Research lab opens up in town

A company that developed a system for treating certain types of cancer and other serious ailments has opened a research and development lab in Costa Mesa.

Los Angeles-based Abraxis BioScience Inc. moved its Marina del Rey facility and 100 of its researchers to Costa Mesa on Monday.

“Over time, we expect to double in size,” said Michael Brunelle, Abraxis’ vice president of acquisition. “We are really excited about the fact that already 25 of our employees moved from other areas in Southern California to the Orange County area, so we are bringing jobs into the area as we promised.”

The company bought a location at 1588 S. Coast Drive from Valeant Pharmaceutical, which built the research and development lab, Brunelle said.

Abraxis consists of two divisions: oncology and research.

In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ABRAXANE, a treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Costa Mesa city officials praised the addition of quality jobs to the city.

“We are incredibly fortunate that they are moving here, and I think part of it is that Costa Mesa also has a lot to offer in terms of our convenient location — we’re close to everything, close to the beach, we have great weather and good shopping,” said Mayor Allan Mansoor. “I’m sure a lot of the employees and their families will want to relocate to this area.”