Faced with a recent slowdown in much of the contract research organization (CRO) industry, Ricerca Biosciences LLC has tweaked its focus to solidify its future. The Concord Township, Ohio-based company has shaken up its client base to include more pharmaceutical firms and is growing its Asian operations to take advantage of the increasingly lucrative market.

Contract drug-development organization Ricerca Biosciences LLC is offering a new service that compares drug candidates to a large reference set of pharmacologically active compounds.The new service, called Foresight, helps predict in vivo effects from in vitro drug data and provides insight into additional compound activities, according to a statement from Concord Township, Ohio-based [...]

Contract drug development organization Ricerca Biosciences LLC has completed its acquisition of the discovery and preclinical business of MDS Pharma Services, more than doubling its workforce and multiplying its global capabilities.Ricerca in Concord Township, Ohio, paid $35 million, less normal working capital and a two-year capital expenditure reserve, according to Ian Lennox, Ricerca’s chairman and [...]

Contract drug development organization Ricerca Biosciences LLC has agreed to acquire the discovery and preclinical business of MDS Pharma Services for $35 million less working capital and cap-ex reserve.

MedWish International still is collecting medical supplies for victims of the Haitian earthquake while Ohio doctors, nurses and other medical professionals volunteer to help.

Two trends helped give Ohio a seat at the bioscience leaders table last year: Big drug companies farmed out more of their research and manufacturing work — to contract research and manufacturing organizations in the state. And a record number of biomedical companies started up or moved to the state, primarily in Northeast Ohio.

Biomedical companies with compelling technologies could win millions of dollars in investments this year despite the worst gloom in financial markets since the Great Depression.