News in brief

3M launches nasal MDI with evaporating spray tech

17-May-2010 - 3M Drug Delivery Systems says new nasal MDI overcomes drip drawbacks using evaporating spray technology that can improve drug shelf-life.

Antares and Uman team on RA drug delivery project

04-May-2010 - Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers may soon have a new treatment delivery option thanks to US delivery specialist Antares Pharma’s partnership with Canadian injectables specialist Uman Pharma.

Pro-Tect buys novel delivery tech patents for pain portffolio

29-Apr-2010 - Pro-Tect (PRTT) says new technology patents could drive “revolution” in once-daily drug delivery for pain meds.

News in brief

Viagra patent expires in June, says Brazilian court

29-Apr-2010 - Pfizer will lose patent protection for Viagra in Brazil on June 20 after the Supreme Court (STJ) accepted recommendations by national intellectual property watchdog, the INPI.

Blu Pharma plans expansion at new Puerto Rico plant

21-Apr-2010 - Capacity at Blu Pharmaceutical’s recently acquired solid dosage production plant in Puerto Rico is set to expand considerable over the next three years according to company president Bill Luster.

Elan mulls hiving-off drug delivery business again

20-Apr-2010 - Irish drugmaker Elan has once again raised the possibility of selling its delivery business, Elan Drug Technologies (EDT).

FDA: Apotex response to GMP warning “inadequate”

15-Apr-2010 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Apotex with another warning letter about cGMP violations at two plants explaining the firm’s response to previous warnings “is inadequate and lacks sufficient corrective actions.”

Has Hospira beaten Myriad in Javelin competition?

13-Apr-2010 - US drugmaker Javelin Pharmaceuticals says Hospira’s takeover bid is “superior” and terminates agreement with Myriad Pharmaceuticals (MPI).

Alvogen signs up for Penwest’s Timerx tech

12-Apr-2010 - US delivery specialist Penwest is to apply its Timerx tech to “complex” generic pharmaceuticals in a development and commercialisation pact with non-branded drugmaker Alvogen.

Sanofi rejigs French ops; teams with AgaMatrix on glucose monitors

01-Apr-2010 - Sanofi-Aventis says French manufacturing operations will focus on vaccine and biotech drugs, unveiling €150m ($202m) plan to shift emphasis away from synthetic chemistry-based production.

Thermo takes over trial supply production at Lilly Indy plant

29-Mar-2010 - Thermo Fisher Scientific will take charge of clinical trial material production at Eli Lilly’s research technology facility in Indianapolis as the pharmaceutical firm further reduces in-house capacity to cut costs.

Anticancer APIs drive ScinoPharm gains in 2009

25-Mar-2010 - Contract manufacturing organization (CMO) ScinoPharm says strong anticancer API sales and growing demand in Europe and Asia were key to record performance in 2009.

News in brief

EWP says manufacturing line at West African firm operational soon

23-Mar-2010 - A Ghanian drugmaker will soon start producing generic pharmaceuticals for the West African market, according to investment group Emerging World Pharma.

News in brief

US drug sector increased R&D spending 2% in 2009

18-Mar-2010 - US pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms spent a record $65bn (€48bn) on drug and vaccine R&D in 2009, says a new study by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and bank Burrill & Co.

Irish pharma sector must attract R&D to secure competitve edge, says PCI

18-Mar-2010 - Ireland must become an R&D hub as well as a drug manufacturing destination to prosper in the increasingly competitive global pharmaceutical market, says industry body PharmaChemical Ireland (PCI).

Prosonix launches UMAX particle tech for respiratory drugs

17-Mar-2010 - Prosonix’ new UMAX particle engineering technology is set to “revolutionise” the field of respiratory medicines, according to company CEO David Hipkiss.

FDA wants more data on Afrezza's "clinical utility"; MannKind's shares fall

16-Mar-2010 - US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) request for more Afrezza data is not safety related and will not require new clinical trials, says developer MannKind.

Sigma adds big name small molecules to portfolio in Pfizer deal

15-Mar-2010 - Drug researchers will have greater access to some top selling molecules, including currently patented compounds atorvastatin, sildenafil and celecoxib, thanks to Sigma Aldrich’s new bioactives deal with US drug major Pfizer.

News in brief

AstraZeneca to sell branded generics in deal with Torrent

15-Mar-2010 - AstraZeneca targets global generics market in license and supply deal with Indian manufacturer Torrent Pharma.

FDA OK for Haupt Pharma’s Italian antibiotics plant

01-Mar-2010 - US FDA clearance for Italian antibiotics production facility is important for global growth says German contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) Haupt Pharma.

Aptuit unveils new solid state chemistry screen

18-Feb-2010 - US group Aptuit has bolstered its chemistry offering with a new solid state chemistry screen that it says will enable better decisions during drug formulation development and process scale-up.

Merck & Co to reduce workforce 15%

17-Feb-2010 - Merck & Co says manufacturing and R&D jobs will go as part of the post acquisition workforce reduction programme it announced yesterday.

Sohm: deal is boost for capacity and profitability

11-Feb-2010 - Generics firm Sohm says deal with manufacturer in Himachal Pradesh doubles capacity, cuts costs 6 per cent and increases profitability.

Deals dominate developments in drug delivery space

02-Feb-2010 - In-PharmaTechnologist presents a round up of recent developments in the field of drug delivery, with new deals for Starpharma and Penwest, and a regulatory filing for Hovione.