News

AvidXchange to Expand in Charlotte, adding 603 Jobs and New HQ Building

AvidXchange, which specializes in automated invoice and bill payment processes, will create 603 jobs in Charlotte in addition to the 200 jobs currently at its local headquarters.

Gov. Pat McCrory made the announcement this morning at the Charlotte Chamber.

“AvidXchange is one of North Carolina’s great homegrown success stories,” McCrory said. “Over the past 14 years, the company has gone from being run from the founder’s basement to one of the top businesses in its industry. It is another great example of the business opportunity North Carolina offers.”

AvidXchange plans to build a 115,000-square-foot headquarters at the N.C. Music Factory in uptown.

The N.C. Department of Commerce says the company plans to create 603 jobs in Mecklenburg County by the end of 2018 and invest more than $21.4 million. AvidXchange has more than 300 full-time employees in North Carolina, New Jersey and Georgia.

Under the terms of the company’s state Job Development Investment Grant award, AvidXchange is eligible to receive up to 12 annual grants equal to 48 percent of the state personal income tax withholdings from the eligible new jobs created. Receipt of each annual grant is based on state-certified proof that the company has fulfilled incremental job creation requirements. Over 12 years, the JDIG award could yield total benefits to AvidXchange of over $7.5 million.

New positions will include software development and engineering, finance, human resources, legal, research and development, and project management. The average wage for these positions will be approximately $52,000 annually.

“AvidXchange is deeply rooted in the Queen City, and as we continue to prosper, it is important for us to grow and contribute to the city that has supported us from our days as a small startup to the Inc. 5000’s 20th fastest-growing company in the Charlotte metropolitan area,” said Michael Praeger, CEO of AvidXchange. “We are thrilled to announce that Charlotte will be the headquarters for our new and expanding corporate campus and are excited about the hundreds of technology jobs and world-class talent that we will bring to the city. It is my hope that we can help Charlotte become a leader of innovation much like Silicon Valley.”

AvidXchange focuses on accounts payable automation software for the middle-market. For the fourth consecutive year, the company was included in Inc. magazine’s Inc. 5000, ranking as the No. 197 fastest-growing software company in the U.S. in 2014. AvidXchange was the No. 20 fastest-growing company in the Charlotte area.

“AvidXchange’s phenomenal growth in a relatively short period of time is a testament to what the company and the Charlotte business community have to offer. What’s more, the direct and indirect impact felt to our local economy as a result of the more than 600 jobs created will be significant,” said Bob Morgan, Charlotte Chamber president and CEO.

Louis Stephens of Jones Lang LaSalle is representing AvidXchange in its real estate transaction, which is yet to be completed.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Piedmont Pharmaceuticals Announces New Chairman of the Board

Industry veteran Dennis Steadman elected chairman and member of the Piedmont Pharmaceuticals Board of Directors

Greensboro, N.C. (PRWEB) July 15, 2014

Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, LLC, an innovative specialty pharmaceutical company focused on animal health and human therapeutics, today announced its Board of Directors and shareholders have elected industry veteran Dennis Steadman chairman and member of the Board of Directors effective immediately.

“There is no better person than Dennis Steadman to help Piedmont Pharmaceuticals as we transition the company to a fully integrated research and development, marketing and sales pet health business,” said Roland Johnson, founder, CEO and member of the Board of Directors of Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, LLC. “His strategic vision, combined with operational experience ranging from capital funding and product development, to building and leading commercial organizations is exactly what Piedmont Pharmaceuticals needs as the company enters its next phase of growth.”

Steadman, an experienced animal health executive was the founder and CEO of Velcera, Inc., a pet health company acquired in 2013 by Perrigo Company. Prior to Velcera, he held executive and consulting positions for more than 35 years, including Vice President, North American Operations and Global Management Committee Member with Merial Ltd., a leading global animal health company, multiple domestic, international and global executive positions with Merck animal health, and more than a decade with a consulting subsidiary of Chase Manhattan Bank. Steadman holds a master’s degree in Agricultural Economics and a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Pennsylvania State University and has completed the Executive Program in Finance at the Harvard Business School.

“Piedmont has one of the largest and most impressive pet prescription product portfolios in the industry today including the first of its kind soft chew pet drug delivery platform,” said Dennis Steadman. “Piedmont has now built itself to the brink of breakthrough value and material industry impact and I look forward to helping accelerate the company’s success.”

About Soft Chew Formulation

In 2013, the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine approved Piedmont Pharmaceuticals’ invention of a canine soft chew formulation containing a veterinary medicine. The flavored soft chew formulation contains carprofen and is labeled for the relief of pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and the control of post-operative pain in dogs. It is the first and only flavored, soft and chewable medicine in the pain category. The soft chew formulation provides pet owners with a convenient and friendly way to medicate dogs.

About Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, LLC

Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, LLC, is a strategic development and licensing company focused on animal health and human therapeutics with specific expertise in parasitology and drug delivery systems. For more information visit http://www.piedmontpharma.com.

Source: PRWeb

PAN, Triad investors pile $800K into Guerrilla RF

A startup wireless infrastructure company based in Greensboro will use about $800,000 in new angel investor funds to get its technology to the production stage, according to officials with the Piedmont Angel Network.

PAN led the investment round into Guerrilla RF with about $200,000 from its members, according to Fund Executive Andy Dreyfuss. Other private investors, mostly from Greensboro but not part of PAN, also took part in the funding, he said.

Guerrilla RF was founded in 2013 by Ryan Pratt, an experienced radio frequency engineer whose résumé includes RF Micro Devices (NASDAQ: RFMD) and Skyworks Solutions (NASDAQ: SWKS) and whose initial financial backers included William Pratt, his father and one of the co-founders of RFMD. Guerrilla RF also won a $50,000 prize last year in the NC IDEA entrepreneurship contest.

The company’s semiconductors are designed to be used in what are called “small cells” or “carrier-class WiFi,” a relatively new approach to mobile data transmission that allows carriers like Verizon and AT&T to increase network capacity using a large number of very small network access points, and without building new big cell towers.

The proliferation of mobile devices is going to drive demand for products like those developed by Guerrilla RF, Dreyfuss said, and that was attractive to the investors.

“What Ryan’s chips do is enable less noise and more isolation – it means the boxes are more powerful and can distribute and receive calls from further distances, so fewer are needed,” Dreyfuss said. “The trends on data usage are through the roof, and Ryan’s technology is both a cost saver and a better technology.”

Ryan Pratt was not available to comment, but Dreyfuss said the company has made good use of its resources so far to start building its management team and demonstrate its technology. The company recently had its first design “win” with a company in Texas, he said, and it will use the new investor funds to pursue more.

The $800,000 will fund “nine months to a year, then they’ll need more capital when they get into production,” Dreyfuss said. “The key now is to get four or five or six companies to say ‘these chips are really good, they’re better technically and they’ll save us money.’”

Source: Triad Business Journal

Cytomedix Announces Receipt of USPTO Allowance for Patent Covering Use of ALDH Bright Cells in Stroke

Represents First Allowed IP Claims in Stroke Indication

GAITHERSBURG, Md., April 3, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cytomedix, Inc. (CMXI), a leading developer of biologically active regenerative therapies, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Aldagen, Inc., announced today the receipt of a notice of allowance for U.S. divisional patent application 12/966,401 with claims covering methods of use of ALDH bright cells in the treatment of neurological damage arising from an ischemic stroke.

The divisional application under the title Stem Cell Populations and Methods of Use was filed in December 2010. When issued upon the payment of applicable fees, the patent covering such methods will be an Aldagen and bright cell related patent that specifically covers an ischemic stroke indication. More specifically, the claims set covers methods of using a cell population of ALDH bright cells to ameliorate neural damage or degeneration while promoting neural cell regrowth. In addition to this allowed patent, Cytomedix’s wholly owned subsidiary, Aldagen, presently owns or has licenses to six issued U.S. patents and six issued and one allowed patent in international jurisdictions covering methods of isolating bright cells, chemical composition of the reagent used in isolating bright cells and the composition of the bright cell population.

Martin Rosendale, Chief Executive Officer of Cytomedix, commented, “The USPTO allowance for this patent in a stroke indication is a positive development as we await top line data from the RECOVER Stroke study expected next month. We anticipate initial safety and efficacy data will be available in May and the monitoring and final data collection activities are proceeding as expected. Strong intellectual property protection is a critical component in all clinical development efforts and we believe the Aldagen IP estate is a valuable asset that can be exploited if the biological and therapeutic potential of the bright cell technology demonstrates clinically meaningful benefits.”

About ALDH Bright Cells

ALDH Bright Cells are a population of autologous stem cells isolated from the patient’s bone marrow using Cytomedix’ proprietary Bright Cell technology. These adult stem cells express high levels of the intracellular enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), an indicator of biological activity in heterogeneous early stage stem cells. Preclinical research suggests that ALDH Bright Cells may promote the repair of ischemic tissue damage by producing signaling molecules that are involved in cell homing, angiogenesis and neurogenesis. ALD-401 has shown improvements in motor function, in mitigation of the decrease in brain volume, the reversal of decline in stroke-induced cell viability, and improved blood flow in the brain in ischemic stroke animal models.

The RECOVER Stroke Trial is a double-blind, multi-center, placebo-controlled trial designed to assess the safety and efficacy of ALD-401 to improve clinical outcomes in patients with unilateral, cerebral ischemic stroke with an NIH (National Institute of Health) stroke scale score of less than 22 when administered between 13 and 19 days post the ischemic event. The primary endpoint of the study is safety and the primary efficacy endpoint is neural function based on the modified Rankin Scale assessed at three months following treatment. Strokes remain one of the leading causes of long-term disability. With the majority of strokes occurring in patients 65 years and older, it is also a major financial burden for our healthcare system.

About Cytomedix

Cytomedix, Inc. is an autologous regenerative therapies company commercializing innovative platelet technologies for wound care. The Company markets the AutoloGel(TM) System, a device for the production of autologous platelet rich plasma (“PRP”) gel for use on a variety of exuding wounds. For additional information please visit cytomedix.com.

PTP Next Business Competition Open for 2014 Applications

Online applications for the 2014 PTP Next Business Competition are open until March 2nd through the PTP Next website (www.ptpnext.com). The competition is open to innovation-based entrepreneurial companies that are headquartered in the Piedmont Triad region and have unique products, processes and/or technologies that address large, growing markets with a scalable business model.

Grants are highly competitive and are awarded based on identifying specific business activities that can move the business through an important hurdle or next step. Details on eligibility and qualifications are available on the PTP Next website. PTP Next grants usually range from $10,000 to $20,000 with the exact amount based on a collaborative determination of the best use of grant funds.

“Our region has a strong entrepreneurial base, and we are focused on fostering growth of innovation-based companies,” said David Powell, president and CEO of the Piedmont Triad Partnership. “As a leadership organization, we are sponsoring PTP Next to accelerate a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and economic engagement. The response to our previous competitions proved our region has momentum.”

Two companies were selected in the first PTP Next competition held in 2011. RFMED Solutions, a provider of wireless patient monitoring systems for the health care facilities market, received a $25,000 grant for market and customer validation research. Innovative Applied Solutions, creator of new technologies that allow developers and engineers to comply with increasingly expensive environmental regulations, received $20,000 to patent its first product and to accelerate its sales program.

Arctic, Inc. was awarded a $20,000 grant in the 2012 competition. Arctic’s first product, the Frostbite Natural Control System, uses carbon dioxide frost to control weeds for use by consumers, professional turf managers, golf courses, and sports fields.

“Our PTP Next grant is ensuring that we’ve got patent protection locked down in some key non-U.S. nations, many of whose environmental regulations create ready markets for our product. We’re only six months into our grant, but we’ve made big strides in building out our supply chain and distribution systems,” said Arctic CEO Gina Stewart. “We’ve also gained exposure to some new potential investors.”

PTP Next is working closely with many Piedmont Triad and state economic development programs, academic and research organizations and foundations, both to identify potential grant recipients and to provide technical support and networking opportunities for interested entrepreneurs. Current partners include the Angell Center for Entrepreneurship at Wake Forest University, Anomaly Squared, Bell Foundation, Datamax Foundation, Elon University School of Law, Gateway University Research Park, Greensboro Partnership Entrepreneurship Initiative, High Point University, Lincoln Financial Foundation, NC A& T, NC Entrepreneurship Center at UNCG, NC SBTDC, Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship, Piedmont Angel Network, Shamrock Corporation, Wake Forest Innovations, Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and Winston-Salem State University.

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About PTP Next

PTP Next is a volunteer organization where young business leaders, entrepreneurs and investors combine their efforts to support the Triad’s entrepreneurial community and fuel its future economic vitality. The PTP Next Business Competition is a Triad-wide entrepreneurial funding competition launched in 2011. Over the past three years, PTP Next has awarded approximately $100,000 to five start-up companies across the Triad.

About the Piedmont Triad Partnership

The Piedmont Triad Partnership is a private, nonprofit, economic development organization that works to leverage the identity, resources and future of the Piedmont Triad Region as a world-class business location. The Piedmont Triad, the nation’s 37th-largest metro region with more than 1.6 million residents, includes the counties of Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin.

AvidXchange Wins 2013 NCTA 21 Award

Raleigh, NC (November 8, 2013) – AvidXchange, leading provider of AP and payment automation solutions to the mid-size market,  is proud to announce their selection as the 2013 winner of the Top Mid-Size Company Technology Award at the NCTA 21 Awards. AvidXchange had some strong competition with other finalists such as LendingTree, SciQuest, Varrow, Internetwork Engineering, Varrow, and WebAssign. Winners were recognized at the annual awards gala on Thursday, November 7, at the Sheraton Imperial in Durham, N.C., presented in conjunction with title sponsor Grant Thornton.  This year’s event was attended by another impressive crowd of nearly 800 leaders from across the state.

Since 1995, the NCTA 21 Awards has honored excellence and innovation throughout North Carolina, representing the best and brightest,” said Brooks Raiford, President and CEO of NCTA.  “As a winner, AvidXchange has distinguished itself as one of the state’s technology leaders and we are proud to recognize them as a winner of the Top Mid-Size Company Technology Award.”

The NCTA 21 Awards is North Carolina’s only statewide technology awards program, recognizing companies and individuals who have characterized excellence, innovation and leadership in 21 categories.  AvidXchange was selected as finalists for four different awards, and was proud to take home the Top Mid-Size Company Technology Award. AvidXchange has added more than 100 new clients to their base this year, and continues to maintain clients at an impressive 97% retention rate. AvidXchange continues to invest in resources to support this growth and has an aggressive hiring goal for 2014. They plan to add more than 100 new positions next year to facilitate a great client experience, and to focus on what AvidXchange will do next to revolutionize the way mid-size companies pay their bills.

“Being recognized by the North Carolina Technology Association as the Top Mid-Size Technology Company is an honor, and a real testament to the work of our team at AvidXchange,” commented Michael Praeger, CEO and Co-Founder of AvidXchange. “AvidXchange is constantly focused on innovation to deliver new technologies to revolutionize the way mid-size companies pay their bills, and create efficiencies that enable these companies to spend time on high-value tasks while reducing operating costs,” added Praeger.

About NCTA

The North Carolina Technology Association (NCTA) is the statewide membership association for the tech sector.  Because technology is integral to any enterprise regardless of size or function, NCTA membership is open to all companies, organizations and institutions.  NCTA serves organizations and their people through evesnts, advocacy, virtual networks and resources.  For more information, visit our website at www.nctechnology.org.

About AvidXchange

AvidXchange revolutionizes the way companies pay their bills. Accounts Payable automation increases control and visibility into the bill payment process to reduce processing time, allow early payment discounts and eliminate late fees. Automation eliminates paper by electronically capturing invoices, using intelligent business rules to route invoices for approval and storing all information electronically providing anytime, anywhere access to invoice status and history. AvidXchange makes it easy to automate and backs this great customer experience with a 45-day implementation guarantee. As the first SaaS technology vendor to automate invoice processing, AvidXchange works with suppliers to electronically send and receive all invoices through the AvidBill Network. Standard integration to more than 40 accounting systems speeds adoption and simplifies setup. AvidInvoice significantly reduces operating costs and improves productivity in a company’s accounts payable department. AvidPay eliminates 100% of paper checks from company’s payment processes, maintains vendor information and payment preferences, and facilitates payments for every invoice, every vendor, and every bank. Headquartered in Charlotte North Carolina, AvidXchange is privately held with over 200 employees nationwide. Contact us at 800.560.9305/ info@AvidXchange.com

Phthisis Diagnostics Acquired by Microbiologics

Phthisis Technology to be Foundation for New Division

Charlottesville, VA – October 22, 2013 – Phthisis Diagnostics has announced its acquisition by Microbiologics, a St. Cloud, Minnesota-based company.  Phthisis’ innovative, patented G-Sphere® molecular standards product line will be the foundation for Microbiologics’ launch into molecular products and a new division it is forming for this fresh direction.  G-Sphere® standards are synthetic genes that provide safe, stable, consistent, and abundant controls for virtually any organism or molecular assay.

Crystal Icenhour, PhD, President and Chief Science Officer at Phthisis since 2006, along with her research team, created this new technology.  She observed, “We were pleased that Microbiologics approached us with an interest in complementing their existing product offerings with our molecular standards line.  It is an ideal fit since both companies have focused on high quality and easy to use products.  We introduced this product line about a year ago to provide much needed quality control standards to molecular laboratories.  I am pleased that this longer established company will have the structure to take these products much further than our smaller company could have.”

Brad Goskowicz, Microbiologics Chief Executive Officer, commented, “These innovative molecular standards will lay the foundation for Microbiologics to design and launch a broad collection of molecular products and custom services.  It will expand our range of biomaterials to include viruses and other hard to grow microorganisms.”  Currently, Microbiologics produces an array of lyophilized (freeze-dried) microorganism products in convenient, ready-to-use formats for quality control of microbiological testing.

Dr. Icenhour has been recognized with industry awards for her scientific innovation and entrepreneurship. She is an adjunct assistant professor at Duke University Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases in their Department of Medicine.  In addition to authoring and co-authoring numerous publications, she has been a prolific speaker and presenter at scientific conferences and served on review panels for the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants.  She has been a leader in several professional organizations at the national, regional, and local level.  She will serve as an advisor with Microbiologics during the adoption of Phthisis’ technology and development of their new division.

Microbiologics is adding Brian Beck, PhD to its senior management team as Vice President of Molecular Products and Services. Dr. Beck holds a doctorate in Bacteriology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has spent the last ten years at ATCC in Manassas, Virginia where he managed the Microbiology Collection and Associated BioServices. “I’m quite excited to extend what Microbiologics has done with their culture business and bring that same practical, user-friendly format to the molecular diagnostic business,” Beck said.

Molecular diagnostic methods have been increasingly used in recent years to improve the sensitivity and speed of diagnosis in infectious diseases.  Initially, their use was limited to detection of pathogens that are difficult to culture in vitro¸ but they are now widely used for epidemiological fingerprinting of isolates of public health importance and clinical laboratories are increasingly using them to diagnose genetic and infectious disease.  Faster, more accurate diagnosis allows for better patient outcomes and potential for significant cost savings in the health care system.

To commence their new initiative in molecular products, Microbiologics will be exhibiting at the upcoming Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP) 2013 Annual Meeting from November 14-16, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. Visit them at booth # 231 to learn more.

About Phthisis Diagnostics

Phthisis (TYE-sis) Diagnostics has based its rapid growth on its Simply Molecular® line of innovative molecular products designed for speed, accuracy, and ease of use.  In addition to its burgeoning molecular standards, Phthisis developed enzyme-based extraction kits for rapid sample preparation in laboratories.  The company has also developed molecular diagnostic assays to detect intestinal pathogens associated with diarrheal disease.  For more information, visit www.phthisisdiagnostics.com.

About Microbiologics

Microbiologics manufactures cost‐effective, reliable, and easy-to-use microorganism preparations for quality control testing in microbiology laboratories across multiple disciplines including clinical, food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic, medical device, water and environmental. Microbiologics is an FDA-registered establishment and has received ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certifications, as well as ISO 17025 and ISO Guide 34 accreditations. Currently, Microbiologics has an international distribution network of over 140 companies throughout the world. Learn more at www.microbiologics.com.

Entigral Announces Series A Financing Led by Piedmont Angel Network

July 31, 2013 ‒ Raleigh, NC ‒ Entigral Systems is pleased to announce the closing of the first tranche of its $1.2 million Series A Preferred Stock financing. The Company closed on over $500,000 in July from four new investor groups. The financing was led by the Piedmont Angel Network Three (PAN3), based in Greensboro, NC, and included participation from three other angel groups, IMAF-Cape Fear, IMAF-RTP and Triangle Angel Partners (TAP). The second tranche of the financing is scheduled to close in 2014.

Joining the Company’s Board of Directors from PAN, the lead investor group, will be Tom Storrs. Mr. Storrs is an executive at Takata Corporation, based out of their Greensboro, NC office.

“The funds will be used for corporate expansion, specifically to hire software developers, marketing and sales staff and to execute on new marketing and sales programs,” said Booth Kalmbach, Entigral’s President and CEO. “Entigral is growing rapidly and we are pleased that these four investors are providing capital for our expansion.”

“This is the first outside capital that we have raised for Entigral,” added Allen Bennett, Entigral’s Chairman and Founder. “Entigral’s family of solutions for tracking assets in manufacturing and industrial environments is addressing key pain points in the market today. All of the market and Company dynamics have come together at the right time. This new funding will allow us to grow fast.”

New board member, Mr. Storrs, said “We are excited about our new investment in Entigral. The company has a terrific product family and existing blue-chip customers nationwide. The new capital will allow the company to expand its sales and marketing programs and to continue its growth.”

About Entigral Systems

Founded in 2003, Entigral Systems (http://www.entigral.com) is an enterprise software company that develops and sells TraxWare® ‒ an industry-leading sensor automation platform. TraxWare enables a new generation of sensor-based asset tracking applications, primarily using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors, for Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES). These tracking applications include capital and fixed asset tracking, work in-process management, warehouse and supply chain management, and inventory replenishment.

Source: http://www.entigral.com/News/entigral-announces-series-a-financing/

Protochips Wins R&D 100 and Tibbets Awards

Protochips was selected to receive a R&D 100 award, known as the Oscar® of Innovation for scientists and engineers, for its Poseidon 500 in situ electrochemisty system. The award will be presented in Orlando on November 7th.

“Studying materials at the atomic scale directly within liquid environments will vastly improve a researcher’s ability to develop and manufacture the next generation of batteries, fuel cells and catalysts” explains David Nackashi, Protochips’ CEO. “For the first time in a commercial product, scientists can observe and characterize electrochemical reactions at atomic resolution, in liquid environments, and in real-time.”

The Poseidon 500 shrinks the typical electrochemical lab to the size of a microchip that fits inside an electron microscope. Researchers can exploit the high-resolution and analytical capabilities of modern electron microscopes to reveal fundamental physical properties of materials and optimize electrochemical systems such as batteries, fuel cells, chemical production and anti-corrosive surface coatings.

Collaborative researchers such as Dr. David Muller of Cornell University have already used Poseidon to make discoveries that will help increase the lifetime of fuel cells and increase the efficiency of lithium batteries. “I’m excited by the commercial impact this can have on energy storage and chemical products,” notes Michael Zapata III, the company’s Executive Board Chairman. “We are very happy about their recognition.”

The company also received a Tibbetts award in Washington, DC on May 16th. Presented by the United States Small Business Association, the award recognizes companies with exemplary returns from SBIR and SBA projects. The award acknowledges companies that have exceeded the expectations of the program and is based on several factors including the economic impact of the technological innovation, overall business achievement, and demonstration of effective collaborations.

Protochips is honored to be recognized with a Tibbetts award. The award is an indication of the success Protochips has achieved in developing and commercializing the Aduro technology. Aduro has risen from a novel technique for heating within an electron microscope to the market leader for in situ heating. With the success of the Aduro and Poseidon systems, Protochips has grown to over twenty employees, demonstrating the success of the SBIR program.

Protochips (www.protochips.com), located in Raleigh, NC, is a company providing revolutionary products and technologies for the in situ electron microscopy market for more than nine years. Through With their innovative E-chip™ consumable technology, Protochips is fundamentally changing the way in situ microscopy is performed. The E-chip platform is the engine that drives Protochips Aduro™ and Poseidon™ in situ solution, providing temperature and electrical in situ capabilities for Aduro and liquid in situ capabilities for Poseidon.

Piedmont Pharmaceuticals Gains FDA Approval of Animal Health Soft Chew Pain Medication

Greensboro, NC, June 20, 2013 – Last week the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine approved the first application of Piedmont Pharmaceuticals’ invention of a canine soft chew formulation containing a veterinary medicine.  This flavored soft chew formulation contains carprofen and is labeled for the relief of pain and inflammation from osteoarthritis and the control of post-operative pain in dogs. It is the first and only flavored, soft and chewable medicine in the pain category.

The soft chew formulation will provide pet owners with a convenient and friendly way to medicate dogs.  According to Roland Johnson, Chairman and CEO of Piedmont Pharmaceuticals, “The veterinary pharmaceutical industry has been working on a soft chew formulation for the past two decades and we are proud, following a relatively short development timeline, to have successfully registered this highly palatable, wonderfully textured product to positively impact the medicating experience for both dogs and their owners.” In addition Johnson noted that, “this formulation has been issued multiple US patents in the past two years.”

Osteoarthritis is a problem for dogs as they get older, particularly for larger breeds.  A common sign that owners will notice in their dog is difficulty climbing stairs or jumping into the back of a car. Pain is the third largest veterinary treatment category in companion animal health.

About Piedmont Pharmaceuticals

Piedmont Pharmaceuticals is a company that develops FDA and EPA regulated products for animals, emphasizing dogs and cats. In addition, their pipeline includes livestock products along with a group of technology-related human products.

Media Contact: Jackie Plemmons, Tel. 336-544-0320