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Galapagos lands further in the red after spending spree

02-Mar-2007 - A highly-acquisitive and research-intensive year has left drug discovery services provider Galapagos further in the red at the end of its 2006 financial year, although sales soared.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

01-Mar-2007 - Lonza, Athersys, TyRx Pharma, JFC and Precision Pharma Services have all announced new contract manufacturing deals this week.

New service to protect packaged pharmaceutical products

28-Feb-2007 - Multisorb Technologies has introduced a new advanced simulation service to help pharmaceutical companies determine the precise amount of sorbent needed in their packaging to protect products from moisture and degradation.

Aptuit embarks on $100m spending spree

28-Feb-2007 - Drug development services provider Aptuit has announced it is about to invest $100m to expand its operations, just a few weeks after completing two major acquisitions.

Contract biomanufacturing market continues to climb

28-Feb-2007 - The biopharmaceutical contract manufacturing sector is set to expand substantially in the next few years as biotech companies increasingly rely on outsourcing to improve efficiency and reduce costs, new research suggests.

UK firms join forces for spray device testing

28-Feb-2007 - UK firms Melbourn Scientific and Copley Scientific have agreed to collaborate on developing novel methods of testing the force of nasal sprays and metered-dose inhalers (MDIs).

Nicholas Piramal announces funding for planned US assault

27-Feb-2007 - Nicholas Piramal has announced it will spend $50m (€38m) on its formulations services business over the next three years, part of which will be used to fund its planned assault on the US.

Shire purchase to affect Albany Molecular contract

27-Feb-2007 - Shire Pharmaceuticals' plans to buy New River Pharmaceuticals will eventually affect a contract manufacturing arrangement with Albany Molecular Research (AMR).

Outsourcing packaging can increase speed to market four-fold

26-Feb-2007 - Using contractors to fulfil packaging needs can significantly reduce the time new products take to hit the market, claimed Gareth Lewis of Cardinal Health, speaking at SMi's Pharmaceutical Packaging and Labelling conference in London last week.

Leaner Cambrex sharpens focus on high potency

22-Feb-2007 - After shedding two of its unwanted divisions, a leaner Cambrex has decided to channel its energy into its high potency development (HiPO) business.

Almac forms alliance with BioCatalytics on chiral tech

21-Feb-2007 - Pharmaceutical services group Almac Sciences has teamed up with enzyme catalyst firm BioCatalytics on process development and manufacture of chiral intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).

Contract manufacturing news in brief

21-Feb-2007 - QSV, Novasep and Cytovance have all announced new contract manufacturing deals this week, while Hyaluron has unveiled its production plant expansion.

Competition drives compliance battle among CMOs

20-Feb-2007 - Global compliance is becoming a key differentiator for contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs) who want to stay ahead of the game in the buoyant but competitive active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) manufacturing market.

SAFC and Excelsyn beef up UK operations

19-Feb-2007 - Excelsyn and SAFC Both announced improvements to their UK contract manufacturing operations at this year's pharma services and specialty chemicals trade show, InformexUSA, in San Francisco.

First SafeBridge certification awarded in Europe

19-Feb-2007 - Northern Ireland-based Almac Services has recently been awarded a potent compound safety certification by SafeBridge, confirming that Almac is capable of handling potent compounds safely and is able to limit exposure using closed laboratory systems.

Invitrogen sells 'beleaguered' BioReliance

15-Feb-2007 - Invitrogen has decided to sell BioReliance, the 'beleaguered' pharmaceutical services arm of its business, for less than half the price they paid for it just three years ago.

Geneservice arrives in Oxford

14-Feb-2007 - UK contract research organisation (CRO) Geneservice has announced its acquisition of the DNA sequencing facility in the University of Oxford's Biochemistry Department.

Heart attack drug back on track after manufacturing issues

14-Feb-2007 - Biotech contract manufacturer Diosynth and PDL Biopharma have extended their agreement for the commercial supply of PDL's heart attack treatment Retavase (reteplase), a move that signals the end of manufacturing issues PDL experienced with the drug.

Albany Molecular Research dips further into the red

14-Feb-2007 - Albany Molecular Research (AMRI) has slipped again in the fourth quarter of 2006 recording an operating loss of $2.5m (€1.9m) - six per cent worse than the same quarter the previous year - despite encouraging revenue growth in its contract business.

Indian-Irish biosimilar partnership to provide new European CMO contracts

13-Feb-2007 - A new partnership between India's Reliance Life Sciences (RLS) and Ireland's GeneMedix will provide new contract opportunities for European contract bio-manufacturers.

Start-up to form early-phase umbrella group

12-Feb-2007 - A new start up company in the UK has been formed with ambitions to shape itself into a global early-phase drug development services group through an acquisition-based strategy.

Lonza snaps up Cambrex 'bio businesses'

07-Feb-2007 - Contract manufacturer Lonza has completed its acquisition of two Cambrex subsidiaries, research bioproducts and microbial biopharmaceutical, in a move that is fuelled by its strategic move into biopharmaceuticals.

Averion jumps on the Indian CRO bandwagon

07-Feb-2007 - US-based Averion has signed a deal with an Indian contract research organisation (CRO) to offer combined services to pharma and biotech companies.

MDS Pharma closes Quebec facility following FDA probe

06-Feb-2007 - MDS pharma has ceased operations at its bioanalytical services facility in Blainville, Quebec in a bid to boost profitability after an ongoing investigation of the site by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

UK organisation issues hazardous waste advice

05-Feb-2007 - A UK-based firm is offering advice to chemical and pharmaceutical companies on reducing hazardous waste and adhering to the Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals Regulation (REACH), which becomes law on 1 June 2007.

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