Business Roundup

Advent International, a private equity firm, has agreed to acquire the Mexican fine chemicals company Viakem. Based in Monterrey, Viakem is Mexico’s only custom manufacturer of crop protection chemicals serving global companies, according to Advent.

Praxair will spend $100 million to expand carbon monoxide production at its Geismar, La., plant. New supplies of the industrial gas will serve customers in the polyurethane and other specialty chemical industries, the company says.

Dow Chemical will supply Silvadur, a silver-polymer complex that delivers antimicrobial silver ions, to Russell Brands for use in T-shirts and other athletic apparel. According to Dow, fabrics treated with Silvadur stay fresh longer between washings.

Haldor Topsøe will supply its new selective oxidation catalyst, SMC, to the Icelandic geothermal power company HS Orka to remove sulfur from CO₂ that emerges from the ground during steam production. The cleaned-up CO₂ will be sold to local greenhouses and algae producers.

PerkinElmer has sold its U.S. prenatal screening laboratory services business, which had sales last year of about $20 million, to Eurofins Scientific. PerkinElmer says U.S. health care reform is causing the consolidation of diagnostics testing with broad service providers.

Evotec will collaborate with Scotland’s Ex Scientia to discover and develop bispecific small-molecule immuno-oncology therapies. Ex Scientia will apply its algorithmic drug design methods. Evotec will contribute medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and development expertise.

Biogen has named Michael Ehlers its executive vice president of R&D. Ehlers joins the biotech firm from Pfizer, where he was head of biotherapeutics R&D and chief scientific officer of the firm’s neuroscience and pain research unit.

Allergan has acquired Topokine Therapeutics for $85 million plus success-based milestones. The deal brings XAF5, a topical treatment Topokine is developing for steatoblepharon, also known as undereye bags. XAF5 entered Phase IIb/III clinical trials in January.