College Road East, Princeton Forrestal Center, Princeton 08540. Mark

E. Swanson, vice president transgenic sciences. 609-520-0300; fax,

609-520-9864.

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Imaging Start Up

A virtual instrument can replace the real thing, says

Michael Hinds, CEO of the United States division of a two-year-old

French company, Cell S.A, which has just opened a Princeton office.

Founded by Marc Lucas and Francis Lacoste, Cell S.A. has such virtual

instruments as a digital sampling oscilloscope, a logic analyzer,

and a combination of the two. The average selling price is $2,000

or $2,500.

Cell’s competition consists of the "real thing" (made by such

companies as Hewlett Packard, Tectronics, and LeCroy) and companies

that sell PCs dedicated to the instrument. "They take over the

PC and that is all the PC will do," says Hinds.

"Our small module connects to the PC and the electronic instrument.

It collects the data: it doesn’t display it, and doesn’t analyze it,

which makes it a lot cheaper and makes the instrument a lot more virtual,"

says Hinds. He notes that his module can be connected to a laptop,

so a field engineer can test an instrument in the field with a laptop,

do all kinds of analytical work, do reporting, and network the data

through the PC in the office.

Hinds will officially launch his firm on April 2 and will try to keep

it as a virtual company, subcontracting manufacturing to United States

firms because electronic components are less expensive in the United

States. Also to be subcontracted are technical support (software)

and sales, but Cell will continue to the R&D and some manufacturing

in France.

Hinds speaks four languages. His father worked for Texaco as a tool

and die maker in Venezuela and Trinidad, and he attended parochial

schools in South America before majoring in classics and science at

Cambridge University and the University of Bordeaux (Class of ’69).

With master’s and doctor’s degrees in economics from the University

of Paris, he has made a career in the medical and diagnostic medical

industry, doing product development for GE Medical in Germany and

diagnostic imaging for Picker International in Ohio.

He has been general manager of Picker’s MRI division. "After setting

up a new division in Europe in 1991, I got a fantastic offer from

Cytogen to be vice president of marketing and sales in 1995, says

Hinds. He left Cytogen a couple of years ago and did consulting until

friends from his University of Paris days asked him to work for Cell.

208, Princeton 08540. Michael Hinds, CEO. 609-419-4401; fax, 609-452-0909.

Home page: http://www.cellinc.com.

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Biotech Moves

Box 2197, Princeton 08543-2197. Dale R. Pfost, chairman and CEO. 609-750-2200;

fax, 609-750-2250. Home page: http://www.orchidbio.com.

Orchid Biocomputer will open a multi-phased high throughput lab to

analyze what the relationship is between single nucleotide polymorphisms

(SNPs) to disease and drug response. Though located in Baltimore now,

Orchid’s SNP scoring lab will be integrated into its 31,000 square

foot laboratory being prepared at 303 College Road East.

"By scoring SNPs at very high throughputs, we will determine which

drug, or drug candidate, will work best in an individual — the

underpinning of pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics," says Dale

R. Pfost, president and chief executive officer of Orchid.

Also just announced are the inaugural member institutions of network

that will provide clinical samples for Orchid to "score."

They include the University of Cincinnati and the University of Pennsylvania

Health Systems.

Founded in 1995 and incubated at Sarnoff Corporation, Orchid aims

to leverage the same technologies used to design computer chips to

develop and commercialize micro-fabricated systems for chemistry and

the biosciences.

Center, Suite 100, Princeton 08540. Edward Quilty, president, CEO

and chairman. 609-520-1911; fax, 609-452-0880.

The development-stage medical technology company has entered Phase

2 studies on its second LeuTech product line, for the diagnosis of

bone infections known as osteomyelitis. The first LeuTech product

line, for diagnosing thoracic and abdominal infections such as equivocal

appendicitis, is nearing the end of its Phase 3 clinical trials, with

anticipated enrollment of 200 patients at 10 sites.

The initiation of the Phase 2 study of LeuTech for osteomyelitis is

a major step in fully developing LeuTech’s potential for multiple

applications, says Charles Putnam, executive vice president. "LeuTech

also has the potential to make a significant impact in healthcare

cost containment, since current tests that LeuTech is designed to

replace are cumbersome, costly, time-consuming, and may require hospitalization."

LeuTech can be administered in one hour or less, and does not require

blood handling by staff.

Plainsboro 08536. Steve Forrester, president. 800-246-0033; fax,

609-897-0289. Home page: http://www.biotrace.com.

The medical research company has signed an agreement with Heineken

Technical Services, following research and development work over the

last three months, for the development of Biotrace’s single shot hygiene/contamination

tests, Clean-Trace and Aqua-Trace, for beer testing.

Biotrace provides Rapid Cleanliness Testing systems based on ATP Bioluminescence

technology. The process is used to detect microbial contaminations

in the manufacturing of cosmetics, food, and pharmaceuticals.

Cedar Brook Corporate Center, Cranbury 08512. Robert A. Feinberg,

CEO. 609-409-9010; fax, 609-409-1650. Home page: http://www.hydromed.com.

Hydro Med Sciences has entered into exclusive licensing and manufacturing/supply

agreements with Eatontown-based Roberts Pharmaceutical Corporation.

The agreements pertain to a Roberts’ LHRH therapeutic and represent

Hydro Med’s first commercial collaboration for its Hydron Implant

— a proprietary subcutaneous hydrogel retrievable device that

can deliver a broad spectrum of therapeutic compounds at controlled,

constant release rates for up to one year and longer.

"We are excited to announce our first corporate partner for the

combination of our long-term Hydron Implant with a therapeutic active,"

says Robert Feinberg, president of the drug delivery company that

designs, develops, and manufactures a broad range of polymer-based

products. It is a division of GP Strategy Corporation.

Princeton Forrestal Center, Princeton 08540-6619. Charles A. Baker,

chairman and CEO. 609-452-7060; fax, 609-452-1890. Home page: http://www.lipo.com.

Wyeth-Ayerst International, a subsidiary of American Home Products

will assume marketing responsibilities for the sale of Liposome’s

Abelcet in the United Kingdom. Marketed in the United States and 22

other countries, Abelcet is used in the treatment of severe, systemic

fungal infections in patients who are refractory to or intolerant

of conventional therapy and is the leading lipid-based formulation

of amphotericin B in the U.S.

"We expect this marketing agreement to increase our profitability

and add to shareholder value," says Charles Baker, chairman and

CEO of Liposome, which trades on Nasdaq as LIPO.

"Wyeth-Ayerst has a large sales force in the UK and will provide

improved access to the UK market for Abelcet. In addition, we will

realize significant cost savings from the transfer of selling activities

to Wyeth-Ayerst," he says.

The two companies currently have marketing agreements that cover France,

Italy, Greece, Austria, and the Nordic countries. Liposome is a biopharmaceutical

company developing, manufacturing, and marketing therapeutic products

to treat cancer and related diseases.

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New in Town

Suite 201, Lawrenceville 08648. Sachin Tikekar, general manager. 609-912-0666;

fax, 609-912-0059. Home page: http://www.kpit.com.

The software solutions firm has a headquarters in Pune, India, plus

offices in the United Kingdom and the Gulf. Its first office in the

U.S. has only two people now but will be bringing in 30 to 40 people

in the next few months.

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Expansions

Michael Starr, president and CEO. 609-951-0070; fax, 609-951-9330.

Home page: http://www.a1limo.com.

The ground transportation company has expanded its headquarters in

Princeton by moving the sales and marketing departments to a location

across the street, increasing the customer service staff by 60 percent

increase, and acquiring a new telephone system.

The expansion includes the installation of a Sun 5000 computer mainframe,

which will support A-1’s integrated mobile data communication system

with mobile data terminals and global positioning receivers. Steve

Pitel, vice president of sales and marketing, says that the communicators

will provide constant accessibility of the drivers along with accurate

dispatch.

With locations in Princeton and Bound Brook, A-1 Limousine is "the

largest full-service ground transportation company in New Jersey and

the fourth largest in the nation," says Pitel. The company operates

a fleet of 260-plus late model luxury sedans, limousines, vans, and

motor coaches.

08540. Lisa A. Mosso, project director. 609-252-1776; fax, 609-252-1787.

The previously home-based events planning company has moved to its

new location at 436 Wall Street. "Right now we only do medical

meetings but we are looking to grow and branch out in the future,"

says Lisa Mosso, project director. "We would like to move into

entertainment and production and organize more `showy’ events."

Her father, Gus Mosso, founded the company in 1990. "He was creative

services director for Squibb and planned meetings for them. I trained

under my father." Mosso majored in communications and theater

at Trenton State College, Class of 1984. After a brief shot at theater,

she decided to join her father in the business.

The company is presently involved with organizing oncology meetings

for Bristol Myers Squibb. "Pharmaceutical companies have meetings

at certain times of the year and they do not need to keep in-house

people for that," says Mosso. "Large pharmaceutical companies

are looking for smaller companies like mine to organize their events

for them."

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Name Changes

Junction 08852. Kim Frazee, administrator. 732-274-1122; fax, 732-274-1991.

This skilled nursing facility was formerly known as Deer Park Nursing

and Rehabilitation Center. The 96-bed facility offers rehabilitation

therapy and nursing care

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Electronic Contracts

College Road East, Princeton 08540. Tom Evslin, CEO. 609-419-1500;

fax, 609-419-1511. Home page: http://www.itxc.com.

The Internet telephony company has closed a $15 million second round

of venture capital financing. Investors include Chase Capital Partners,

Flatiron Partners, Intel, Polaris Ltd., Spectrum Equity Investors,

and VocalTec Communications, all of whom also invested in ITXC’s first

round.

John G. Musci, former senior vice president of wholesale markets at

Qwest Communication Corporation of Denver, Colorado, has joined ITXC

as chief operating officer, and executive vice president.

08638. Bruce Ruhf, president. 609-883-3150; fax, 609-883-9250. URL:

http://www.magspecinc.com.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is guaranteeing 50 percent

of a $200,000 Summit Bank loan through its Technology Funding Program

to further develop Magnetic Specialties’ proprietary new product.

The company designs and fabricates components that sense and control

electrical energy. The product, FCS-2000, provides furnace end users

with a safer, more efficient way of powering industrial electric resistance

furnaces at a lower cost.

Road, Princeton Junction 08550. Edwin E. Mier, president, CEO. 609-275-7311;

fax, 609-275-8813. Home page: http://www.mier.com.

MierComm has been named as the pioneer test lab for Voice-over-IP

vendors seeking iNOW! certification of their product’s interoperability.

The company pioneered the development of Voice-over-IP testing methodologies

and is preparing a test environmnt that will certify that iNOW! compliant

products do interoperate.

08540. Boris Fridman, president. 609-734-0300; fax, 609-734-0346.

Home page: http://www.nettechrf.com.

BellSouth, one of the Baby Bell regional telephone companies, will

be using Nettech software as part of a computer upgrade for Bell’s

15,000 service technicians. The company’s software can send and receive

data over a wide variety of wireless networks, such as those used

for cellular telephones or by satellites.

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Deaths

Transmission on Route 33.

manager for Strategic Technology Systems, formerly Base Ten.

Kepner-Tregoe.

at Harry Ballot clothing store on Nassau Street.

professor at Mercer County College, he worked for Starr Transit and

American Limousine.

Corrections or additions?

— the web site for U.S. 1 Newspaper in Princeton, New Jersey.