Kansas Bioscience Authority may invest in animal health products company seeking to relocate to Lenexa

The Kansas Bioscience Authority’s investment committee recommended new investments on Monday that would seek to bring jobs to the state and improve a company’s animal health products.

All investments must be approved by the KBA’s full board of directors before becoming official.

The committee approved an expansion and attraction grant that would give $550,000 to Ceva Animal Health LLC to relocate its North American headquarters to Lenexa.

Company representatives said the funds would allow them to keep 10 high-paying jobs in Lenexa while attracting 20 more to the state.

The jobs would have a payroll of more than $3 million in total.

Also on Monday, the committee recommended that Manhattan-based MegaStarter LLC receive a $205,000 research and development voucher that would be matched by the company in order to make improvements to an animal health product.

David Vranicar, KBA interim president and CEO, said the committee also heard a proposal from GreenTree Technology Partners to develop software that would assist clinical research organizations.

After hearing the proposal, Vranicar said the committee took no official action, but may move forward in the future with a smaller request for funding.

The investment committee also recommended a change in the way the KBA reviews its candidates for its Eminent Scholars program, frequently used by the KU Cancer Center to attract new recruits.

Candidates who are members of the National Academy of Sciences are also required to undergo a review of their credentials by a third party.

Bill Sanford, chairman of the investment committee, said it was the committee’s feeling that membership in the National Academy of Sciences was sufficient to determine if a candidate was qualified for the program.