The Daily Record News Briefs: August 21, 2008

Loyola name change on track

Loyola College in Maryland said a plan to change the school’s name from “college” to “university” has been approved by its Board of Trustees. If the change is approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission, as school officials expect, the Baltimore- based college will become Loyola University Maryland. The name change is expected to take effect in August 2009. School officials say the change was supported by students, faculty, staff and alumni and by market research. There are also Loyola universities in Chicago and New Orleans as well as Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. All are Roman Catholic schools named in honor of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order.

Cel-Sci cuts loss

Cel-Sci Corp., of Vienna, Va., and Baltimore, a biotechnology company that is developing immune system-based treatments for cancer and infectious diseases, reported a net loss for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30 of $2 million, or 2 cents per diluted share, versus a net loss of $5.5 million, or 5 cents per diluted share, for the same period last year. The company’s revenue for the third quarter was $3,535 versus $6,449 in the year-ago period. Cel-Sci said it is working on plans for a Phase III trial of Multikine, a non-toxic cancer drug for which Cel-Sci is building a manufacturing facility close to Baltimore.

GP repays outstanding debt

GP Strategies Corp., of Elkridge, a provider of training, e- learning, management consulting and engineering services, announced that it repaid at maturity on Aug. 14 all of the outstanding 6 percent subordinated notes held by four Gabelli Funds, and that all of the warrants to acquire shares of GP Strategies’ common stock that were issued in connection with the 6 percent subordinated notes have been exercised. GP said the $2 million repayment of the notes leaves it with no long-term debt obligations, other than capital leases, or outstanding warrants to acquire shares of GP Strategies’ common stock.

McCormick promotes two execs

International spice maker McCormick & Co. Inc., of Sparks, announced the promotion of Lawrence Kurzius to the post of president, international, effective Sept. 1. Kurzius moves up from president of McCormick’s businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In his new role, he will continue to have responsibility for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, while adding responsibility for Canada, Asia and Australia. He will also drive business growth in emerging markets. McCormick also announced that Malcolm Swift, vice president consumer group – Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has been named Kurzius’ successor as president.

Work force innovators named

The Baltimore Workforce Investment Board and the Baltimore County Workforce Development Council released the names of the six recipients of the Second Annual Baltimore Regional Employer Institute Awards. The award winners are two businesses and four health-related entities that exemplify innovative approaches to work force development. The winners, who will receive the awards on Sept. 17 at Stevenson University, are: Dietrich Industries; Johns Hopkins Health System and Franklin Square Hospital partnering with the Community College of Baltimore County (co-awardees); the Center for Adolescent Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Pevco Pneumatic Tube Systems; and the University of Maryland Medical Center.

MaxCyte extends reach

MaxCyte Inc., of Gaithersburg, a biopharmaceutical company that is developing a drug and gene delivery therapeutic platform to treat serious diseases, and Medinet Co. Ltd., of Yokohama, Japan, a company that provides cell-therapy technology to Japanese medical providers, announced that Medinet will begin commercializing a novel cell engineering approach on its cancer immunotherapy services in Japan, using MaxCyte’s proprietary technology. MaxCyte and Medinet signed an exclusive license, development and supply agreement in August 2007.

Prime Retail’s next outlet

Prime Retail Inc., of Baltimore, one of the country’s largest developers of outlet shopping centers, announced that it has closed on more than 64 acres of land in Grand Prairie, Texas, where it will construct Prime Outlets – Grand Prairie, the largest outlet shopping destination serving the Dallas/Fort Worth market. Slated to open in time for the 2009 holiday shopping season with a gross leasable area of 485,000 square feet, Prime Outlets – Grand Prairie will be designed as a series of connected arcades and courtyards in an open- air loop configuration.

RegeneRx drug test advances

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals Inc., of Bethesda, which develops products for repair and healing of chronic wounds and injured tissues, said it completed enrollment of its first of four ongoing Phase II clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of RGN- 137, a topical drug candidate to treat dermal wounds. The drug is being tested on 72 patients with pressure ulcers in 22 participating wound care centers and hospitals in the United States. The company said it expects to report results in the fourth quarter of 2008. Currently, RegeneRx is developing three product candidates, RGN- 137, RGN-259 and RGN-352 for dermal, ophthalmic and cardiovascular tissue repair, respectively.

Md. firm buys wind turbines

CPV Renewable Energy Co. LLC, a subsidiary of Silver Spring- based Competitive Power Ventures, announced it has purchased 44 wind turbines from Siemens Power Generation for delivery in 2009. The 2.3 megawatt turbines will be allocated to the Keenan wind project in Woodward County, Okla. (One megawatt equals 1 million watts of electricity and is capable of powering from 800 to 1,000 homes.) With projects underway in 12 states, CPV’s portfolio of wind projects now totals more than 5,000 MW. The initial phase of the Keenan project is expected to enter commercial operation in 2009.

U.S. probes civil rights at Rosewood

Federal authorities have opened a civil rights investigation at the Rosewood Center, a state facility for mentally disabled adults in Baltimore County. According to a letter sent last month to Gov. Martin O’Malley, the U.S. Justice Department plans to look at resident safety and medical care and the state’s plans to place the residents in the community when it closes next summer. Michael Chapman, director of the state’s Developmental Disabilities Administration, says he believes the Justice Department is responding to issues that are no longer problems. Officials say investigators have requested documents about policies, procedures and behavior-management techniques.

Train killer given 11 life sentences

A man convicted of causing a deadly commuter rail crash that he blamed on an attempt to commit suicide was sentenced Wednesday to 11 consecutive life terms by a Los Angeles judge who denounced him as a remorseless killer. Superior Court Judge William Pounders said he would have imposed a sentence of “forever” on Juan Alvarez, if it were possible. Alvarez will not be eligible for parole. Alvarez parked his gasoline-soaked SUV on railroad tracks in suburban Glendale, where it was struck by a Metrolink train that derailed and struck another Metrolink train traveling in the other direction on Jan. 26, 2005. Eleven people were killed and about 180 were injured.

Woman awarded $208K in firing case

A federal court jury in Juneau, Alaska, awarded a woman $208,000 after it determined Fred Meyer Inc. didn’t act in good faith when it fired her. The former employee, Myrna Johnson, claimed she was fired in 2002 because an assistant store director wanted to replace Johnson, then 49, with a younger, more attractive woman. Johnson’s lawyer, Mark Choate, said in a statement that the ruling sends a message to employers “that the workplace is not a dating pool.” A spokeswoman for Portland, Ore.-based Fred Meyer said the company plans to appeal.

Originally published by Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports.

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