CSL Ltd., an Australian pharmaceutical company, has made its firstentry into the U.S. market with the $20 million acquisition of Kansas-based JRH Biosciences, a manufacturer of cell culture reagents.CSL, of Melbourne, purchased JRH Biosciences from its British-basedparent, Porton International plc, and took control Thursday. JRHBiosciences, which has about 160 employees, has headquarters andmanufacturing facilities in Lenexa, Kansas, along with plants inWoodland, Calif., and Denver, Pa.Paul Bordonaro, general manager of CSL Biosciences, was appointedpresident of JRH Biosciences, which will keep its name as a division ofCSL.Bordonaro said JRH Biosciences has been in the cell culture reagentbusiness for 23 years and in 1993 recorded sales of $26 million. Hesaid the acquisition will complement CSL's cell culture development aswell as support the Australian firm's drug discovery efforts."This is our first acquisition in the U.S.," Bordonaro said. "JRHBiosciences is a household name among suppliers of cell culture mediato the biotechnology therapeutics business, and the U.S. is the world'slargest market for cell culture reagents." _Charles Craig

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