Breaking News on Global Pharmaceutical Technology & Manufacturing

BASF raises all API and excipient prices 10%

04-Apr-2011 - Chemicals supplier BASF has increased the price of all APIs and drug excipients by 10 per cent, citing higher costs

ScinoPharm says exports drove 2010 rev gains; updates on China plant

31-Mar-2011 - Chinese (API) maker ScinoPharm said that it met its sales targets in 2010, despite rocketing raw materials prices, cutbacks in government healthcare spending in key markets and currency revaluation.

News in brief

Oral peptide delivery tech achieves Phase III endpoint

29-Mar-2011 - Unigene Laboratories claims a Phase III trial has validated its oral peptide drug delivery technology.

Lower clinical trial spend helps Novavax halve operating loss

29-Mar-2011 - Novavax halved its operating loss in the fourth quarter as a result of lower clinical trial spending.

Syracuse team use gold nanoparticles to deliver DOX anti-cancer drug

24-Mar-2011 - Scientists from the University of Syracuse’s chemistry department have created a new drug delivery system which they claim will improve the efficacy of cancer-killing drugs.

News in brief

Cumberland launches EDTA-free Acetadote formulation

24-Mar-2011 - Cumberland Pharmaceuticals has introduced an Acetadote (acetylcysteine) formulation that is free from stabilisation or chelating agents.

Lonza wins manufacturing deals with Enobia and Athera

23-Mar-2011 - Switzerland-based Lonza has signed two new manufacturing deals with pharmaceutical firms that look set to improve capacity utilisation.

GSK joins UK Gov innovative manufacturing initiative

23-Mar-2011 - GSK is participating in a UK Government-backed innovative manufacturing initiative aimed at revitalising the sector.

Fine chemical news round up

21-Mar-2011 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents a round-up of fine chemicals news, including developments at Camlin, CABB, Albemarle and Materia.

Inovio receives DNA vaccine delivery grant

21-Mar-2011 - Inovio has received a US grant to investigate delivering DNA vaccines to different parts of the body at the same time.

Cytovance secures $22.5m equity investment from Great Point Partners

16-Mar-2011 - Cytovance Biologics, the US-based biopharmaceutical contract manufacturer (CMO), has secured a growth equity investment from Connecticut, US-based private investors, Great Point Partners.

Swedish researchers uncover link between sunlight and drug kinetics

15-Mar-2011 - Researchers have uncovered a link between exposure to sunlight and the body's ability to break down medicines that could have big implications for formulators.

News in brief

IPCA gets MHRA OK for India API plant

10-Mar-2011 - API maker IPCA laboratories has received UK MHRA approval for its formulations and production unit in Indore, India.

Helsinn says cytotoxics plant will be up and running in 2012

08-Mar-2011 - Swiss pharmaceutical ingredient maker Helsinn says its new cytotoxic API production plant will be operational for laboratory-scale projects early next year.

Lonza using energy broker to cut costs at production sites

02-Mar-2011 - Lonza is working with energy broker Usource to reduce costs at a number of its US production and R&D facilities.

LG to build VLP vaccine site in S Korea using Novavax tech

01-Mar-2011 - LG Life Sciences is to build an influenza vaccine production facility in South Korea after licensing technology from Novavax.

Carbogen Amcis to restructure ops and cut staff

24-Feb-2011 - CMO Carbogen Amcis will restructure its Swiss manufacturing operations and cut jobs to combat “inadequate profitability” in a new plan announced late yesterday.

Mass-market pharma may build profit making supply chains

24-Feb-2011 - Mass-market drug manufacturers can turn a fixed cost into a service-providing revenue generator by investing in an agile supply chain, says PwC.

News in brief

Sigma & BASF ink excipient deal to target academia

23-Feb-2011 - Sigma-Aldrich is repackaging certain BASF pharmaceutical excipients to make them available for the academic research and development sector.

News in brief

Azelis to buy S&D’s pharma ingredients biz

22-Feb-2011 - Belgian chemicals distributor Azelis has agreed to buy S&D Group citing its presence in key pharmaceutical ingredients markets as an important driver.

Radical overhaul of ill-equipped pharma supply chains needed

22-Feb-2011 - A radical overhaul of pharmaceutical supply chains is needed to prepare them for the type of products currently in development, says PwC.

Endeavour rolls out thioamides targeting cancer R&D

21-Feb-2011 - UK-based Endeavour Specialty Chemicals has launched a range of thioamide intermediates, citing growing evidence of their potential role in development of new cancer treatments.

News in brief

Avantor moving HQ to PA but manufacturing stays in NJ

21-Feb-2011 - Avantor Performance Materials is to relocate its headquarters to Pennsylvania but manufacturing will stay at the existing New Jersey site.

HHS national vaccine plan calls for quick, flexible production

21-Feb-2011 - The US HHS has published a national vaccine plan that stresses the need for rapid and flexible manufacturing methods.

Canada lost more than 3,600 pharma jobs in H2 2010

16-Feb-2011 - Canada lost more than 3,600 pharmaceutical jobs in the second half of 2010 as domestic and export sales slowed.