Mera Pharmaceuticals Inc., which divided itself into nutraceutical and pharmaceutical divisions when it emerged from bankruptcy reorganization in July, said today it has hired Steven J. Gould to be its chief scientific officer. Mera Pharmaceuticals
hires research scientistStar-Bulletin staff
Gould was previously the head of Merck & Co.'s natural products drug discovery division.
Mera, formerly known as Aquasearch Inc., wants to expand its drug discovery program in order to establish alliances with large drug companies. The company, which cultivates microalgae for its nutritional and medicinal value, markets the nutritional supplement AstaFactor.
"We haven't been able to produce enough product in quantity and quality to sustain clinical trials," Mera Chairman Richard Propper said. "That's the long-term view of where we're going with this company."
Propper said Gould's principal task will be to build a screening program that will identify a large number of lead compounds. He also will oversee Mera's joint research program with the University of Hawaii, where the two partners grow and generate extracts from cyanobacteria.