Drug shortages drive demand surge & expansion at Akorn

10-Oct-2011 - Akorn is doubling capacity and hiring “as fast as [it] can” after drug shortages sent demand for its injectables soaring.

Avacta allies with Pall to serve SE Asian biopharm

06-Oct-2011 - Avacta has allied with Pall to offer biopharm manufacturers in Singapore and South Korea tools to assess formulation viability.

Insulin pens & Brazil buy drive Gerresheimer growth

06-Oct-2011 - Gerresheimer posted a jump in sales and upgraded guidance on strong demand for insulin pens and the Vedat acquisition.

FDA awards $35m to improve US drug production

05-Oct-2011 - The FDA has awarded a $35m (€26m) grant to make US drug production less expensive and reverse the offshoring trend.

Aesica plans expansion in US & Asia after investment

03-Oct-2011 - CDMO Aesica is to add manufacturing capacity in Asia and the US following a cash injection from private equity firm Silverfleet Capital.

FDA takes GMP action against US & Chinese drugmakers

29-Sep-2011 - The US FDA has filed a permanent injunction against a US drugmaker and sent a warning letter to a Chinese API producer following cGMP problems.

Ukraine votes to criminalise drug counterfeiting

26-Sep-2011 - Ukraine's parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, has voted unanimously in favour of new legislation which will criminalise the production and trafficking of counterfeit drugs.

ProMetic supplying adsorbent to Chinese biosimilar biz

26-Sep-2011 - ProMetic Life Sciences is supplying an affinity adsorbent to a Chinese biopharm for use in scale-up of a biosimilar.

FDA hits Indian API plant with warning letter & import alert

22-Sep-2011 - The FDA has issued a warning letter and import alert to an Indian API manufacturer after finding major cGMP failings.

Rx-360 begins audit sharing to raise ingredient quality

21-Sep-2011 - Rx-360 has begun its audit sharing programme to increase knowledge about suppliers and the quality of pharmaceutical raw materials.

FDA asks for powers to stop another heparin-like crisis

15-Sep-2011 - The FDA needs additional powers to update its “antiquated, domestically-focused statute” and end the “competitive advantage of non-compliance”, an agency official said.

Biocon building Malaysia plant to serve Pfizer insulin deal

14-Sep-2011 - Biocon has begun work on the Malaysian biopharm plant that will serve its deal with Pfizer, and is now providing Lipitor ingredients.

US to Puerto Rico knowledge transfer cause of quality problems, study

08-Sep-2011 - Difficulties transferring know-how from US Pharmas to plants in Puerto Rico may be responsible for the high incidence of manufacturing quality problems on the island, according to the authors of a new study.

Aurobindo forms Russian manufacturing JV

08-Sep-2011 - Contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) Aurobindo Pharma has teamed up with Russian supplement maker OJSC Diod to establish a manufacturing joint-venture.

DSM and Sinochem’s anti-infective ingredients JV gets green light

01-Sep-2011 - Royal DSM and Sinochem’s anti-infective manufacturing and distribution JV in China has been given the green light by competition authorities.

In-Pharmatechnologist.com’s GMP regulatory development roundup

01-Sep-2011 - in-Pharmatechnologist.com presents a round-up of the latest regulatory developments, including a guide for GMP newbies from Health Canada, an internationally-flavoured revision of the EMA’s rules on batch certification and the EDQM’s latest thoughts membrane-based on WFI production.

Lactose giant DMV-Fonterra to buy Indian cellulose excipient maker Brahmar

31-Aug-2011 - DMV-Fonterra excipients (DFE) will buy Indian manufacturer Brahmar Cellulose Private Limited (BCPL) to strengthen its position in the pharmaceutical excipient market and reduce costs.

Wacker expands sales presence in ‘high priority’ Indian market

31-Aug-2011 - German chemical maker Wacker Chemie is ramping up its sales operations in India, with the country’s rapidly expanding pharmaceutical sector being one of its key targets.

Costs 'a burden' for API and excipient makers, says BASF after raising prices again

30-Aug-2011 - Chemicals giant BASF has increased the price of drug APIs and excipients by 10 per cent for the second time in a year.

update

Granules to expand API and intermediate capacity

29-Aug-2011 - Chemicals maker Granules India says it will expand manufacturing capacity for oral solid dose (OSD) APIs and drug intermediates in a bid to better meet the needs of clients.

Ashland completes ISP takeover and predicts customer benefits

25-Aug-2011 - US chemicals maker Ashland says completion of ISP takeover means simplified supply chains for drug and cosmetics industry customers.

New plant moves Irvine into Asia, gives it 2nd media source

25-Aug-2011 - Irvine Scientific has begun shipping from the cell culture media plant it built to expand into Asia and give clients the security of a second source.

Foreign investment needed to boost UAE drug production

24-Aug-2011 - The UAE needs overseas investment to kick-start its pharmaceutical manufacturing sector and end reliance on foreign imports, the DCCI says.

Brazil & USP ink deals to up quality, harmonise standards

23-Aug-2011 - The USP is strengthening ties to the Brazilian pharmaceutical sector to improve quality and drive harmonisation of standards.