Catalent, SSI are Biogen's ePedigree chums

31-Jan-2008 - US contract manufacturer Catalent Pharma Solutions has leveraged its partnership with Secure Symbology (SSI) for track and trace barcode technology to help biopharmaceutical company Biogen Idec comply with California's pending...

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

31-Jan-2008 - Allos Therapeutics, Inovio Biomedical, Cortegra and Genetix have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Ditch batch: continuous is the future

31-Jan-2008 - At this week's Informex show in New Orleans, experts at a packed out session discussed the potential of up-and-coming continuous processing technologies and posed the question: is batch processing yesterday's...

Plexera inks DNA-based protein chip deal

31-Jan-2008 - Plexera Biosciences is hoping to leave its rivals in its wake following an exclusive option agreement for Auguron Biosciences' DNA-based protein chips.

Prosonix lands exclusive particle engineering tech

31-Jan-2008 - UK firm Prosonix has teamed up with defence specialist Rafael, exclusively licensing the firm's ultrasonic particle engineering technology to bolster its position in the process chemistry market.

Even proteins can have a popularity contest

31-Jan-2008 - Disease treatments could be developed faster thanks to a new mathematical model that calculates how popular a protein is in terms of how likely another protein will want to associate...

Administrators attempting to sell UK's Jaycare

31-Jan-2008 - Administrators are now trying to sell Jaycare, a UK custom manufacturer and supplier of rigid plastic packaging, medical devices and technical componentry to the pharma and healthcare industries, which has...

Taking hormones out of the water

30-Jan-2008 - US researchers have developed a method of treating waste water that is effective in stripping out hormonal compounds thought to arise from the use and manufacturing of contraceptives and other...

BD on the up after impressive Q1 results

30-Jan-2008 - Becton Dickinson has reported first quarter earnings that nearly doubled year-on-year - with sales driven on by the weak American currency and outweighing increased operating costs.

New Alzheimer's theory gains NASA backing

30-Jan-2008 - A controversial new theory on the origins of Alzheimer's has divided opinion in the medical world, but if proved right could 'revolutionise' treatment.

Real time tablet testing OK for continuous processing

30-Jan-2008 - A non-destructive method of carrying out a series of tests on solid dosage forms, developed by UK firm Teraview, can be carried out in real time on the production line...

RedEye Patch keeps oxygen covered

30-Jan-2008 - A new, non-invasive device for monitoring oxygen content in packaging and other enclosed containers has been launched by US optical sensing specialist Ocean Optics.

Clontech Labs fine tune cell protein levels

30-Jan-2008 - Clontech Laboratories is about to release its ProteoTuner System which can regulate the amount of protein in a cell and ought to be a powerful tool to analyse a protein's...

Labcyte, Deerac Fluidics merge for improved liquid handling

29-Jan-2008 - Labcyte and Deerac Fluidics, which both make liquid handling devices, albeit for different low-volume ranges, have decided to merge and combine their technologies.

Contract downturns cause Catalent cutbacks

29-Jan-2008 - Unexpected contract downturns have resulted in Catalent Pharma Solutions having to lay off 100 workers at its soft gelatin capsules facility in St Petersburg, Florida.

Thermo and FANUC unveil new robot for drug discovery

29-Jan-2008 - Thermo Fisher Scientific aims to make automation in the drug discovery lab a whole lot easier through the development of an articulated robot specifically designed for pharmaceutical applications.

Pfizer reveals latest Exubera casualties

29-Jan-2008 - 660 Pfizer employees are the latest casualties of the drug giant's failed bid to capture the diabetes market with its once-touted blockbuster, Exubera.

Merck wants more of SurModics' eye delivery tech

29-Jan-2008 - Merck & Co has expanded its licensing agreement with SurModics in a further endorsement of the latter's I-vation drug delivery system for eye diseases.

WaferGen pushes PCR research with Malaysian subsidiary

29-Jan-2008 - WaferGen has launched a new subsidiary in Kedah, Malaysia, with the express purpose of overseeing research and development of its real-time PCR system.

SOS: save our solvent!

29-Jan-2008 - In any laboratory, or indeed in any pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, one of the major expenses will be solvents. And just like the price of petrol and diesel it just keeps...

PerkinElmer 4Q profit sees CEO leave on high

29-Jan-2008 - PerkinElmer post a 26 per cent rise in its Q4 profits, boosted by its laboratory and diagnostic equipment sales and confounding Wall Street expectations in the process. The company also...

Rhodium catalysts speed up drug synthesis

29-Jan-2008 - In the world of chemistry the majority of reactions are well known and have been around for a very long time producing similar compounds. It is not very often that...

Singapore's biomedical manufacturing down a third in December

28-Jan-2008 - Another sharp decline in biomedical production saw overall manufacturing output in Singapore fall for the second month running in December, prompting fears that the heavily trade-reliant economy could buckle under...

Acquisitions pay off for Novozymes ingredients in 2007

28-Jan-2008 - The small but fast-growing biopharmaceutical ingredients (BPI) business of Denmark's Novozymes, the leading manufacturer of industrial enzymes worldwide, delivered a strong performance in 2007, with sales rising 67 per cent...

Moxatag approval a crucial first for MiddleBrook

28-Jan-2008 - MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals secured a crucial endorsement for its Pulsys oral drug delivery system last week when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the company's lead pipeline product, Moxatag,...

Wyeth warns of job cut woes

28-Jan-2008 - Wyeth is the latest big pharma firm to warn that major job cuts are on the cards, amidst a series of drug approval setbacks and generic erosion on profits.

UAE's first pharma 3PL provider springs up

28-Jan-2008 - A new enterprise in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is establishing itself as the region's first pharmaceutical-focused third party logistics (3PL) provider.

Lonza looks to the future as it reveals 2007 profit hike

24-Jan-2008 - Lonza has revealed a profit hike for the full year of 2007, reflecting the fruit of its "revised growth strategies" across its business units, said the firm, which also announced...

Applied Biosystems and Mettler Toledo team up to tackle lab management

24-Jan-2008 - Applied Biosystems has initiated a collaboration with Mettler Toledo with the intention of integrating their lab management software applications.

Bio-succinic acid to go commercial

24-Jan-2008 - With the price of crude oil going up almost every day it is no surprise that this has a knock-on effect to the price of raw materials for the pharmaceutical...

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

24-Jan-2008 - Codexis, NanoInk, HepaLife, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals and Calibrant Biosystems have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Heavyweights step up to the plate at LabAutomation 2008

24-Jan-2008 - Tecan and PerkinElmer have taken the opportunity to showcase new plate reader products at LabAutomation 2008, firmly re-establishing themselves as major players in this popular and lucrative sector.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

24-Jan-2008 - KBI Biopharma, Helix BioMedix and Azopharma have all recently announced new contract manufacturing news.

23andMe genetic analysis launches in Europe

24-Jan-2008 - Google funded start up, 23andme, has now launched its gene tests and web-based analysis in Canada and Europe.

Nabi up for sale, merger

24-Jan-2008 - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals this week announced that is considering a possible sale or merger of the company, with 'multiple entities' apparently interested in the business.

US team put right the 'hidden dirty secret' of quantum dots

24-Jan-2008 - US scientists have found a way of stopping quantum dots from 'blinking'. The resultant increase in light intensity could make them more useful in medical research.

Invetech commits to tackle US market

24-Jan-2008 - Australia-based Invetech has committed itself to tackling the US market, opening up its first facility in the country - home of the world's largest drug industry.

New HPAPI plant for Novasep

23-Jan-2008 - French firm Novasep has significantly upped its capacity with a new high potency active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) plant at its facility in Le Mans, France.

'World's best microscope' up and running

23-Jan-2008 - The world's most powerful transmission electron microscope has been turned on in the US, with single-atom resolution bringing within reach the ability to analyse chemicals simply by looking at them.

Teva jumps on biologics bandwagon with $400m buy

23-Jan-2008 - Israeli generics behemoth Teva is following the market and banking on the promise of biologics with its purchase of Human Genome Sciences biotech spin-off, CoGenesys.

Vapourtec add-ons put spotlight on Flow Chemistry

23-Jan-2008 - Vapourtec has made two new additions to its Flow Chemistry platform available as the company make headway in an emerging field, which aims to speed up laboratory processes in drug...

1000 Genomes Project launched

23-Jan-2008 - An international consortium has begun an ambitious project to sequence the complete genomes of at least 1,000 people in order to learn more about the effect of genetics on disease.

Bosch opens India packaging plant to boost sales, sourcing

22-Jan-2008 - Bosch Packaging has opened a new manufacturing facility in Goa, India, to cater to its growing customer base in the booming emerging market and increase sourcing for its European headquarters.

Ventana gives in to Roche merger following increased offer

22-Jan-2008 - After seven months of offers, refusals and heated exchanges, it seems an increased offer from Roche has finally persuaded the powers that be at Ventana to sell up.

BMS mothballs another Puerto Rico Plant

22-Jan-2008 - Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has revealed plans to close another site in Puerto Rico in its latest cost-cutting move.

Fluorotechnics signs up Wako for Japan push

22-Jan-2008 - Australian firm Fluorotechnics wants to bolster the sales of its proteomics products in Japan and so has signed up Osaka firm Wako Pure Chemical Industries to help.

Beckman Coulter pens molecular diagnostics alliance

22-Jan-2008 - Beckman Coulter has launched a four-year collaboration with Irish University NUI Galway in the hope of speeding up molecular diagnostic tests.

Funding boost for innovative VacciMax platform

22-Jan-2008 - Canadian vaccine specialist ImmunoVaccine Technologies (IVT) has scored a multi-million dollar grant to go towards developing its potent immune enhancement systems.

GE rattled in Q4 as X-ray business suffers

22-Jan-2008 - GE Healthcare has reported its fourth quarter and full year financial results in a tough 12 months that have seen the laboratory imaging and diagnostics company feel the full force...

Tekturna combo gets US OK

22-Jan-2008 - Novartis has announced the US approval of its first-in-class blood pressure med Tekturna (aliskiren) combined with a diuretic in a single-tablet formulation.

FDA considering establishing Indian presence

21-Jan-2008 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering establishing a presence in India, amidst the country's growing ties with the US pharma industry.

Roche ramps up biotech

21-Jan-2008 - Roche has announced major investments at three of its European sites, continuing its drive to strengthen its position in the biopharmaceutical market.

Actavis snaps up Pfizer plant

21-Jan-2008 - Icelandic generics firm Actavis is the proud new owner of Pfizer's manufacturing facility in Nerviano, Italy.

Medegen enters Mexico

21-Jan-2008 - California-based Medegen has opened a new facility in Mexico to meet the 'heightened demand' for outsourced contract manufacturing.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: news in brief

17-Jan-2008 - In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you a selection of recent headlines from around the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

Industry news in brief - 3

17-Jan-2008 - LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of recent industry news, with developments at Activotec, Protagen, Caprotec Bioanalytics and PANalytical.

Outsourcing 'instrumental' in healthcare

17-Jan-2008 - Outsourcing will be seen as being "instrumental" in the eyes of healthcare and biopharma firms this year as the focus on cost reduction continues to increase, according to a new...

Weekly comment

UK Government plans will stifle innovation, say biotechs

16-Jan-2008 - New UK Government proposals to scrap Capital Gains Tax (CGT) relief will stifle life science innovation, according to a group of biotech small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Product news in brief - week 3

16-Jan-2008 - LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of the latest product news and releases from Lonza, MIP Technologies and Supelco, Illumina, Cisbio, Bookham and Tecan.

Sartorius Stedim inks deal, closes plant

16-Jan-2008 - Processing specialist Sartorius Stedim Biotech today announced a cooperation and supply deal with systems manufacturing firm Paul Mueller Company for the US market, with a production facility in Pennsylvania set...

EC launches major pharma industry probe

16-Jan-2008 - The European Commission has launched an investigation into the entire European pharmaceutical sector, with surprise raids on a number of manufacturers in a bid to unearth any evidence of foul-play...

Wyeth site rescued by new start-up firm

16-Jan-2008 - Wyeth's manufacturing facility in Rouses Point, New York, has been spared the scrap heap, with yesterday's announcement that new pharma player Akrimax has bought up the beleaguered site.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

16-Jan-2008 - Neurocrine, Mersana Therapeutics, ISPE and Nastech have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Buffer cocktail maintains pH when freezing

16-Jan-2008 - Scientists have discovered a technique that can ensure lab samples stay at the right pH, even when frozen and the discovery could bring into doubt previously published research.

US bid approaches for Whatman send share price sky high

15-Jan-2008 - UK separation technology specialists Whatman has confirmed it has received a number of preliminary approaches for the firm, sending its shares rocketing up.

Invitrogen acquires liver test experts CellzDirect

15-Jan-2008 - Invitrogen has splashed the cash on a manufacturer of liver cell products that can be used to test a drug's potential toxicity and so avoid costly clinical failures.

SAFC boosts biologics

15-Jan-2008 - SAFC is still on its expansion drive, with yet another multi-million dollar investment announced this week, this time at the company's niche biologics plant in Carlsbad, California.

Novo drops inhaled insulin plans in post-Exubera fallout

15-Jan-2008 - Mere months after Pfizer's high profile exit from the inhaled insulin market in the wake of Exubera's much publicised market failure, Novo Nordisk announced late last night that it, too,...

Artes, Minapharm in protein pact

15-Jan-2008 - German firm Artes announced a new collaboration with Rhein Minapharm Biogenetics to develop three therapeutic proteins.

Sarkozy slammed for GM crop ban

15-Jan-2008 - The Biotechnology Industry Organization has fired a broadside at French President Nicolas Sarkozy after he banned a GM corn crop without, it says, 'any scientific basis'.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

15-Jan-2008 - AMRI, Pharmaceutics International, Celitrion and Gland Pharma have all recently generated new contract manufacturing news.

Cambrex makes Estonian API biz buy

14-Jan-2008 - Cambrex' Swedish arm has agreed to purchase ProSyntest, an Estonian active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) research and development company.

Funding shot for cell-based vaccines

14-Jan-2008 - A major grant has been awarded to a UK consortium working to develop predictive manufacturing tools for cell-based cancer vaccines.

Former ICOS plant finds new home with Saltigo

14-Jan-2008 - Chemical and intermediates firm Lanxess has announced that its subsidiary Saltigo is the proud new owner of a site in Washington in the US, formerly used by Eli Lilly subsidiary,...

Affymetrix prep new genotyping tools

10-Jan-2008 - How do you build on what has been dubbed the 'scientific breakthrough of 2007'? Affymetrix believes it has the answer with its next-gen arrays.

Thousands of rodents saved from drug testing

10-Jan-2008 - Thousands of rodents lives will be saved each year after a specific animal test is being scrapped following a review by 18 pharmaceutical companies.

bioMerieux shifts to France

10-Jan-2008 - Diagnostics firm bioMérieux has announced plans to shift activities at its facility in the Netherlands to France, shutting down the Dutch site as it continues to haemorrhage cash.

Multispan, Promega team up on GPCRs

10-Jan-2008 - US firms Multispan and Promega have paired up to develop assay tools for G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) screening, in the hope of speeding up drug discovery on these, the most...

BioAlliance buccal tab making way across EU

10-Jan-2008 - BioAlliance Pharma has gained marketing authorisation for its novel muco-adhesive antifungal tablet in the UK and Denmark, triggering a €2.5m payment and marching on with the drug's launch across Europe.

JAMA article boosts Novartis meningitis jab

10-Jan-2008 - Novartis has been keen to shout about data published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that backs up claims that it has developed the first...

Teva earmarks $1bn for India plans

10-Jan-2008 - The world's generics titan, Teva, has reportedly earmarked over $1bn to fuel an ambitious plan to broaden its presence in India.

Industry news in brief week 2

10-Jan-2008 - LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of recent industry news, with developments at Advanced Cell Technology and Qiagen, Gene Bridges, Evotec and BioTek Instruments.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

09-Jan-2008 - Draxis, Intertech Bio, Relypsa, Ikaria Holdings and BioReliance have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Product News in Brief - week 2

09-Jan-2008 - LabTechnologist.com brings you a round up of the latest product news and releases from Millipore, Gen-Probe, WaferGen, Beckman Coulter, Lab M, Labcyte, NuGen Technologies and PerkinElmer.

DermTech, Stiefel Labs try to spot acne genes

09-Jan-2008 - Skin cancer detection specialists DermTech have decided to turn their hand to acne after signing an agreement with Stiefel Laboratories to identify spot-causing genes.

Into Africa - Roche expands HIV tech transfer

09-Jan-2008 - Roche today announced a handful of new charitable technology transfer agreements with manufacturers in Africa and Asia, allowing local production of generic HIV drugs.

US approval for once daily Cialis

09-Jan-2008 - Eli Lilly's once-a-day version of its erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment Cialis (tadalafil) has finally got the go ahead from US regulators, six months after approval in the EU.

Millipore promises pure biologics

08-Jan-2008 - Millipore has announced the first fruit of its collaboration with testing specialist Gen-Probe, with the launch of a new contaminant detection system for biopharmaceutical manufacturers.

ABI service programme for SOLiD genome analysis

08-Jan-2008 - Applied Biosystems (ABI) has teamed up with several service providers to increase scientists' access to its SOLiD genome analysis system and hopefully save them some money.

Roquette and Biogrund to bring starch based film coatings to market

08-Jan-2008 - A starch-based film coating for nutraceuticals which can be tailored to manufacturer's needs is being developed through a strategic partnership by Roquette and Biogrund.

Antares lands fourth Teva deal

08-Jan-2008 - Drug delivery specialist Antares Pharma has landed its fourth deal with Israeli generics behemoth Teva, this time to develop a novel pen injector for two Teva products.

Superbug test approved, cuts days off MRSA diagnosis

08-Jan-2008 - Numerous lives could be saved by a new blood test that can identify MRSA within two hours, instead of as many days, following its approval by the US Food and...

Contract manufacturing news in brief

08-Jan-2008 - Pfizer, Hyaluron Contract Manufacturing and DSM have all recently generated new contract manufacturing news.

April 1 cut-off for cold and flu meds

08-Jan-2008 - Pharmacies in the UK would indeed be foolish to ignore new restrictions on nasal decongestants that will become law as of April 1, 2008.

Pharma machinery key to India's growth

08-Jan-2008 - Equipment manufacturing is one of the keys to helping India swell its portion of the global pharma pie, according to a new report from KPMG, so long as the sector...

Weekly Comment

Warding off the generic attack

07-Jan-2008 - A recent report has detailed the challenges facing the pharma industry as the generic flood gates open, with the constant advice to start planning early still apparently not heeded by...

Crucell, Sanofi mix it up with rabies cocktail deal

07-Jan-2008 - Dutch firm Crucell last week announced that it has entered into an agreement with vaccine specialist Sanofi Pasteur for its next generation rabies antibody cocktail.

India can dominate global pharma landscape

07-Jan-2008 - Although India 'has carved out a significant portion of the world pharma pie', an enormous change in mindset is needed if the country is to become a global pharmaceutical hub,...

Drug industry spend twice as much on marketing as on R&D

07-Jan-2008 - The pharma industry spends almost twice as much promoting its drugs as it does trying to develop them, according to a new study.

FDA approval for Skye, Sciele blood pressure med

03-Jan-2008 - Despite a two month extension of the PDUFA date by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Sciele and SkyePharma this week announced the approval of their controlled release formulation...

Model checks out how biosensors shape up

03-Jan-2008 - A group of US researchers have developed a new computer model to study and design miniature biosensors, which could help life scientists perfect lab-on-a-chip technology.

Pharma packagers all wrapped up

03-Jan-2008 - Several pharmaceutical packaging players completed deals in time for the holidays, with Schott, Gerresheimer and Alcoa all announcing developments in the closing days of 2007.

Visualising protein dynamics

03-Jan-2008 - A new technique that allows scientists to visualise protein dynamics in live cell cultures could help scientists fish out specific rare cells out of a sea of clones.

New plan of action for US nanotechnology

03-Jan-2008 - Barriers to innovation and technology transfer must be lowered if the US is to continue being a global leader in nanotechnology research and development in the future.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

02-Jan-2008 - Applied Biosystems, Pharmos, Pearl Therapeutics, Pacira Pharmaceuticals and Covance have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

A drug cocktail to bust brain tumours

02-Jan-2008 - A team of US researchers have uncovered a cocktail of three drugs that could be effective at treating every patient with a particular type of brain cancer that typically has...

Merck divests API plant; hands out large contract

02-Jan-2008 - Merck & Co has handed the reins of one of its US active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facilities over to new a owner, who has also secured a lucrative contract...

More pharmas implicated in Iraq bribery probe

02-Jan-2008 - While GSK, AstraZeneca and Eli Lilly have hit the headlines in the UK Serious Fraud Office's (SFO) investigation into illegal bribes paid to Saddam Hussein's Iraqi regime, many more pharma...

Fine Foods extends within pharma

02-Jan-2008 - Italy's Fine Foods has purchased a domestic contract manufacturer operating in the pharmaceutical arena, extending its presence in this industry.