Business News

Midwest Research Institute has received a U.S. Department of Defense contract to provide support services for national defense research against chemical and biological warfare and terrorism.

The Kansas City-based organization said in a release Friday that it has provided the federal government with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive, or CBRNE, expertise since the institute was founded in 1944.

[Kansas City Business Journal]

Communications firm to open new Springfield location

Gold Mountain Communications LLC is adding 140 jobs and leasing an office at 1701 W. Sunshine St. in Springfield. A ribbon-cutting and grand-opening for Gold Mountain Communications, a call center, will ... Read More

LaBarge inks Parker Aerospace deal

LaBarge Inc. has won a contract from Parker Aerospace’s electronic systems division to provide printed circuit card assemblies for a variety of aircraft programs. LaBarge estimates the value of the award ... Read More

FDA approves Amgen’s anti-osteoporosis drug, Prolia

Federal regulators approved Amgen Inc.’s anti-osteoporosis drug, Prolia, on Tuesday for use by postmenopausal women who face a high risk of bone fractures. One of every two women over the age ... Read More

Monsanto to license soybean seed traits to Dow

Monsanto Co. said Wednesday it granted a new royalty-bearing, Roundup Ready 2 Yield license to Dow AgroSciences for genetically modified soybean seeds. In 2007, Creve Coeur, Mo.-based Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences ... Read More

Covidien to buy ev3 for $2.6 billion in cash

Covidien, the healthcare company spun off from Tyco nearly three years ago, said on Tuesday that it has agreed to buy ev3, a maker of stents and other medical devices, for ... Read More

Hitachi to invest in ‘social innovation’

Hitachi Ltd. said Monday it will invest 1 trillion yen ($11 billion), or about 70% of its capital expenditure over the next three years, on its “social innovation” businesses, which include ... Read More

J&J unit acquires RespiVert

Johnson & Johnson’s Centocor Ortho Biotech unit said Tuesday it bought RespiVert Ltd., a company developing treatments for asthma and other lung diseases. Respivert is testing anti-inflammatory drugs that are intended ... Read More

National Semi develops chip for ‘smart solar panel’

National Semiconductor is diversifying into solar with the release a chipset that optimizes the power output of solar panels. The company said on Tuesday said that it is making its SolarMagic ... Read More

Caterpillar to buy Electro-Motive Diesel

Caterpillar Inc. agreed to buy a U.S. maker of railroad locomotives on Tuesday for $820 million in cash, expanding its rail business from service into new engine manufacturing. The world’s largest ... Read More

Savvis to acquire Fusepoint for $124.5 million

Savvis Inc. plans to buy Canadian IT company Fusepoint for $124.5 million. Toronto-based Fusepoint, a portfolio company of M/C Venture Partners, reported $41.7 million in revenue in 2009. The company, led ... Read More