The Michigan Life Science and Innovation Center is up and running in Plymouth Township in the 57,518-square-foot building that housed Esperion Therapeutics when Pfizer Inc. announced it would close its southeast Michigan operations in early 2007.

Esperion co-founder Roger Newton re-acquired the biotech research operation from Pfizer in a $22.75 million deal in spring 2008. And then after a $4.5 million deal with regional economic development officials - including Ann Arbor SPARK - the building has been turned in a biotech incubator.

Plans for the facility started last fall.

Nine tenants occupy the space, including the new version of Esperion, according to a news release issued this afternoon. Another tenant is Lycera.

Other partners in the deal are the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and the Greater Wayne Economic Development Corporation.