Jul 17, 2013

By Kathleen Gallagher of the Journal Sentinel May 2, 2011 (0) Comments A Madison company with a unique infection-fighting technology has raised $1 million in venture capital. Zurex Pharma Inc. raised the money from the Peak Ridge AgTech Fund, which is managed by Peak Ridge Capital , a Boston-based venture capital fund with offices in Madison. Zurex's technology has "tremendous potential" to prevent infections humans acquire in health care settings as well as dairy mastitis, said Jason Smith, a general partner in the AgTech Fund. Dairy mastitis is a persistent inflammatory reaction cows have to infection in their udder tissue. Zurex is developing products that use a non-iodine based substance that works against microorganisms. The majority of surgical scrubs and antimicrobial animal health products use iodine, Smith said. Zurex is expected to benefit from the huge disruption in the iodine supply that has resulted from Japan's problems, and concerns about some of the tainted iodine-based solutions that have been coming out of China, Smith said. "If there's something very effective that's not iodine-based, it's attractive," he said. Zurex has a large distribution partner for its initial animal health product, which customers should being using this summer, Smith said. The fund is confident in Chief Executive Officer Carmine J. Durham's abilities, because of his strong background in marketing and business development, Smith said. Durham was previously vice president of corporate development and strategy at Bone Care International Inc., a small Madison pharmaceutical company acquired by Genzyme Corp. in 2005. The funding marks Peak Ridge's 11th investment in a Wisconsin company. Zurex is one of three early stage companies Peak Ridge has moved to Wisconsin or prevented from departing as a condition of investment. Zurex moved to Wisconsin last summer from Indiana. The company is a subsidiary of Ash Access Technology Inc., a Lafayette, Ind., company that sells dialysis products and was founded by Stephen Ash, a kidney doctor. © 2015 , Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. About Kathleen Gallagher