News in brief

Arena to cut staff to focus on Lorcaserin approval efforts

31-Jan-2011 - Arena Pharmaceutical will cut its workforce by 25 per cent as it refocuses to try and win US approval for its weight management drug Lorcaserin.

Solid-state training to advance China beyond API infancy

31-Jan-2011 - Crystal Pharmatech is to provide solid-state characterisation training in China to advance local API and drug development beyond its “infancy phase”.

S&D Group calls for ban on “export of death”

31-Jan-2011 - The European Parliament’s Socialist and Democrats (S&D) group wants to ban the export of drugs used to execute death row inmates.

Tianyin completes new Jiangchuan macrolide facility

31-Jan-2011 - Tianyin Pharmaceutical has completed the construction of its Jiangchuan macrolide facility (JCM) near Chengdu, China.

News in brief

Mitsubishi Tanabe recalls some drug batches on quality concerns

27-Jan-2011 - Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma has recalled three lots of injected drugs made at its plant in Ashikaga, Japan after “some aspects of [quality] testing were inadequate.”

Elan chops 130 jobs but keeps private jet

27-Jan-2011 - Irish drugmaker Elan has confirmed that it has axed 130 jobs, reducing its workforce by 10 per cent.

SurModics' pharma biz sees revenue fall in Q1 2011

27-Jan-2011 - SurModics is still considering “strategic alternatives” for its pharmaceutical business, which has seen revenues continue to decline in the first quarter of 2011.

Medisafe developing barcode tech to tackle counterfeits

27-Jan-2011 - Medisafe 1 Technologies is to enter the pharma anti-counterfeiting sector through development of a barcode system.

Oystar sells Brazilian unit to Masipack

27-Jan-2011 - Oystar has sold its Brazilian unit, Oystar Fabrima, to Sao Paulo-headquartered firm Masipack in an effort to focus its business on country’s the primary and secondary packaging markets.

Abbott to cut 1,900 commercial & manufacturing jobs in US

27-Jan-2011 - Abbott Laboratories is to cut 1,900 US commercial and manufacturing jobs in response to healthcare reform and tough regulators.

Big pharma reacts to Putin’s warning by increasing Russian manufacturing

26-Jan-2011 - GSK and Teva will invest in Russian drug manufacturing in response to PM Vladimir Putin’s warning that Pharmas will face restrictions if they fail to boost local production and transfer...

News in brief

PsiOxus Therapeutics sees industry demand for oncolytic vaccines

26-Jan-2011 - PsiOxus Therapeutics has predicted growing demand for oncolytic vaccines, citing recent industry acquisitions as evidence of the need for novel treatments for cancer.

Pharmsynthez buys Kevelt to grow in Europe

26-Jan-2011 - Russian drugmaker Pharmsynthez has bought Estonian manufacturer Kevelt in a bid to expand its international business.

People on the move: pharma jobs

26-Jan-2011 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including a new job for former FDA chief and Catalent packaging appointments.

Weak anti-counterfeiting slowing ASEAN harmonisation

26-Jan-2011 - Failure to reduce counterfeiting is one of a number of issues slowing healthcare regulation harmonisation in ASEAN.

Affygility launches EHS-focused smartphone app

Affygility launches EHS-focused smartphone app

25-Jan-2011 - Affygility Solutions has launched a new smartphone app designed to let life science EHS’ to access compliance requirements in real-team.

Hospira kills production of death-row drug, Pentothal

25-Jan-2011 - Hospira has confirmed it will no longer make Pentothal - an anaesthetic used in lethal injections – as the company “never condoned” its use in executions.

Baxter halts PD production at Castlebar to investigate contamination

25-Jan-2011 - Baxter has shut down a production area at its plant in Castlebar, Ireland, telling the EMA it cannot guarantee peritoneal dialysis (PD) solutions made there are free of endotoxin contamination.

Torrent investing in capacity to support international expansion

25-Jan-2011 - Torrent Pharma has begun construction of $75m API and formulation facilities in India to support its international expansion programme.

Dramatic lack of planning harming pandemic preparation

25-Jan-2011 - There is a dramatic lack of planning for the production and distribution of medical pandemic countermeasures, according to an OECD report.

News in brief

One killed and two injured during cleaning ops at Baxter plant

24-Jan-2011 - One employee has died and two have been injured after an incident at Baxter International’s manufacturing facility in Atwater, California last weekend.

FDA wants limits on bead size in “sprinkle delivery” drugs

24-Jan-2011 - The US FDA has suggested pharmaceutical firms use a maximum bead size of 2.0mm for modified-release drugs formulated for “sprinkle” delivery to avoid problems resulting from inadvertent chewing.

Genzyme to build new Belgium manufacturing plant

24-Jan-2011 - Genzyme will build a second manufacturing plant in Geel, Belgium to ensure it has the capacity to meet demand for its Pompe disease drugs Myozyme and Lumizyme.

Amrutanjan & Austin form clinical trial material venture

24-Jan-2011 - Amrutanjan and Austin Chemical are establishing a joint venture to market Indian-produced clinical trial materials.

Dreamboat sinks MannKind’s latest US Afrezza effort

20-Jan-2011 - The US FDA has rejected MannKind’s inhaled insulin Afrezza and called for more clinical trials to prove the product’s “Dreamboat” delivery tech is comparable to the MedTone device used in...

Teva to axe 200 Irvine jobs as all production halts

20-Jan-2011 - Teva has confirmed it will cut 200 jobs this year after a voluntary hold was placed on all manufacturing at its Irvine, California, US facility.

All Indian pharma exports to require barcodes from July

20-Jan-2011 - All Indian pharma exports will soon require barcodes on primary, secondary and tertiary packaging as part of anti-counterfeiting efforts.

Magnetic pills attractive option for drug delivery

20-Jan-2011 - A magnetically controlled pill may boost the body’s absorption of drugs by safely securing the tablet at the right site in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, say researchers at Brown University,...

News in brief

Cambrex’s India site receives EU GMP certification

19-Jan-2011 - Cambrex’s Hyderabad, India plant has received a GMP compliance certificate, accepted throughout the EU, from the DKMA.

Actavis expands renewable energy powered pharma manufacturing plant

19-Jan-2011 - Actavis has expanded its renewable energy powered pharmaceutical manufacturing site in Iceland for tablet manufacturing and packaging.

Green plant-based production to boost Brazilian biologics

19-Jan-2011 - Bio-Manguinhos has licensed green plant-based vaccine production technology to position Brazil at the forefront of biologics manufacture.

People on the move: pharma jobs

19-Jan-2011 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including a new job for former EMA chief and Catalent strengthening its production team.

Euticals to buy Archimica to expand manufacturing base

18-Jan-2011 - Italy-based API maker Euticals will buy fine chemicals firm Archimica from investment group TowerBrook Capital Partners.

NHS offering prize to innovations tackling patient compliance

18-Jan-2011 - The UK NHS will award a prize to innovations that increase patient compliance and, as a result, help it make better use of resources.

ShangPharma opens Fengxian facility

18-Jan-2011 - ShangPharma has opened a multi-purpose pharmaceutical development cGMP manufacturing facility in Fengxian, China, and started operations on the initial phase of production.

Fairfield adds 3-in-1 scanner

18-Jan-2011 - Fairfield Group has introduced a scanner capable of reading 1D barcodes, Pharmacodes and 2D data matrices used on pharmaceutical packaging.

News in brief

GSK expects Avandia legal costs of $3.4bn

18-Jan-2011 - GSK has set aside an additional £2.2bn ($3.4bn) to cover anticipated Q4 legal costs related to a US investigation of its diabetes drug Avandia.

Exclusive interview

ISP discusses solvent selection and solids in spray drying

17-Jan-2011 - Solvent selection and solid loading are critical to optimising the spray drying process and unlocking its solubility-enhancing properties for drug production according to a new report by ISP Pharmaceuticals.

News in brief

Rentschler to produce IFN-beta 1a API for Faron

17-Jan-2011 - Rentschler Biotechnologie has inked a deal to become the sole manufacturer of recombinant human interferon beta-1a (IFN-beta 1a) API for Faron Pharmaceutical.

B-MS recalls 64m Puerto Rico-made Avalide tablets

17-Jan-2011 - Bristol-Myers Squibb has recalled 64m tablets of its Avalide blood pressure drug in the US and Puerto Rico over fears it has the potential for reduced efficacy.

Minimal flooding at Sigma sites but deliveries disrupted

17-Jan-2011 - Sigma has experienced minimal damage from Australian floods but road closures have impacted on deliveries to customers.

Schott joins Naigai to break into Japanese pharma packaging market

17-Jan-2011 - German technology group Schott and Japan’s Naigai Glass Industry Company have teamed up to enter the country’s pharmaceutical packaging market.

New deals in the German drug packaging sector

13-Jan-2011 - Expansion has been a theme for German pharmaceutical packaging firms of late with the acquisition of Seidenader Maschinenbau by the Kober Group following just weeks after Edelmann bought a stake...

Telstar Puretech offers pharma water production solutions

13-Jan-2011 - Telstar Group and Puretech Process Systems are teaming up to meet the flood of pharma and biotech demand for water treatment technologies.

KV shares plummet after FDA delay prompts liquidity evaluation

13-Jan-2011 - KV Pharmaceutical saw its share price plummet after an FDA delay prompted it to evaluate its liquidity outlook.

Genzyme lowers guidance after Fabrazyme production delay

13-Jan-2011 - Genzyme has lowered 2011 financial projections after delaying the date it expects Fabrazyme production to return to normal.

Sun set on buying NextPharma and expanding it through acquisitions

12-Jan-2011 - NextPharma Technologies will be bought by Sun European Partners, the European adviser to US investment group Sun Capital Partners, in a deal announced late yesterday.

Entrega emerges from Enlight Biosciences

12-Jan-2011 - Enlight Biosciences, a Boston, US-based drug discovery and development technologies company, has formed the new company, Entrega, which focuses on oral drug delivery techniques.

Fedegari opts for Wind River RTOS for sterilisation units

12-Jan-2011 - Mobile software developer Wind River says Fedegari Autoclavi has adopted its VxWorks real-time operating system (RTOS) for its Therma4 control systems for its industrial sterilisation machines.

News in brief

NextWave raises $45m to further extended-release portfolio

12-Jan-2011 - NextWave Pharmaceuticals has secured $45m (€35m) in Series C financing to commercialise products using its proprietary drug delivery technology.

People on the move: pharma jobs

12-Jan-2011 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at BioDelivery Sciences, SOCMA and Sanofi-aventis.

News in brief

Materials advances driving autoinjector market, report

11-Jan-2011 - Advances in materials technology are driving the autoinjection drug delivery device market according to new research.

Data exclusivity leads to pharmaceutical innovation, say researchers

11-Jan-2011 - A report claims that extended clinical trial data exclusivity would benefit pharmaceutical innovation, leading to over 200 extra drug approvals and to greater life expectancy in future decades.

Thermo Fischer Scientific on track for $2bn Dionex acqusition

11-Jan-2011 - Thermo Fisher Scientific expects Dionex acquisition to boost global customer base and bolster applied chromatography offering.

Aurobindo to sell Chinese ingredient unit to Sinopharm

11-Jan-2011 - Aurobindo Pharma is to sell its Chinese unit to Sinopharm as part of a strategic shift from low-margin ingredients to more profitable formulations.

Dendreon building Germany plant to support EU entry

11-Jan-2011 - Dendreon is to build a Provenge production facility in Germany, due to be operational in 2013, and in the meantime is to outsource to a CMO.

Indian cultural diversity affects attitudes to pharma packaging

10-Jan-2011 - Cultural diversity within India underpins differing attitudes to oral dose pharmaceutical packaging and this could impact on prescribing habits.

USP wants clearer drug labels

10-Jan-2011 - The United States Pharmacopeia (USP) says proposed new labelling standards for prescription pharmaceuticals will improve patient safety and reduce drug misuse.

News in brief

Leak at Wanbei Pharma plant injures 62

10-Jan-2011 - Sixty-two workers at Wanbei Pharmaceutical’s manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China have been sickened after a chemical leak.

Drugmakers will make ‘aggressive changes’ to R&D this year, say researchers

10-Jan-2011 - Drug developers are “aggressively changing” research and development (R&D) methods in the pursuit of the next blockbuster, according to the Tufts Centre for the Study of Drug Development (Tufts CSDD)....

Legislation & resources needed as Croatia prepares to join EU

10-Jan-2011 - Legislation and resources are needed to support Croatian pharmaceutical regulators in preparation for accession to the European Union (EU).

FDA cGMP warning letters round up

06-Jan-2011 - in-PharmaTechnologist.com presents a round up of cGMP related warning letters published recently by the FDA.

Mocon supplies Tibetan pack testing lab

06-Jan-2011 - Instrument supplier Mocon has taken its business to new heights, literally, by installing two testing units at a Government pharmaceutical laboratory in Lhasa, Tibet.

People on the move: pharma jobs

06-Jan-2011 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including a departure at the US FDA’s principal deputy commissioner and appointments at Cephalon, AstraZeneca and Biogen Idec....

News in brief

Synageva & to-BBB research delivering proteins to brain

06-Jan-2011 - Synageva BioPharma and to-BBB technologies are collaborating on transporting therapeutic proteins across the blood-brain barrier (B-BB).

Non-EU APIs a concern says EMA in 2015 Roadmap

05-Jan-2011 - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has highlighted the quality APIs manufactured outside the EU as an area of concern in the draft 2015 road map it unveiled this week.

UCB expects to beat 2010 estimates; plans Cimzia plant expansion

05-Jan-2011 - Belgium’s UCB expects to beat its guidance for 2010 due to higher than expected drug sales.

Pharma important to recovery of blister packaging sector, report

05-Jan-2011 - Demand for compliant, patient safe packs will help drive the global blister packaging market to a total value of $32.5bn by 2015, according to new research.

GSK hits back at 60 minutes doc on "broken" Cidra plant

04-Jan-2011 - GSK says there is no evidence that patients were harmed as a result of production issues at its manufacturing plant in Cidra, Puerto Rico.

Merck KGaA sets up Indian tech centre

04-Jan-2011 - Merck KGaA has opened a new centre in India to showcase its range of technology solutions to the country’s rapidly expanding pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

Latest M&As in the pharmaceutical space

04-Jan-2011 - in-Pharmatechnologist presents a roundup of the latest deals and acquisitions in the pharmaceutical sector with news from Optima, SPI and DPS Engineering.

News in brief

Dr Reddy’s aims at Russian growth with R-Pharma accord

04-Jan-2011 - Indian drugmaker Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has formed a manufacturing partnership with R-Pharm in a bid to strengthen its position in Russia’s fast-growing drug market.

US FDA joins PIC/S after 5 year review

03-Jan-2011 - The US FDA has finally become a member of the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Co-Operation Inspection Scheme (PIC/S) after a five-year application process.

“Particulate matter” cited in Luitpold and Cumberland recalls

03-Jan-2011 - US drugmakers Luitpold and Cumberland have both withdrawn injectable pharmaceutical products after contamination concerns.

News in brief

Blast kills five at drug plant in China

03-Jan-2011 - An explosion at a plant owned by Chinese drugmaker Quanxin Pharmaceutical Company has killed five employees and injured eight more according to a number of reports.