ZS Pharma selected Small Business of the Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) February 23, 2011 -- Contact: Darlene Ryan
Executive Director
TECH Fort Worth
(817) 339-8968
darlene@techfortworth.org


TECH Fort Worth client ZS Pharma
selected Chamber’s top Emerging Business


FORT WORTH, Texas – ZS Pharma, a TECH Fort Worth client, has been named a 2011 Small Business of the Year—Emerging Business by the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce.

ZS Pharma, Inc. is developing products to treat high levels of potassium in the blood, a condition that is life threatening in patients suffering from kidney disease, have suffered some type of renal trauma, or are on medications that increase the level of potassium. The company was founded in 2008 and moved to Fort Worth in 2009, where it has grown to eight employees working on pre-clinical studies and clinical studies in humans.

ZS Pharma is working with the UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth to complete pre-clinical and clinical trials of its products, and is an Acceleration client of TECH Fort Worth.

During 2010, ZS Pharma received an award of $2 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) and a $245,000 tax grant from the Internal Revenue Service. It has raised $4 million and is seeking another $25-$30 million to complete its clinical trials.

Alvaro Guillem is CEO and Jeff Keyser is COO. “We’re respectful of this honor,” Guillem said. “And especially thankful for TECH Fort Worth. Most of the $4 million raised so far is being spent in Fort Worth and Texas and the next round of funding will be spent here. too.”
TECH Fort Worth is a not-for-profit business incubator that coaches and mentors early-stage entrepreneurs to accelerate and expand their businesses for greater success in bringing a technology-based product to market.

“We’re so proud that the Fort Worth Chamber has recognized ZS Pharma in this way,” said Darlene Ryan, Executive Director of TECH Fort Worth. “It’s also quite an endorsement for the companies and the work being done at TECH Fort Worth. Startup companies spend their dollars on jobs and equipment, all good things for the economy; it’s a double benefit from ZS Pharma because the result will be improved healthcare.”
--
TECH Fort Worth is a nonprofit technology incubator, with offices at the James E. Guinn Complex in Fort Worth South and at the UNT Health Science Center’s Center for BioHealth. Its mission is to grow the local technology-based economy. For more information, go to www.techfortworth.org.

Al Guillem     awards     Darlene Ryan     fort worth     Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce     Jeff Keyser     pharmaceuticals     Tarrant County     TECH Fort Worth     ZS Pharma