The Innovation Center was conceived in 2000 by a cadre of community leaders who sought to find a way to manage the economic uncertainty presented by the turbulent pharmaceutical industry. Dedicated to nurturing the life science ecosystem that has thrived in Kalamazoo for years, the Innovation Center became home to over a dozen companies that formed when Pfizer acquired Pharmacia in 2003 and closed the company’s Research and Development Division in Kalamazoo. During the past 14 years, more than 30 companies have called the Innovation Center home, and dozens more have been served by its programs. Kalexsyn, one of the first companies that located in the Innovation Center, is now one of the Innovation Center’s newest sponsors.
“It is our pleasure to be able to give back to the Innovation Center after having been the beneficiary of the services provided by that facility in the early days of our company,” said Bob Gadwood. “Kalexsyn would not exist today were it not for the Innovation Center. We were able to start and grow our fledgling company with the help of the Innovation Center staff and resources. We hope that our support will help other startup companies grow their businesses while in residence at the Innovation Center.”
Kalexsyn provides chemistry services to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. Since it's founding, the mission of Kalexsyn is to provide unmatched chemistry services to clients. Kalexsyn was founded in 2003 following the closure of Discovery Research operations at Pharmacia in Kalamazoo. Kalexsyn’s co-founders, Dr. Robert Gadwood and Mr. David Zimmermann worked with numerous contract research organizations to provide synthetic chemistry support while at Pharmacia. Their experiences in working with CROs allowed them to identify weaknesses in the practices of many CROs and create a unique company to address the needs of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology community.
Over the years Kalexsyn has continued to differentiate itself from its competitors by its ability to solve complex synthetic problems and deliver complex molecular targets. Its scientists bring a unique expertise to provide hypothesis-driven medicinal chemistry and excellent ROI through efficiency and productivity in meeting customers’ goals. Kalexsyn has been able to attract and retain top scientific talent, provide excellent in-house analytical services, offer efficiencies through the use of Symyx's electronic notebook, and provide creative process route improvement in state of the art laboratories. Kalexsyn serves a global customer base of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies with scientists averaging 15 years of experience in practicing the art of chemistry, bringing both a breadth and depth of chemistry knowledge to clients.