MP Biomedicals buys NZ’s ICPBio

California’s MP Biomedicals has acquired the assets of Auckland-based protein biologics manufacturing company ICPbio.

ICPbio uses a chromatographic extraction designed to ensure high levels of purity, complete proteins and processes resulting in a more natural product than is typical with conventional precipitation methods of manufacture, MP Biomedicals said. The technology also delivers a high level of process control and product consistency.

MP Biomedicals CEO Milan Panic said that the deal paved the way for the company to begin marketing serum protein products used in research and manufacturing in the biopharmaceutical, In vitro diagnostic and Biotech sectors.

“We feel that this world class protein separation platform provides the manufacturing organization resources needed for MP Biomedicals to more fully serve customer demands for quality, low-risk serum protein materials collected and produced in the pristine environment of New Zealand,” he said.

A controversial figure in the American business community, Panic was formerly the prime minister of Yugoslavia (1992-1993). In 1992 he ran for president of Serbia but lost to Slobodan Milošević.

During the 1950s Panic founded ICN Pharmaceuticals which grew to have sales of around $US672 million by 1997, when he was forced to resign after a littany of sexual harassment scandals which cost the company millions to settle.

Some time later bought a subsidiary of ICN Pharmaceuticals which subsequently became MP Biomedicals. Today the company manufactures and sells more than 55,000 products spanning the life science and fine chemical industries.