Southeast Florida Business Briefs - Sept. 2006

BOCA RATON:

? Italian biotech company Kedrion will pay milestone and royalty payments to Nabi Biopharmaceuticals for its Civacir drug. Civacir is being developed to prevent the recurrence of hepatitis C-related liver disease for patients with transplanted livers.

? Florida Atlantic University has reached an exclusive license agreement with CHS Resources for a cancer therapy developed at the university's center of excellence in biomedical and marine biotechnology. Boca Raton-based CHS Resources plans to further develop and commercialize the patent-pending skin cancer technology.

? Florida Atlantic University is considering a massive redevelopment of its Boca Raton campus. The redevelopment would include a stadium, conference center/hotel and retail and condos. New York-based developer KUD International is pitching the condo idea as a revenuegenerating venture for the university.

FORT LAUDERDALE:

? Spirit Airlines will expand its Fort Lauderdale hub operation in December, adding second daily flights to Kingston, Jamaica; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Washington, D.C./ Reagan National; and New York City/ LaGuardia.

? Retzch Lanao Caycedo and Sharpe Project Developments have teamed up to develop Montserrat, a town home community with a Caribbean resort theme, in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

? Pharmaceutical firm Andrx Corp. shareholders have approved a merger with Corona, Calif.- based Watson Pharmaceuticals.

MIRAMAR:

? Nearly 500 people will lose their jobs when Delta Air Lines closes its Miramar call center in September.

PEMBROKE PINES:

? Power 1 Credit Union and Miami-based Pan Am Horizons Federal Credit Union are planning to merge. If approved by the National Credit Union Administration, the merger would create one of the largest credit unions in south Florida, with 11 branches in three counties with combined total assets of more than $525 million.

? Calvin, Giordano & Associates' transportation planning and traffic engineering division will manage Pembroke Pines' $70-million, 130-acre city center project. Construction is set to begin in early 2007.

SUNRISE:

? Parlux Fragrances sold its headquarters to an undisclosed buyer for $15 million. The sale comes after Ilia Lekach, the company's chairman and CEO, offered to buy all outstanding shares for $259.5 million.

WEST PALM BEACH

? Ion Media Networks has gained broadcast rights to dozens of TV series and a large selection of feature films from Sony Pictures Television Library. The broadcaster, which operates the i network, struck a similar deal with Warner Bros.

? Cruzan International has hired an investment banking firm to explore possible buyers for its Florida Distillers Co. The company bottles Cruzan rum and Seagram's vodka.

? Commerce Bank has created an international banking team in Florida to serve area clients doing business in the global marketplace.

Tags: Southeast