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On the Move
Synthon Chiragenics, 7 Deer Park Drive, MonmouthJunction 08852. Scott E. Coleridge, president & CEO. 732-274-0037;fax, 732-274-0501. Home page: www.synthoncorp.comRawle Hollingsworth, the founder of scientific director of Synthon,has managed to commercialize a carbohydrate-based chiral technologyplatform for the development of a new class of pharmaceuticals thatmight help treat auto-immune diseases and cancer. The technology,which lets researchers inhibit the activity of the enzyme PNP, isbeing used in research on a lymphoma treatment now in clinical trials.The pharmaceutical company conducting these trials has not beendisclosed.The chirality of a molecule is important to drug development.Moleculesused to develop therapeutic drugs typically form in non-chiral, mirrorimages of themselves. Each mirror image can react very differentlyin the body. For example, one molecule may show a desired therapeuticeffect, but its mirror image may cause significant, undesirable sideeffects.Because the FDA requires that the efficacy and safety of each mirrorimage must be proved before a drug can be marketed, drug developmentcompanies must go through the costly process of developing batchesof chiral molecules. Synthon has technologies to simplify the processand decrease the cost. It has shown it can do this in drugs forcholesterolreduction, central nervous system disorders (anti-depressants),antibiotics,muscle relaxants, and anti-virals.Preparing molecules to deter PNP activity might actually help tocreatea new drug development platform. Until now, this molecular platformhas stumped researchers, because it has three contiguous chiralcenters,says Scott E. Coleridge, the CEO. “As we are able to decode thegenetic basis for disease,” says Coleridge, “chiral chemistryadvances will provide the ability to create the molecules needed todevelop new types of target therapies.”Hollingsworth, a professor at Michigan State University, moved thecompany from Michigan to New Jersey to get better access to currentand potential clients. (U.S. 1, May 24, 2000).Synthon is a fine chemicals and custom synthesis company that canproduce high purity chiral intermediates for the pharmaceutical andbiotechnology industries. An estimated 60 to 70 percent of all drugsover the next five years will be chiral, and the chiral chemicalsmarket for pharmaceuticals is expected to exceed $5 billion by 2003.Sarnoff Corporation, 201 Washington Road, CN 5300,Princeton 08543-5300. James E. Carnes, president & CEO. 609-734-2000;fax, 609-734-2040. Home page: www.sarnoff.comSarnoff has announced a new miniature camera that could be inexpensiveenough for the wide use in automotive and surveillance applications.The BLINC digital camera, just one inch square, can be made from themass market CMOS chips that also make cell phones — yet it cantransmit high quality video images under poor light conditions. Itwill be inexpensive, about the price of a computer mouse, and willrequire much less power than its competitors.Sarnoff is looking for partners to form its own company to manufactureCMOS imagers — and possibly the miniature cameras.Medarex (MEDX), 707 State Road, Princeton Gateway,Suite 206, Princeton 08540. Donald L. Drakeman, president.609-430-2880;fax, 609-430-2850. Home page: www.medarex.comNeuro Therapeutics has signed on to use Medarex’s HuMAb-Mousetechnologyto develop fully human antibody therapeutics for central nervoussystemdisorders. Both companies will share equally in the preclinical andclinical development and commercialization of any products thatresult.Privately held, NeuroTherapeutics began at the University of BritishColumbia and is located in Vancouver.NexMed Inc. (NEXM), 350 Corporate Boulevard,Robbinsville08691. Joseph Mo, CEO. 609-208-9688; fax, 609-208-1868. Home page:www.nexmed.comNexMed released Phase I clinical trial data on Femprox cream treatmentfor female sexual arousal disorder. The study of 64 healthy womenin Miami, from ages 21 to 60, showed that Femprox was safe and welltolerated at all doses. Femprox is designed to improve vaginalsecretionsand increase sexual arousal and pleasure during intercourse. PhaseII proof of concept studies will involve 100 patients at 11 sites.A-1 Limousine, 2 Emmons Drive, Princeton08540-9923.Michael Starr, CEO. 609-951-0070; fax, 609-951-9330. Home page:www.a1limo.comA-1 Limousine has bought Elite Limousine, based in Allentown,Pennsylvania.Elite is the largest ground transportation company in the LehighValley,and this will be the third location for A-1. The expansion will add50 more vehicles for a total of 300 limousines, sedans, vans, andmotor coaches. A-1, which also has a dispatch center in Bound Brook,will now go to five airports: Newark, LaGuardia, JFK, Philadelphia,and Lehigh Valley. As a subsidiary, Elite will keep its name,management,and staff.The company was founded by president and CEO Michael Starr in 1964,and started at an Arco gas station located on Route 1.Princeton eCom Corporation, 650 College Road East,Princeton 08540. Curt Welling, CEO. 609-606-3000; fax, 609-606-3297.Home page: www.princetonecom.comNew Century Equity Holdings Corp. and Mellon Ventures led $20 millionin convertible debt financing for the provider of electronic billingand payment services. Other investors were SG Capital Partners (themerchant banking affiliate of Societe Generale), BottomlineTechnologies,Terra Lycos Ventures, and BT Investment Partners.”This is a strong endorsement of Princeton eCom’s business, itsbusiness model, and its prospects by our current investors,” saysCurt Welling, Princeton eCom’s CEO. Welling has also announced a dealto process electronic payments for Pennsylvania-based NCO Group Inc.,the largest provider of accounts receivable collection services inthe world.SimStar Internet Solutions, 1 Airport Place,Princeton08540. David Reim, president. 609-252-9741; fax, 609-252-1425. Homepage: www.simstar.comCatterton Partners has completed a $10 million private equity minorityinvestment in the healthcare E-business solution firm. “Theinvestmentis a validation of Simstar’s historic success and our ability tocontinueto redefine the pharmaceutical E-marketing space,” says DavidReim, president of Simstar. “Unlike many other companies thatreceive outside investment, Simstar has been profitable every yearsince inception. We are using these funds to build on our six yearsof E-pharma innovation and leadership and capitalize on a large marketopportunity.”Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, Catterton Partners works in theconsumerproducts and services space and has invested in FloorGraphics (atVaughn Drive) and Naviant, among others (www.cpequity.com). Simstaroffers strategy, development, and servicing of E-business solutionsfor the pharmaceutical and healthcare industriesT/MAC Inc., 100 Jersey Avenue, Building D-6, NewBrunswick 08901. Marvin Wurtzelman, president. 732-247-0022; fax,732-247-4622. Home page: www.tmacinc.comMarvin Wurtzelman’s technology company has been named regional primecontractor of the year for the region that includes New Jersey, NewYork, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He will receive theaward on Wednesday, May 2, and will enter the national competition.Wurtzelman’s company designs and manufacturers custom radio frequencyand microwave amplifiers. An alumnus of the SBDC incubator on JerseyAvenue, it was named by Deloitte & Touche as one of the 500 fastestgrowing technology companies in the nation.Total Research Corp. (TOTL), 5 Independence Way,Princeton Corporate Center 4th floor, Box 5305, Princeton 08543-5305.Albert A. Angrisani, president and CEO. 609-520-9100; fax,609-987-8839.Home page: www.totalres.comA new product from Total Research, Customer Profitability Management,links customer loyalty and customer profitability by using informationtechnology and economic analysis. With CPM, market research is plannedso that financial analysts will be able to determine the cost andprofitability of customer relationships. “CPM’s economic analysislets senior management know if they do X, then Y will be thereturn,”says James M. Salter, senior vice president of Total Research.Next StoryCorrections or additions?This page is published by PrincetonInfo.com— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.
