Advanced Animal Diagoistics, a venture-backed startup, has shuffled its board of directors after closing on $11.3 million in new venture funding.
Randall Marcuson, a former chief executive officer at Embrex, is the new board chairman. Embrex is now part of Pfizer.
Joining him on the board are Jimmy Rosen of Intersouth Ventures and Simon Wheeler of Novartis Venture Fund. Intersouth and Novartis led AAD’s new funding.
Joy Parr Drach, who took over as chief executive officer earlier this month, also is a member of the board. Brach had been AAD’s president.
Marcuson has long been active in animal health, leading Embrex and earlier in his career working as an executive at American Cyanamid as well as Monsanto Argicultural Products Company.
AAD said that Charlie Galanaugh, the former chair and CEO of the company, had retired. He remains an advisor to the firm.
“I’m excited about being part of another innovative company with so much to offer food animal producers,” Marcuson said in a statement.
“With its initial focus on early, rapid and accurate detection of mastitis in dairy cows, AAD’s technology will provide real, measurable benefits to dairy producers and consumers of dairy products,” he added. “This dairy platform will also serve as the basis for expansion of AAD’s diagnostic technology to other production animals.”
AAD is focused on quick means of diagnosing diseases in farm animals. The two-year-old company had raised $1.1 million from private investors before the venture round. AAD also has received support from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center.
Initial areas of development for AAD are on improving milk production and controlling an infection called mastitis that affects milk production. AAD already is selling one product.
In addition to the Biotech Center, AAD has received support from the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine and funding through a USDA Small Business Innovation Research grant.
Get the latest news alerts: Follow WRAL Tech Wire at Twitter.
