The Challenge of Change - Managing Excipients Control
Colorcon
| « Previous month | Next month » |
Pharmion and MethylGene has announced the formation of an international licensing agreement potentially worth $272 million (€224 million) for new class of compounds that inhibits gene expression providing a tumour and haematological malignancy treatment platform.
Researchers have come up with definitive proof that proteins can be custom-designed for a new and pre-determined activity, signalling a new direction in drug production as well as having relevance to the biotechnological and medicinal industry.
Agilent Technologies have upped the stakes in the Liquid Chromatography (LC) market by releasing its new 1200 series, replacing the best selling 1100 series with what is claimed to be the world's fastest and most comprehensive LC system.
Millipore, manufacturers of purification systems used in drug manufacture, posted lower forth-quarter profits, carrying over the company's previous quarter's performance, after being hit by a hefty one-off earnings charge.
Drug delivery company, MedPharm, will carry out a licensed evaluation for a variety of products in the dermatology market with its MedSpray technology, which promises greater benefits for the same cost as semisolid preparations.
A new way of producing antibodies with increased cancer-killing ability has been developed by researchers at Dartmouth's Thayer School of Engineering, the Dartmouth Medical School, and the biotech firm GlycoFi.
Sirna Therapeutics has been granted a US patent covering a more efficient process for the chemical synthesis and manufacturing of GMP-quality ribonucleic acids (RNA), for use in RNA-based drugs.
The big pharma companies may have dreamed of launching the world's first non-injectable insulin, but it has been Canadian biotech company Generex that shattered this dream, bypassing EU and US regulatory processes and launching its inhaled insulin in Ecuador last November. But do biotech companies prove a real threat?
Scientists have devised a way of using live' bacteria in yoghurt to deliver therapeutics that can prevent HIV infection, potentially opening up a new avenue for probiotic dairy to play a more prominent role in drug delivery.
The US advanced drug delivery market will grow more than 18 per cent and exceed $76 bn (€62 bn) by 2014, spurred on by new technologies emerging from the biotech and biopharmaceutical pipelines, according to a new report by Kalorama Information.
Tepnel Scientific Services's laboratory in Edinburgh has passed a recent inspection from the UK's regulatory body, the Medicines and Health Care Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
After raising £2.1 m (€1.7) in venture capital in December, Oxford-based Caretek Medical has now also secured the support of a major global pharma company to help Caretek run a feasibility study on its innovative needle-free drug delivery system.
Taiwanese generic and contract manufacturer ScinoPharm has seen its sales almost double for the last three years, from $5 m in 2002 to $31m in 2005, fuelled by its booming active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) business.
An innovative point-of-care test has proved four times more effective than the conventional laboratory test in detecting the disease, which is encouraging for sufferers of the fifth most common cancer in the US.
Global demand for pharmaceutical packaging is tipped to increase 6.3 per cent each year to create a $30 bn (€24.4 bn) market in 2009, pushed by emerging pharma industries, tighter government standards on packaging and the burgeoning advanced drug delivery sector.
A new report has claimed that the benefits pharma crop producers enjoy have been greatly exaggerated suggesting that any claims regarding high farmer compensation and booming pharma-crop acreage are likely overblown.
With the first non-injectable insulin to the world market predicted to earn $1.5 bn (€1.2 bn) a year, inhaled pulmonary delivery is winning the race, looking certain to trigger a bitter grapple between the big insulin players.
Esco Micro is the first company outside of Japan to have a Class II biosafety cabinet certified to the Japanese standard for microbiological testing requirements, which are the most stringent in the world.
Genomics company, VASTox, has announced encouraging preclinical results in its drug discovery programme, which aims to find the next generation of treatment for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), a disease of which there is no known cure.
Pharmaceutical company, Phosphagenics, has announced the commencement of animal studies on its anti-cancer compound, which claims to destroy diseased cells while not affecting normal ones by primarily acting as a signalling molecule and modulator of cancer pathways.
German chemicals major Merck has joined the race to bring affordable radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to the market, investing €1 m to establish a research lab at the Technical University of Darmstadt dedicated to the challenge.
Injectable insulin is under threat. The imminent arrival of non-injectable insulin could finally topple the big insulin players off their comfortable perch, in the $7 bn industry that has seen little real competition until now.
Oxford Biomedica and Viragen have announced a breakthrough in transgenic research in which scientists have successfully achieved expression of significant quantities of a human protein in hens that is a key component of the human immune system and is the active ingredient in several leading multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies.
US researchers have managed to create tiny chemical cages that enclose drugs within a capsule that can be manufactured to deliver drugs to organs or tissues without causing harm elsewhere.
International Isotopes has announced the renewal of an existing contract manufacturing agreement, which aims to continue the production of nuclear medicine calibration and reference standards.
UK medical technology producers, Bespak reported healthy sales and profit figures the first half period, identifying three areas of prosperity, which could spell future growth within established markets and opportunities worldwide.
Bruker Optics have reached an agreement with the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), which sees Bruker technology integrated into regional Food and Drug Administration offices aiding the fight against illegal counterfeit drugs.
UK's Biotrace has signed a deal giving US company Pall Corporation exclusive global marketing and distribution rights to its range of microbiological air monitoring products for the pharma industry in order to broaden the geographic coverage of its product sales.
Following the ongoing success of its flagship DataLase range, UK company DataLase (formerly Sherwood Technology) is on track to open a new manufacturing facility in the US in Atlanta this quarter, in order to ramp up its US sales by 2007.
Drug companies are to trial a unique form of brand protection by incorporating a laser marking system on glass vials, which is hoped to act as a deterrent to counterfeiters as engraving is impossible to remove and difficult to copy.
New labelling laws by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will make medicines safer. The layout of prescription drug package inserts have been updated for the first time in 25 years, requiring drug makers to provide doctors with easier access to important information about drug safety.
Enanta Pharmaceuticals has announced the initiation of Phase 2 studies investigating a first in class antibiotic candidate that treats community-acquired respiratory tract infections, which has become the sixth most common cause of death in the US.
Filtration specialists, Pall, and Biotrace have signed an agreement to market microbiological air monitoring technology to the pharmaceutical industry. The deal focuses on microbiological monitoring of manufacturing processes, which is critical to ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and product safety.
The break up of global fine and specialty chemicals company Avecia continued as Fujifilm said it would take over Avecia Inkjet formally next month. The €220 million fee to acquire the company's Inkjet and Electrophotography arm of the business, leaves Avecia Biotechnology as the surviving piece of the company.
Acolyte Biomedica introduces a new platform for its MRSA test, which promises to set the benchmark for laboratory-based screening of the bacterium by confirming negatives in five hours and positives within 24 hours.
Large Scale Biology Corporation (LSBC) along with its subsidiaries Bioprocessing and Predictive Diagnostics, has now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after going bust last month.
Stable Micro Systems has developed a new test for measuring the resilience of thin, film-like products that are used in pharmaceutical products including plasters, bandages, polymer film, micropore tape, synthetic skin and latex, amongst others.
The FDA has cut red tape and modernised its guidance on experimental clinical studies to help improve and accelerate the R&D process of new compounds and ultimately get new drugs to market faster.
After reducing its year-end outlook and reporting its lowest share price for nearly a year in the third quarter, West Pharmaceutical Services has now increased its revenue and earnings per share expectations for the fourth quarter and year-end of December 2005.
Supernus Pharmaceuticals has acquired the drug formulation business of Shire Laboratories (SLI) in a move that strengthens the pharmaceutical technologies and services. The company will make use of the patents to improve its own portfolio and to partner with other pharmaceutical companies.
Biotage has acquired exclusive rights to an evaporation technology, which substantially reduces sample-drying time for pharmaceutical chemists, meeting the need to relieve a major bottleneck in chemistry and drug development.
Global medical technology company Gambro has had imports of its kidney dialysis monitors into the US blocked by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after a failed plant inspection in September.
UK company ComplianceControl is launching new software to streamline the compliance control process, saving precious time and money for pharmaceutical manufacturing companies of all sizes.
As worldwide fears of a bird flu pandemic escalates, US border control are fighting an influx of fake Tamiflu products being imported into the country. Such products have been surfacing across the country as the global Tamiflu shortage has led to a scramble of consumers purchasing the drug from unreliable sources.
Canadian biotech company Generex has begun a study of its flagship oral insulin spray in patients with Type-1 diabetes. The product, already available for type 2 diabetes in Ecuador, was the first non-injectable form of insulin to reach the market when it was launched late last year.
Innovata has backed out of discussions for the possible "all-share" takeover of beleaguered drug development company SkyePharma, citing its inability to be competitive with cash-based offers from other companies.
Bayer has acquired Icon Genetics in a culmination of an existing agreement between the two companies. The deal also solidifies Bayer's direction as it soughts to strengthen its efforts to produce specific plant-made pharmaceuticals.
Maxxon are to receive delivery of the first 5,000 batch of its functional 3 cc Vacuum Operated Retractable Safety Syringe ("ReVac"), which is set to spark a price war amongst fellow manufacturers in the Safety-engineered medical devices (SEMDs) arena.
Researchers are looking into the possibility of using a protein that undesirably shields a skin poxvirus from the immune system as the key ingredient in a new topical treatment for inflammatory diseases.
Shimadzu make available the World's first network-enabled controller that allows web browser access of High Performance Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC) allowing laboratory researchers to control and monitor their Prominence and VP series HPLC systems.
Chromos has announced an expansion to an existing Pfizer collaboration, which builds on research focusing on genetic engineering of production cell lines with multiple genes to improve bioreactor performance and reduce monoclonal antibody (Mabs) production costs.
EntreMed have entered into a new agreement with Elan, which allows the clinical-stage pharmaceutical company to utilise Elan's NanoCrystal Technology to develop the oncology product candidate, Panzem NCD.
MedImmune will soon ramp up production of its intranasal flu vaccine after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its new and larger flu vaccine manufacturing facility in Speke, England.
Centocor has enlisted Cardinal Health to use its rapid cell line development technology to engineer cell lines expressing Centocor's monoclonal antibodies, and speed up the development of new biopharmaceuticals.
CFC International is to be acquired by Quad-C Management in a move that aims to capitalise on the worldwide demand for CFC International products that include hot stamp foils and heat transferable labels for intravenous solution bags, blood bags, tubing and syringes.
After months of speculation, chemical giants BASF have put in a $4.9 billion (€4.1 billion) offer for the Engelhard Corporation, which if successful, would become BASF's largest acquisition to date, surpassing Dow Chemical as the premier global chemical producer.
Buccal drug delivery pioneer, Generex, is expanding its diabetes treatment pipeline to include a new metformin chewing gum that aims to avoid the significant adverse gastrointestinal side-effects often accompanying the use of metformin tablets.
Indian drug maker Shasun Chemicals & Drugs has agreed to buy the customs synthesis business of French company Rhodia Pharma Solutions, in a move to strengthen its global presence in active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), custom synthesis and contract manufacturing.
Baxa has announced it is to move to direct sales and marketing operations in Europe, bringing to an end its existing business strategy, which sold its products through exclusive distributors, with support provided by Baxa from their European Headquarters in the UK.
Nastech have found four new classes of lipids that can be used to enhance transmucosal drug delivery and open up new opportunities for non-injectable forms of drugs that would otherwise require injections.
A restructure of DSM's pharma businesses will see the closure of its Pharma Chemicals site in Michigan, US, in the first half of 2007 and the mothballing of the DSM Biologics facilities in Montreal, Canada at the beginning of 2006, with over 200 staff redundancies as a result.
Australian company pSivida has completed its acquisition of US drug delivery firm, Control Delivery Systems (CDS), as part of its strategy to expand its presence in the US biotech industry.
A new study is underway in the US to define the technical knowledge and expertise required by professionals involved in drug product development and manufacturing. The results will form a basis for a new global credentialing program to raise professional standards within the industry.
Global life sciences company Cambrex is changing course from its planned acquisition program due to increasing financial costs, instead opting for a safer growth strategy in its Bioproducts segment.
The firing of Dr Peter Rost by Pfizer highlights the position that employees can be faced with if they take a stand on what they believe to be illegal activity in the companies they work for.
Lonza has scored a manufacturing contract to help Bristol Myers-Squibb (BMS) meet anticipated demand of its newly approved drug that will offer a new treatment option for rheumatoid arthritis, a disease that afflicts more than two million Americans.
With two acquisitions in two months, US biotechnology major Genzyme has strengthened and diversified its ability to develop gene therapy products that use either adenovirus or adeno-associated virus vectors.
Millipore has introduced a new 24-well cell culture plate which has twice the membrane surface area compared with other 24-well plates, allowing researchers to utilize greater cell mass, which more closely models cell behaviour.
Forest Laboratories, having developed what it believes is the world's first dry powder inhalation system for antibiotics, is now conducting phase III trials on a new dry powder antibiotic formulation which promises to change the lives of cystic fibrosis sufferers by drastically reducing the daily treatment time.
Dutch biotechnology company Crucell continues to push its PER.C6 cell line forward into the worldwide market, with a new agreement now enabling the revolutionary vaccine technology to be used to manufacture vaccines in Canada.
Adoption of RFID hardware and software throughout the pharma industry is about to explode, spurred on by the push from industry organizations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement RFID tags to combat sales of fake drugs, according to reports by market research analysts Gartner and Frost & Sullivan.
A new range of high-speed automatic capsule filling machines has been launched by UK's Hanningfield Process Systems that are suitable for most types of hard shell capsule, and offer pharmaceutical manufacturers rapid capsule size changeover.
Near-infrared (NIR) chemical imaging is emerging as the analytical tool of choice for drug formulation development, analysis and process monitoring of the increasing number of advanced drug delivery systems.
A new report warns that as nanotechnology becomes a reality, Europe must not miss the boat, and raises the alarm that the potential benefits of nanomedicine in Europe will be lost without major investment in R&D.
A group of researchers think they have cracked the gene code behind a key family of fungi, which includes the leading cause of death in leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. The genome discovery could help combat disease and lead to new drugs.
| « Previous month | Next month » |