Esperion reintroduces itself with new clinical trail, growth

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 | Source: Concentrate

Back again for the first time, Esperion is starting to get its heart rate up as it begins its first clinical trail.

The former Ann Arbor-based firm, it now calls Ann Arbor SPARK's Michigan Life Science & Innovation Center in Plymouth home, started its first Phase I clinical study since Pfizer spun the company back to its original founders last spring.

The study is taking on Esperion's small molecule compound designed to regulate the levels of plasma lipids and lipoproteins. This was discovered when Pfizer owned the company and licensed back to Esperion. It promises to be the first of many clinical trails in the company's future.

"We're looking to do some others down the road," says Roger Newton, president and CEO of Esperion. "We're not just going to do one and be a one-trick pony."

The company has grown it's staff to support this trial and future ones. It now employs 10 people, another 10 consultants and independent contractors as well as three interns. The company has hired three people this year and expects to continue to hire more staff as needed while it grows its portfolio of compounds.

Esperion is one of Ann Arbor's great success stories. Pfizer bought it 2003 for more than $1.3 billion. Newton and other Esperion alums took back control of it last spring. Newton is famous for leading development of Lipitor, the world's top-selling drug, at Pfizer.

Source: Roger Newton, president and CEO of Esperion
Writer: Jon Zemke