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Pearlescent pigments may help halt counterfeiting, says Merck KGaA

21-Aug-2006 - Newly-approved pearlescent pigments that can produce sparkly metallic, satiny and shimmery finishes on drug coatings could be used as one additional step in the fight against counterfeiting, say its developers, EMD Chemicals - part of part of German drug giant Merck.

Pearlescent pigments may help halt counterfeiting, says Merck

17-Aug-2006 - Newly-approved pearlescent pigments that can produce sparkly metallic, satiny and shimmery finishes on drug coatings could be used as one additional step in the fight against counterfeiting, say its developers, EMD Chemicals - part of part of German drug giant Merck.

Genzyme given green light to make kidney drug at Irish plant

14-Aug-2006 - US biotech firm Genzyme has been given a green light by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin manufacturing its kidney drug at its Waterford facility in Ireland.

Seeing through formulation problems

10-Aug-2006 - Drug manufacturers are increasingly turning to specialised providers of analytical services for the solid state characterisation of their formulations, seeking answers to processing issues, drug delivery challenges and even protecting drug patents.

Scaling up for commercialisation

07-Aug-2006 - Failure to get it right in designing and implementing a manufacturing process results in the loss of time and money, but the risk of this can be minimised if some basic organisational steps are followed, argues Brookwood's director of manufacturing.

FDA allows controversial new pigment to make drugs sparkle

27-Jul-2006 - In a controversial move, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given the final nod of approval to pharma companies who want to add colourful pearlescent pigments to their drugs to give them that "special something."

BASF boosts ingredient release

26-Jul-2006 - BASF has unveiled new pharmaceutical auxiliaries which release active ingredients more quickly, particularly when it comes to small tablets.

FDA warning letter reveals neglect at Watson's plant

20-Jul-2006 - As it consolidates its manufacturing operations in the US, Watson Pharmaceuticals has received a warning letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accusing it of using the wrong ingredients in the production of capsules, failing to prevent contamination and botching testing procedures.

Malvern buys NIR chemical imaging firm

13-Jul-2006 - Malvern Instruments has acquired Spectral Dimensions, a provider of near infrared (NIR) chemical imaging instrumentation and software, seeking products that can enhance pharmaceutical formulation and manufacturing processes.

Isopak unveils new tablet check weigher

12-Jul-2006 - Isopak is flaunting a new automatic check weigher for capsules and tablets, promising more accuracy than ever before.

Spherics helps the medicine go down

12-Jul-2006 - Takeda Pharmaceutical has jumped at the chance to use a new technology that its developer, Spherics, claims can improve the efficacy of a drug while reducing side effects, providing more consistent drug levels and enhancing compliance.

Kaletra enters Europe with non-freeze tablet formulation

11-Jul-2006 - Abbott's Kaletra, the biggest-selling drug of a class of HIV medications known as protease inhibitors, has won the thumbs up from the European Commission with a melt extrusion formulation which enhances solubility, requires fewer processing steps, and, crucially, does not need to be refrigerated.

Symyx takes Autodose on board

10-Jul-2006 - Technology firm Symyx has acquired Autodose, a maker of precision powder-dispensing equipment, as it seeks to develop the next generation of high-throughput benchtop automation systems.

New Tate and Lyle excipient bypasses wet granulation

06-Jul-2006 - Tate and Lyle has announced the launch of Meritab - a new direct compressible dextrose - that allows pharma tablet manufacturers to stop using wet granulation processes, and so offers a cost effective and simplified production process.

New APIs call for new dissolution testing methods

04-Jul-2006 - A new generation of drugs that target specific areas of the body has created new challenges for dissolution testing, as many recent active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are poorly soluble in traditional media and need novel testing procedures.

Degussa unveils new excipient for poorly-flowing powders

03-Jul-2006 - Specialty chemicals firm Degussa has launched a new hydrophobic silica excipient which is particularly suitable for very hygroscopic and cohesive powders as it can significantly improve powder flow.

Israeli firm gearing up to make 'supergenerics'

03-Jul-2006 - Intec Pharma has enlisted two North American dosage form manufacturers to make "supergenerics" using its new method of oral drug delivery that can transform existing drugs into more powerful therapies.

SkyePharma unveils new controlled release technology

26-Jun-2006 - SkyePharma used its latest business review meeting to announce the imminent arrival of a new rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug formulated using its novel controlled release drug delivery technology.

Egalet contracts SP Medical to make its erosion-based drugs through injection moulding

12-Jun-2006 - Drug delivery firm Egalet has asked SP Medical, a manufacturer of moulded plastics and coatings, to make sufficient clinical grade quantities of its therapeutics using injection moulding, which allows for greater uniformity and reproducibility in the production of tablets.

SurModics technology gives edge to new drug-eluting stent

08-Jun-2006 - SurModics has licensed its advanced hydrophilic coating technology to Xtent for use in the delivery system of its novel drug-eluting stent (DES) system, designed to reduce the time, complexity and cost of coronary stent procedures.

Vectura and Unilever join to form new specialty pharma biz

07-Jun-2006 - UK novel drug delivery developer Vectura and UK venture capital firm Unilever Ventures have jointly established a new speciality pharmaceutical company focusing on oral and transdermal drug delivery systems.

MDS Pharma's formulation branch jumps ship

30-May-2006 - The Tampa-based formulation development laboratory of MDS Pharma Services has split from its parent company and formed a new firm with the technology to get active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) directly into capsules.

Boehringer Ingelheim seeks new formulation and delivery

23-May-2006 - German biopharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has clinched a licencing deal for XstalBio's formulation and stabilisation technology which can be applied to the delivery of biomolecules via a number of routes, including pulmonary, as well as the preparation of high concentration suspensions.

SurModics obtains new biodegradable polymers

15-May-2006 - Surface modification firm SurModics has acquired Intralytix's polyester-amide (PEA) biodegradable polymers, boosting the company's capacity for specific drug delivery, a capability in high demand by its customers.

BASF's new nanocoating 'triples production'

05-Apr-2006 - Chemical firm BASF has announced it has developed a new formulation for its Ibuprofen DC 85, an active substance in anti-inflammatory and analgesic products, using a nanocoating which, thanks to its resistance to high temperature, can increase production and reduce downtime.

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