The Challenge of Change - Managing Excipients Control
Colorcon
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Swiss outsourcing company Lonza has granted biotechnology firm Genentech a non-exclusive, worldwide license to their Glutamine Synthetase (GS) Gene Expression System which offers better yields, speed and stability in cell protein production, thus making Genentech less dependant on external manufacturing capacity.
A new family of objectives from Olympus specifically for Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy (TIRFM) can selectively visualise processes and structures of the cell membrane, minimising photo-damage and allowing cells to live longer.
Singapore's Ministry of Trade & Industry (MTI) will commit $7.5bn (€63.1bn) over the next five years to drive R&D growth in key industry areas such as biomedical science and increase national R&D spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2010.
Drug delivery company Chrono Therapeutics has unveiled a wristwatch-like device for the non-invasive automatic administration of drugs based on the amount and time instructed, thus improving patience compliance.
India is emerging as a powerhouse of pharmaceutical R&D. Backed by a scientist president and with an army of talented scientists, the country now has R&D capacity second only to the US, at one-fifth of the cost.
British company Q Chip has upped the stakes in the drug delivery market with its new tailor-made bioencapsulation technology, claiming to improve drug effectiveness, reduce side effects and increase patient acceptance.
An insatiable Asian appetite for cell biology products has made Fisher Scientific's cell-culture unit expand its Beijing facility, making it the first non-native business to offer large-scale liquid-media manufacturing in China.
A team of forensic pathologists are believed to be the world's first to use a new radiological laboratory approach for mass fatality investigations that could bring to the end current lab methods that are slow and limited in their applicability.
The global market for microfiltration (MF) membranes used in liquid separations is set to grow at an average annual rate of 9.4 per cent to more than $1.2bn (€1bn) by 2010 from an estimated $792m in 2005 according to a new report, as companies seek to replace their old equipment.
Cambrex Bio Science has been given a contract to manufacture Geron's GRNVAC1 telomerase vaccine for use in clinical trials and will now transfer production to its Walkersville, Maryland facility.
India has overtaken Germany and China as the pharmaceutical industry western executives most want to know about.
According to a new report, the adoption of eClinical technologies has been hampered by the ability to take the electronic revolution to the next level, as the adoption of eClinical technologies currently remain confined to localised start-up projects.
Drug developer Biosante has been awarded a $250,000 (€210,000) subcontract from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln (UNL), to develop recombinant Factor IX (FIX) formulations for delivery via alternative routes of administration, which, if successful, will provide a non-injectable form of treatment for Haemophilia B patients.
Packaging specialist Ampac has unveiled a new thick-gauge lidstock for demanding pharmaceutical applications, promising extra durability and protection.
Dutch instrumentation specialist PANalytical has added new options to its X'Pert PRO MPD X-ray diffractometer, providing a total solution for high throughput diffraction and analysing almost any material.
Increased sales and price hikes helped BASF achieve record earnings in 2005, despite substantially higher raw material prices, Europe's subdued economy and hurricanes in the US.
A species of frog, which may hold the key to future mosquito repellents, is set to open up new avenues of lab research into frog chemical ecology as researchers try to come up with alternatives to synthetic repellents.
Analytic technology company Ometric is promising to revolutionalise quality control with software that achieves real-time, in-line final product testing at a rate of five tablets per second, minimising product recalls, reducing waste caused by time lag and saving precious resources involved in current sample testing.
A natural compound could become the starting molecule for the design of drugs that prolongs lifespan and delay the onset of aging-related traits in vertebrate organisms, supporting the potential utility of the compound in human aging research.
A consortium of researchers has detailed the activity of a novel drug compound that kills multiple HIV strains via a unique mechanism of action. The discovery brings with it hope in using this compound in both topical and systemic applications for HIV therapy.
A disposable two-compartment flask bioreactor designed by Swiss company Integra Biosciences has been shown to minimise production costs in a new study, as opposed to cell cultivation roller bottles which are 60 per cent more expensive.
Optio Healthcare introduces a new RFID and labelling solution, which allows healthcare facilities to generate thermal, barcode and RFID labels that can be used to track pharmaceuticals, as well as manage controlled substances, pathogens and other materials that pose a public health risk.
Two days after it filed for approval of Hecerptin for the treatment of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in the US through its majority-own biotechnology firm Genentech, Swiss drugmaker Roche has followed suit in the EU, looking to increase the availability of this expensive yet popular drug.
Baxa Corporation has launched the first cap specifically designed to fit sterile water bottles, which provide drip-free filling of Exacta-Med Oral Dispensers simplifying weight specific dosing and oral liquid medications.
IT specialist ComplianceControl has a introduced a comprehensive new directory of compliance regulations with precise and accessible information that can be used to assist pharmaceutical companies in co-ordinating their corporate regulatory information.
Chemical company BASF has developed a process for the production of new chiral intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry on a commercial scale, further raising the product efficiency of drugs and reducing undesirable effects.
Warwick Effect Polymers (WEP) have chosen R&D outsourcing specialist Avantium to jointly develop their polyethylene glycol PolyPEG technology for biopharmaceutical compounds, enhancing their bioavailability and pharmacokinetics.
German chemicals company, Degussa, said that its management board supported a full takeover by mining company RAG and urged shareholders to accept an offer price of €42 per share.
Researchers are to develop new computational diagnostic methods for key viral pathogens, which are set to make the storage, retrieval, and exchange of molecular and diagnostic data on viral pathogens more efficient and effective.
The insulin delivery devices thriving in today's market will slowly be replaced as new and better technologies continue to rise from the R&D pipeline. For current market leader, Novo Nordisk, this threat is particularly dangerous.
Capgemini announces a £30 million outsourcing contract to support and transform the IT infrastructure at pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly, reinforcing an emerging trend that has seen companies outsource IT resources as a means of slashing costs.
Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Averion, and the SIPLAS Research Organisation has signed an agreement to provide promotion and support of clinical trials in a move that that reinforces Latin America as an emerging hub of clinical trial service providers.
A new easy-to-use laser microdissection system from Olympus is set to shake up the isolation technology market by reducing sample handling and contamination when isolating cells for downstream analysis and making the process routine.
Biotechnology firm Nastech has chosen Procter & Gamble to develop and commercialise its osteoporosis nasal spray worldwide, in a lucrative deal that could reach $577m (€480m) over the life of the project and give both companies the upper hand over injectable alternatives in the $6.2 billion osteoporosis drug market.
New data that shows the effectiveness of TTP LabTech's Acumen Explorer for high content screening at high throughput reveals the advances high content screening has made in applications such as protein kinase activation, cell cycle analysis and beta-lactamase reporter gene analysis.
US pharmaceuticals and skin care specialist SkinMedica has developed a timed release delivery system for the active ingredients of an acne treatment that is said to up efficacy and lower the chances of skin irritation.
According to a new report, the market for needle-free injection devices and safety syringes will exceed $2.49bn (€2.1bn) by 2009, buoyed on by the increase of incidences in needlestick injuries and high consumer demand for syringe alternatives.
British biotechnology firm Angel has won a manufacturing contract from stem cell therapeutics expert ReNeuron Group to produce a master cell bank for Huntington's disease, as the company's demand for stem cells increases.
Johnson Matthey, a British catalyst, precious metals and chemicals firm with a division that provides contract manufacturing services of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to pharmaceutical companies, has bought chemical technology licence specialist Davy Process Technology from troubled former oil giant Yukos for $71m (€60m) in cash, allowing it to expand the range of catalysts it offers its customers.
Dermisonics have come up with the first working model of an antiseptic delivery system, which the company hope to provide the US army with a battlefield version, reducing the severity of infection providing a much needed tool for medics in the field.
Responding to growing demand, Biotechnology giant Amgen has announced an expansion of its manufacturing facilities in Puerto Rico, investing $1 billion (€835 million) in the project over the next four years.
Recently approved, Exubera is the first in a line up of needle-free insulins promising to win the hearts of diabetics. Amidst all the hype, some market analysts predict it will be a blockbuster, while others believe it has been overvalued. Many industry experts are also being cautious.
UK scientists think that diabetes patients could be able to receive insulin via a nasal spray using yeast, which would open up the way for a spray to be developed to replace injections.
Specialty pharmaceutical firm Shire has filed for approval to European Regulatory Agencies of SPD476, an ulcerative colitis drug which uses Cosmo's cutting-edge MMX multi matrix system, promising to give the company the upper hand in the $1.6 (€1.34) billion mesalanine market through its easy and effective delivery.
SAFC, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group, has launched a supply solutions business, which aims to combine its Specialties business with the manufacturing site that was acquired from Degussa last year. The move is the latest step in Sigma-Aldrich's overall strategic plan.
Nanotechnology company Nanotrope has been awarded a $600,000 (€500,000) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 grant from NASA for its research in nanoscale droplet technology, which, apart from the agency's deep space initiatives, may have important applications in drug formulation and delivery.
According to a new report RFID production is to increase 25-fold in four years, buoyed on by the scramble by pharmaceutical manufacturers to comply with the new RFID Certification program, which aims to synchronise the industry's transition to RFID technology.
Outsourcing specialist Celsis Laboratory Group will provide contract testing services for drug firms Mutual and Procter & Gamble, advancing the company's status in this market.
A new laboratory test, which enables the rapid diagnosis of urinary tract infections with novel biosensor technology, has proved so successful that it may replace antiquated testing methods, saving health care costs and valuable diagnosis time.
A hiatus in leadership, changes in accounting rules and a restructure in manufacturing have taken their toll on separations specialist Whatman, whose sales growth for last year appears stagnant, just 1 per cent up when adjusting for new business and currency movement.
Packaging specialist Autopak has launched a new tablet/capsule dust removal equipment which promises to meet the strictest of FDA cleaning requirements at a competitive price.
The Food and Drug Administration has announced the approval of a new laboratory test that provides preliminary results within four hours on suspected H5 influenza samples that previous technology required at least two to three days to produce results.
Dow AgroSciences has received the world's first regulatory approval for a plant-made vaccine for animals, which not only represents a new category of plant-made vaccines but also paves the way for human vaccines made in a bio-contained production system.
Commercial packaging and clinical trials services provider Brecon Pharmaceuticals has completed the doubling in size of its facility in Hereford, responding to growing demands from its pharmaceutical customers.
Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), the largest supplier of custom nucleic acids in the US, has bought Texan oligonucleotide (oligo) supplier Synthegen, making further inroads into this fast-growing specialty market.
Affymetrix and Iconix have formed a collaboration to develop new solutions for assessing the toxicological and pharmacological properties of drugs and drug candidates.
A UK university has joined forces with a major pharmaceutical company in a unique collaboration, worth £2.5 million (€3.6 million) ensuring drug researchers of the future will be trained in 'magic bullet' drug R&D, which has been hailed as the next generation of pharmaceutical therapy.
Laboratory equipment maker Thermo Electron saw its Q4 net income fall 53 per cent to $56.5 (€47.2) m from $121.1 m a year ago due to one-time tax charges, but new acquisitions and a surge in demand for its instruments, particularly from its pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients, meant that revenues climbed up 21 per cent, from $613.3 m to $740.8 m.
Agilent's breakthrough HPLC-Chip technology forms the basis of its new reusable microfluidic chips, designed to compliment the company's high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) chip/mass spectrometry (MS) modules.
Biocrystal has upped the stakes in the cell culture market with Opticell, a product it claims brakes away from traditional cell culture concepts and promises to reduce costs through increased efficiency.
Pharmaceutical manufacturer Patheon has reaffirmed its dominant position in the outsourcing market with the announcement of a five-year master supply agreement with drug giant Merck.
Amgen are to create a European Development Centre in the UK, significantly increasing UK R&D employee numbers. Amgen's announcement echoes the UK Government's commitment to attract more R&D investment with a view to making the UK a leader in biotechnology.
Agilent have dived in to grab a slice of the growing $1.3 bn mass spectrometry market with the launch of a series of new liquid chromatography-based mass spectrometry (LC/MS) systems that are cheaper and faster.
Supplier of small-scale pharmaceutical equipment Isopak has launched what it claims is the smallest vacuum mixer with cooling and heating facilities in Europe for mixing dry powder, cream, ointments, paste and lotions in batches between 0.8ml and 5ml.
A technology partnership between ARTEL and Caliper Life Sciences aims to enhance automated liquid delivery standards improving laboratory data integrity. The collaboration aims to manufacture technology to a level that is outlined by impending legislation.
Bayer CropScience will use Cresset BioMolecular Discovery's molecular field technology to identify novel early-stage active compounds to develop into new agrochemicals for the crop science industry.
Croatian drug firm Pliva has sold its Dresden production plant to Italy's Menarini Group as it tries to recover losses suffered by its failed venture in proprietor drugs and an end to most of the royalties it receives.
Oxygen therapeutics company Biopure has announced another $3 million (€2.5 million) public offering to boost its working capital, despite its major drug for humans, Hemopure, an artificial blood product, being licensed only in South Africa.
AstraZeneca, Baxter BioPharma Solutions, Daiichi Asubio Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceutica and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals are the finalists competing for this year's Facility of the Year Award, which recognizes innovation and cost effectiveness utilised by manufacturing facilities serving the regulated health care industry.
On your marks, get set go! The FDA has fired the starting gun and Pfizer is finally off and running after the long-awaited approval of Exubera - the world's first non-injectable insulin - expected to hit the US market by mid-year and Europe shortly after.
Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a small handheld device that makes finding veins easier and quicker, saving time and money.
Scientists have reported a discovery at the cellular level that suggests possibilities for drug therapy for kidney disease. This discovery could open up new avenues of laboratory research into the disease that could help the 600,000 people in the US affected.
Munich-based Sud-Chemie is set to expand its pharmaceutical packaging business to German-speaking markets with a joint venture with Swiss company Plaspaq SA.
Japanese health care firm Eisai will make Hatfield its European headquarters, in a major £75 million (€105 million) investment that demonstrates the UK's appeal for big pharmaceutical companies.
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