modulator being developed by Targacept as part of a pact between the companies. Targacept has completed two Phase II trials of TC-5619, one in schizophrenia and the other in adults with attention deficit disorder. AstraZeneca and Targacept will continue to work together on other NNR therapeutics.