Building out from the capabilities and facilities coming from two earlier SBIR awards from NIH (in 1985-89), one proceeding to Phase II, Oread Laboratories was originally created in 1994 by entrepreneur David Kimbrell to be a new type of outsourcing company. Designed to mirror the capabilities and structure of a large pharmaceutical company, Oread worked under contract to provide a variety of research, manufacturing and packaging services to pharmaceutical companies. Seeking to speed up drug development timetables, Kimrell coined the term Contract Pharmaceutical Organization (CPO). He had bought Oread Laboratories, a company formed by the late Dr. Takeru Higuchi, a world-renowned pharmaceutical chemist at the University of Kansas. The company also acquired INTERx from Merck & Co. Inc. and bought a 28-acre toxicology plant in Farmington, Conn., from Ciba-Geigy Inc. Between 1998 through August 2000, the firm experienced internal management struggles for control. At the time, these appeared to have been resolved when it was announced that agreement had been made with a foreign investor to recapitalize Oread and restructure the firms debts. At the time the firm reported 150 people employed in Kansas and 75 in Farmington. The funds to support that restructuring did not materialize and the firm declared nabkruptcy. In June 20, the Center for Research of the university of Kansas purchased three buildings and some land formerly owned by Oread Inc. and Oread Laboratories Inc. In Dec 2002/January 2003, the Pharmaceutical manufacturer Wisconsin based Cambridge Major Laboratories acquired the bulk actives pilot plant of the former Oread Laboratories. Mr Kimbrell still resides and works in the Lawrence KS area and listed as the Owner at Oread West Development, having previously been CEO at Oread, Inc and President at Hall Kimbrell Environmental Services
