A myriad of organizations and companies are contributing to the momentum for Greater Kansas City's emerging life sciences business sector. To add your organization to this list, contact Sharon Newman. Through a spirit of collaboration, the non-profit Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute (KCALSI) serves as the umbrella organization for the Kansas City area life sciences initiative, helping transform the Kansas City area into a center for excellence in life sciences research and development.

LIFE SCIENCES-RELATED COMPANIES

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Affinity Medical Communications combines medical marketing expertise, quality content, and innovative technology to create industry-leading resources for marketing pharmaceuticals and medical education products. More information about Affinity is available at www.affinitymedcom.com.

Benchmark Biolabs, Inc. is a highly specialized organization that provides science-based services to corporate clients interested in the veterinary vaccine field. Veterinary vaccines constitute a $2.5 billion per year market, and companies engaged in the veterinary vaccine industry typically spend 9-14% of revenues on research and product development. Prior to the establishment of Benchmark, organizations that develop, manufacture and market veterinary vaccines were very limited in their options for outsourcing the technically sophisticated studies that are critical for development of new vaccines. Davies and Miller each held senior positions in major, globally competitive veterinary vaccine companies, and each had been frustrated by the dearth of technically skilled service suppliers. Benchmark was founded to fill this gap. Benchmark believes it is now the largest independent contract research organization serving the veterinary vaccine industry. www.benchmarkbiolabs.com

Beta Chem is a Kansas City area company that provides solutions to synthesis problems within the life sciences industry. The company provides lab support to other companies through its C14 synthesis as well as sells products to businesses in the medical field. www.betachem.com

Bishop-McCann is a full-service meeting and event planning company with clients located all over the globe. Drawing from more than 20 years of experience, Bishop-McCann is also a full-service conference planning company that provides comprehensive assistance with program design, registration administration, transportation, site selection, and activities. As a nationwide leader in the meeting/event planning industry, Bishop-McCann enjoys a stellar and hard-earned reputation. www.bishopmccann.com

Burns & Associates is a marketing/research consulting firm dedicated to helping clients assess market opportunities, create competitive product positioning, and formulate and refine winning strategies. Burns & Associates assists in strategic and business planning, creates new product positioning or repositioning of in-line products, develops marketing strategies and tactics, conducts qualitative marketing research to answer key business questions, gains competitive insights, explores market opportunities, and evaluates strategies and tactics. Phone: (913) 345-1180.

Christenberry Collet is an investment banking firm that specializes in mergers and acquisitions, capital sourcing and financial and strategic planning for corporate clients throughout the country and abroad. The Kansas City-based firm has experience and expertise in serving the needs of life sciences companies. www.christenberrycollet.com

Cited in Print offers contract writing services, editing, strategic publications planning, and project management. Areas of specialization include medical, scientific, and technical writing. Phone: (913) 897- 3807. www.citedinprint.com

Clark, Richardson & Biskup Consulting Engineers (CRB), founded in 1984, is one of the leading solutions providers in the life sciences industry, primarily the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and specialty chemical markets. The company has grown to a staff of over 250 in eight production offices: Kansas City , St. Louis , Raleigh , Philadelphia , San Diego , San Jose , Kalamazoo , and Boston . From fast-track, multi-million dollar capital expansions to pilot plants for start-up biotech firms, CRB engineers have consistently contributed innovative ideas and cost-effective designs and services. www.crbusa.com

Copaxone.com is a web site dedicated to multiple sclerosis and MS drug therapies. COPAXONE® is a drug therapy developed by Teva Neuroscience, a subsidiary of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd. Teva Neuroscience offers a total approach to disease management and has established several innovative and effective patient education and advocacy programs, including Copaxone.com. The site was designed and is maintained by Kansas City-based Intouch Solutions, Inc. www.copaxone.com

Cultural Horizons is a global marketing research and consulting firm dedicated to helping companies meet the unique needs of ethnic and international markets through qualitative and quantitative market research, strategic and tactical corporate development, partnership building, and educational programs. http://www.cultural-horizons.com/Phone: (816) 941-7000.

CyCom Solutions, Inc. assists clients with making informed sales and marketing decisions and focuses exclusively on the bio-pharmaceutical industry. Since CyCom has been working in that industry for well over a decade, they are able to develop custom tailored reports and web applications quickly and effectively. Clients have sought CyCom’s expertise to gain actionable information for product launches, marketing planning, and sales performance tracking. www.cycomsolutions.com

Darwin Chambers Company is located in Columbia, Missouri. They specialize in the manufacturing of laboratory incubators, environmental testing chambers, temperature cycling chambers, and stability testing chambers used in the laboratory. www.darwinchambers.com

Delta Consulting, Inc. is currently engaged with a broad cross section of Pharma and Biotechnology clients across the continental . Delta has extensive expertise associated with professional advertising agencies, consumer (DTP/DTC) advertising agencies, public relations firms and medical education companies. Delta specializes in agency search and selection, contract/business analysis and negotiation and ongoing management of business relationships. For more information call (913) 962-6110.

DM Strategies, Inc. is a consulting company with the mission of changing the way diabetes is treated by providing educational, marketing and research strategies and programs at the national level. DM Strategies brings to clients more than two decades of experience in diabetes research and education in both academic and pharmaceutical industry settings. Phone: (913) 362-6968. www.dmstrategiesinc.com

Friskies PetCare was founded in St. Joseph in 1969 and employs over 425 at their two manufacturing facilities. Friskies manufactures cat and dog food in St. Joseph. Friskies PetCare has a national and global presence in the pet food industry. www.friskies.com

Friskies Product Technology Center (PTC) located in St. Joseph in 1990 and employs 114. The St. Joseph campus is located on 134 acres and is the site of research and development for Friskies brand cat and dog food. Friskies PTC houses over 700 cats and 300 dogs. A revolutionary new feeding system was designed to allow the monitoring of individual food intake in a group setting. Friskies monitors how often the animal eats, what quantity and what brands of food the animal chooses. The research results are applied to the production of their pet food products around the world. In addition to the animal research part of the center, the facility also includes a pilot production plant. The pilot production plant custom designs and builds equipment necessary to manufacture the pet food products. Friskies PTC recently expanded its facilities to add new technology that will result in $8 million in investment and over 14 new positions.

GeoAccess, based in Overland Park, Kan., provides software and technology for more than 800 clients across the country, including managed care organizations, large employers, benefits consulting firms and regulatory agencies. In addition to processing over 250 million online directory hits per year, GeoAccess collects and processes more than 30 million provider records each month from hundreds of managed care organizations. www.geoaccess.com

Gift of Life is a nonprofit organization that educates to increase awareness of the urgent need for organ and tissue donation. www.giftdonor.org

Green Line Associates is a consulting services firm created to help clients save money on their laboratory and capital equipment purchases.  Their expert advice and negotiating enables clients to spend less on their equipment needs.  They provide planning/budgeting/sourcing, technical needs/specifications assessment, and other services focused to lower costs. Contact: Green Line Associates LLC, Paul Dominick, Tel: 913.681.6779, www.glallc.com

Heartland Health Non-profit community based health system for Northwest Missouri region that employs 2,600. Recently ranked in the top 100 hospitals for heart and orthopedic specialties in the country. Currently participating in clinical trials involving implantable electrical or drug coated devices designed to improve health of cardiac patients. Trials include cardiac resynchronization therapy, atrial defibrillation, the use of a cutting balloon to help clean heart blockages, and drug-coated heart stents. www.heartland-health.com

HealthComm Solutions, LLC, based in Kansas City, Missouri, specializes in scientific and health care writing services for physicians, researchers, pharmaceutical companies and consumer audiences on topics including cardiology, oncology, neurology, endocrinology and rheumatology, among others. The firm provides written material as well graphic design and printing services. Additional services include web site content development, video or CD/DVD-based educational programs and industry-specific marketing, advertising and business writing. Phone: (816) 363-8771. www.healthcommsolutions.net

HERA provides laboratory programming, master planning, feasibility and architectural design services for leading-edge facilities nationwide. Whether new construction, renovation or expansion, we plan your laboratory with you in mind. Our lab planners listen and understand, making certain your vision becomes reality through optimal design solutions that enhance scientific discovery and productivity. www.herainc.com

Innoventor Engineering Inc., which was named one of the top 50 Technology companies in the St. Louis region in 2002 by the St. Louis Business Journal, also operates an office in Lenexa, Kansas. The company's 60 engineers specialize in the power, aerospace, military/defense, food/beverage, pharmaceutical/medical, agriculture, transportation, and commercial/industrial industries. www.innoventor.net

Innovision, founded in 1995, provides software solutions for the financial services and healthcare industries. Innovision products utilize industry-standard protocols to enable computer systems to share information. CheckUpSoftware.com, a division of Innovision, offers personal health management software for consumers to track their health information. www.innovision.com

IRIS Technologies specializes in innovative HPLC method development software. ChromSword AutoTM helps developing HPLC methods fully automatically and it integrates with Agilent, Waters, and Hitachi LC systems. AutoRobustTM helps the analyst testing the robustness of a method fully automatically once it has been optimized by ChromSword Auto. For more information please visit www.IrisTechnologies.net

Johnson Strategic Communications, Inc. is a corporate communications and investor relations firm with a special focus on the pharmaceutical, biotech and healthcare communities. Based in Overland Park, Kan., Johnson Strategic helps clients with marketing support, financial communications, annual reports, corporate brochures, presentations as well as internal and external communications. www.johnsonstrategic.com

Kelly Scientific Resources (KSR) is the leading scientific and clinical research staffing company in the world. We employ more than 700 clinical research professionals and 4,500 scientists on an average workday in temporary, project and full-time positions in a broad spectrum of industries and disciplines. In addition to contract positions, we also offer a direct hire program which provides highly qualified, prescreened candidates to our customers for permanent employment. KSR has more than 100 locations in North America, Europe and the Pacific Rim. www.kellyscientific.com

Klein & Company is a full-service medical education and communications company for the biopharma and medical device industries. We help companies and product managers build excitement and awareness for their products and therapeutic areas by designing education programs (live, multimedia), creating publications and scientific materials that support products and therapeutic areas, and by providing consulting services that include strategic prelaunch planning, organizational training, and meeting/process/team facilitation. http://www.klein-and-company.com/

KS Whitson Communications is dedicated to helping clinicians, scientists, and healthcare marketers clearly communicate their message through writing and graphic design services focused on science, medicine, and health. Phone: (913) 440-4869 www.kswhitson.com

Labconco Corporation, based in Kansas City, Mo., has over 200 associates and facilities in three manufacturing locations. Of its 16 different product lines, ventilation products comprise its largest. Other products include water purification systems, freeze dry systems, glassware washers, rotary evaporators, multiple sample evaporators, centrifugal concentrators, chloridometers, carts, blood-drawing chairs and desiccators. Labconco distributes its products worldwide through scientific supply dealers. www.labconco.com

MyMedEd, Inc., based in Kansas City, Mo., was formed to build a comprehensive online learning management solution for the healthcare industry. The system allows clinicians, their employers, professional organizations, training providers and regulatory agencies to share information on training and compliance. www.mymeded.com

PGAV Architects has designed and built some of the most significant laboratory and research facilities in the United States. While our focus has historically been a wide range of teaching and research facilities for colleges and universities, we are also in the process of providing architectural services for some of the most notable new research facilities in the country. PGAV is a 40-year-old architectural firm with offices in Westwood, Kansas and St. Louis, Missouri. 913.362.6500 www.pgav.com

PSC Group, LLC is a business solutions and technology services consulting firm that focuses on helping companies throughout the Midwest to solve business technology and infrastructure problems. PSC recently expanded services to include FDA compliance projects for the Life Sciences industry including 21 CFR Part 11. Through our approach of listening first, PSC tailors each engagement to meet our client's specific needs. For more about PSC call (913) 402-4599 ext. 226 or visit our website at www.psclistens.com

Pfizer, Inc., located in Lee's Summit, Mo., operates a pharmaceutical manufacturing compounding facility employing over 200 people. Pfizer Animal Health products, which are sold to veterinarians, livestock producers and horse and pet owners in more than 140 countries, are used to aid more than 30 animal species. http://www.pfizer.com/pfizer/main.jsp

PharmaPayments, Inc. is an Overland Park, Kansas based specialty contract research organization (CRO) that makes and manages investigator grant payments for pharmaceutical and biotechnology sponsors of Phase III-IV clinical trials nationwide. Founded in 2002, PharmaPayments enables clinical sponsors to significantly reduce their grant administration budgets while streamlining their clinical processes and improving their clinical investigator relationships. www.pharmapayments.com

Pinnacle Technology Inc., Lawrence, Kansas, is a new product development company that provides quality engineering and software services to private and government clients. Their specialty is quick turn-around hardware and software design. Core competencies include custom embedded systems, wireless communications, sensor technology, data acquisition and storage, and web enabled devices. Pinnacle has the design expertise to turn ideas into real, marketable products. Pinnacle is active in the SBIR program and is always seeking opportunities to collaborate on new projects. www.pinnaclet.com

Precede Fund, L.C. is a for-profit company that provides royalty- and equity-based funding with the purpose of developing prototype or "near prototype" market-driven products in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The main areas of investment include human and veterinary biomedical research and development directed toward applying knowledge to the production of useful materials, devices and systems or methods. www2.kumc.edu/researchinstitute

Primus Corporation, a Kansas City based medical diagnostic equipment manufacturer, is a leader in the field of In Vitro diagnostic testing. Provider of the most clinically useful A1c (glycohemoglobin) methods and the most comprehensive assay system for the quantitation of hemoglobin variants, Primus offers a full range of instrumentation to serve every need from the physician’s office to the largest reference laboratory. The Primus family of fine products includes Primus reagents, calibrators and controls. www.primusdiagnostics.com

Pulse NeedleFree Systems (Animal) and Felton International, Inc. (Human) based in Lenexa KS , manufactures high performance multi-dose needle-free drug injectors. The Company’s devices address a market need, present in both veterinary and human medical markets, for cost effective means of delivering large numbers of injections quickly and safely. In different configurations, these devices can be used with animals in confinement production operations or with people in mass vaccination operations. The Company’s products are being introduced to these markets at a time when there is intense interest in finding high-efficiency needle-free solutions for drug delivery. The Company introduced its first product to the swine market in July 2002. For more information contact: dowens@pulse-nfs.com

RBC Product Development, headquartered in Lenexa, Kan., is the premier outsource resource for diagnostic and therapeutic medical products. Providing turnkey development, team augmentation and product sustaining/value engineering services, RBC has been the recognized leader in the development of technologically advanced medical devices for more than a decade. www.rbccorp.com

RC Grojean is an independent public relations and communications consulting firm that looks strategically at creating the approach and materials you need to help meet your business objectives. The process starts with careful articulation of client objectives, identification, and insight into targeted audiences, thoughtful consideration of client messages, and the pursuit of flawless implementation. Phone: (913) 239-9500. www.rcgrojean.com

ScriptPro develops and provides state-of-the-art prescription fulfillment solutions for community, ambulatory, and managed care pharmacies. ScriptPro is dedicated to helping pharmacies lower operating costs, reduce dispensing errors and increase customer service. ScriptPro technology reduces manual dispensing tasks, allowing pharmacists to assume more active roles in health care management. www.scriptpro.com

Sebaugh’s Information Services provides statistical consulting and scientific computer programming support to research scientists including:
• Statistical review and analysis of plate-based assay studies, including assay development for the calculation of IC50s and/or use of standard curves.
• Statistical review, design and analysis of experiments involving animal data, including evaluation of sample size and summarization of telemetry data.
• Integration of statistical computations within user friendly applications (such as Excel) for easy use by bench scientists, maximizing their time in the lab.
• Validation of statistical methodology, statistical analyses and presentation of results for research reports or publications (including assay and method validation). sis.stat@centurytel.net (573) 445-0612

SH3 Inc. Foreign Translations; Put SH3, Inc. under a microscope and you'll like what you see the highest quality translation for pharmaceutical and biomedical communications. There are good reasons for this. We have more than 20 years of experience working with pharmaceutical and biomedical companies, as well as clinical research organizations. SH3 has translated countless journal articles, reports, protocols, clinical studies, case report forms,and medical testing instructions, just to name a few. And we ensure accuracy in every translation by using accredited native translators who are highly educated and experienced in translating your area of pharmaceutical, biomedical or other healthcare specialty. www.SH3.com

SutureExpress, based in Lenexa, Kansas , is a medical distributor dealing exclusively in next-day delivery of suture and wound-closure products nationwide. The company provides “Complete Orders Tom orrow” of Suture, Endo-surgical, and other wound-closure products manufactured by J&J/Ethicon, Tyco/Syneture/Autosuture and Aesculap. Since beginning service to the healthcare industry in 1998, SutureExpress has become the #1 distributor of wound closure in the United States. www.SutureExpress.com

Thomas McGee, L.C., is a full-service insurance agency that has designed custom commercial insurance programs for almost 100 years. Headquartered in downtown Kansas City, the agency shows its commitment to life science and biotechnology companies by creating customized insurance programs to address the industry’s unique risks and exposures. Through its science and manufacturing insurance specialist -- Brandon Hanna -- Thomas McGee, L.C. provides specialized coverage in areas such as property, products liability, research and development, trial errors and omissions (“E&O”), and directors and officers (“D&O”) coverage. Whether you are a small start-up company or a large business with a rich history, contact Brandon Hanna to learn how Thomas McGee can partner with you. The biotech industry does not have to be the risky business everyone labels it. Contact Brandon at (816) 843-4643 (or bhanna@thomasmcgee.com) to handle your company’s insurance risks. www.thomasmcgee.com

UMKC Drug Information Center integrates information search and retrieval skills with critical literature evaluation to provide health- and medication-related information to both healthcare professionals and consumers in the community. The Center also offers a variety of contractual services including formulary management, Drug Use Evaluations, treatment algorithm development, call-center services, and e-commerce content development. As well as contributing to the daily functioning of the Center, DIC staff members, including faculty, fellows, and residents, participate in a variety of educational and research activities on such topics as pharmacy, nursing, and allied health. http://dic.umkc.edu

Vedco Wholesale veterinary distributor, which started in St. Joseph because of the strong animal pharmaceutical-manufacturing base. Vedco recently constructed a new 40,000 square feet facility and employs 20. www.vedco.com/index.html