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Headlines > March 2005

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31-Mar-2005

SupplyScape raises $7m for drug pedigree tech

31-Mar-2005 - SupplyScape, a US company specialising in developing track and trace technologies for the pharmaceutical industry, has raised $7m in a private financing, writes Phil Taylor.

REPLICor discloses unique antiviral drug results

31-Mar-2005 - REPLICor is developing a broad spectrum antiviral drug, which has the broadest spectrum of activity in vitro ever reported for a single chemical entity and has proved to have a...

Pliva signs second biogenerics deal for '05

31-Mar-2005 - Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva has forged another partnership in the generic biopharmaceutical sector, linking up with US firm Barr Laboratories to develop a generic version of Amgen's white blood cell...

'Swinging' mixer from Chemineer

31-Mar-2005 - Chemineer has launched a new mixer, called the Clean Sweep, which features a new type of mixing action claimed to prevent contamination and eliminate particle shedding from mechanical seals or...

30-Mar-2005

Process speeds up plasmid purification

30-Mar-2005 - Boehringer Ingelheim and Slovenian company BIA Separations have collaborated on a new separation and purification system that should improve the production of plasmid DNA.

Tanabe spins out production company

30-Mar-2005 - Japanese pharmaceutical company Tanabe Seiyaku will set up a stand-alone production company later this year to make both its in-house products and medicines for third parties.

SurModics eyeing drug delivery polymers

30-Mar-2005 - US company SurModics is evaluating a biodegradeable polymer technology, developed at Rutgers University, that could improve the delivery of drugs into the eye.

Elan break-up under discussion?

30-Mar-2005 - Ireland's largest home grown pharmaceutical company, Elan Holdings, could be split up into two separate units, one focussing on biotechnology and the other on manufacturing and drug delivery, according to...

Cleanroom in place for nanotech cancer drug

30-Mar-2005 - UK company Atomising Systems Ltd has completed construction of a cleanroom facility at its plant in Sheffeld, UK, that will be used to produce a delivery vehicle used in Brachysil,...

FDA accepts IND for cancer mAbs

30-Mar-2005 - Morphotek has announced the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted its New Drug Application for a humanised monoclonal antibody, intended for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.

Elsevier builds electronic notebook for lab

30-Mar-2005 - In response to industry and customer demand, Elsevier is to build an electronic notebook (ELN) designed for the life sciences industry and which will significantly reduce cycle time in biopharmaceutical...

29-Mar-2005

Thermo expands LC/MS product range

29-Mar-2005 - Thermo Electron has introduced a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system - the Finnigan Surveyor Plus - for high-throughput sample processing.

BC's launches cytometry system for non-core lab

29-Mar-2005 - Beckman Coulter introduces a new flow cytometry system that is aimed at the non-core lab, claiming the system's affordability and small footprint makes it ideal for cellular analysis in research...

Rhodia to undergo twin accounting probes

29-Mar-2005 - Rhodia is facing two separate investigations for alleged accounting irregularities as well as insider trading, just as the financial difficulties afflicting the French chemicals group have started to abate.

RFID in glass for pharma sector

29-Mar-2005 - Japan's Toppan Printing has developed a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can be embedded within glass containers such as test tubes, vials or medicine bottles.

SCOLR drug delivery tech clears clinical hurdle

29-Mar-2005 - A new formulation of the over-the-counter decongestant pseudoephedrine developed by drug delivery company SCOLR Pharma has successfully cleared a clinical trial, providing a validation of the firm's technology platform, reports...

ISPE lends a hand with electronic signatures

29-Mar-2005 - The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering has launched a new technical publication to help pharmaceutical companies comply with new regulatory requirements on keeping electronic rather than paper-based records in the...

25-Mar-2005

Mutation on trio of leukemias signals drug target

25-Mar-2005 - US researchers have found that three types of leukaemias are all caused by acquired mutations that alter a specific enzyme controlling blood cell proliferation. Identifying the genetic malfunction may give...

24-Mar-2005

Foss achieves profit despite difficult year

24-Mar-2005 - Danish analytical technology specialist Foss has reported a sharp increase in organic growth in 2004, helped in part by the merger of two of Foss subsidiaries, and the introduction of...

New metal detector to debut at Interphex

24-Mar-2005 - Eriez Magnetics will unveil a new metal detector for pharmaceutical applications at the upcoming Interphex show in New York, US, next month.

FDA questions 'innovative industry' tag

24-Mar-2005 - The decreasing number of truly original drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration is becoming such a serious issue that the pharmaceutical market's tag as the 'innovator industry' is...

Solvay to buy Fournier to boost pharma

24-Mar-2005 - Belgian company Solvay is to buy Fournier Pharma for up to €1.6bn in a move that ties into the group's long-term strategy to boost its activities in the pharmaceuticals sector,...

India's patent law passes lower house

24-Mar-2005 - India's new patent law, that will prevent domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers from making low-cost generic copies of in-patent drugs - has finally been passed by the lower house of the country's...

Savient to offload biologics business

24-Mar-2005 - Savient Pharmaceuticals is selling its global biologics manufacturing division to Swiss biotechnology firm Ferring for $80 million (€61 million) in cash payments spread over two years.

23-Mar-2005

Serono identifies 80 multiple sclerosis genes

23-Mar-2005 - Researchers at the Serono Genetics Institute have announced the identification of 80 genes involved in the inflammatory and neuro-degenerative pathways of multiple sclerosis (MS) forming a library of potential targets...

Pfizer to close Grand Rapids facility

23-Mar-2005 - The world's number one pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, is to close a plant in Michigan, US, as part of a drive to reduce its global manufacturing capacity.

C6 plant on the block as business fails

23-Mar-2005 - UK speciality chemicals firm C6 Solutions has said that it will be stopping production operations by the end of 2005 and has put its entire manufacturing plant and equipment up...

Discovery makes 'green' separation open to pharma

23-Mar-2005 - One of the most chemically benign separation processes could for the first time be made available to manufacturers in the pharmaceutical industry, thanks to pioneering work carried out by researchers...

GSK facing fine over manufacturing problems?

23-Mar-2005 - There is speculation that the problems at GlaxoSmithKline's manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico may prove to be more costly for the company than originally thought.

GE launches AKTA for process development

23-Mar-2005 - GE Healthcare has expanded its AKTA range of chromatography amd filtration systems with the launch of AKTAcrossflow for membrane selection and process development at the research scale.

22-Mar-2005

Empower software spans gas, liquid chromatography

22-Mar-2005 - Waters has launched new software that provides instrument control for both gas chromatography and liquid chromatography machines in one package.

Carbon nanotube discovery aids packaging research

22-Mar-2005 - Researchers in the US have discovered a novel method of improving the solubility of carbon nanotubes, which could lead to new types of packaging with improved functionality.

Perrigo completes Agis acquisition

22-Mar-2005 - Perrigo, a US manufacturer of nonprescription drugs and nutritional products, has completed its acquisition of Agis Industries, the second largest drug company in Israel, for $818m.

Generics market on the up in France

22-Mar-2005 - In France, sales of generic drugs are continuing to grow, helped by a favourable regulatory regime and a wave of patent expiries on top branded drugs, reports Phil Taylor.

Scientists to grow vaccines for world's poor

22-Mar-2005 - Genetically modified (GM) plants are to be used to grow vaccines for use in the worldwide fight against HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes and rabies thanks to a grant of €12 million...

21-Mar-2005

RFID labeller launched by NJM/CLI

21-Mar-2005 - NJM/CLI has launched a system that simultaneously applies and verifies radiofrequency identification tags on bottles and other item level containers using a primary labeller, writes Phil Taylor.

Bone targeting therapy gets US funding

21-Mar-2005 - Researchers in the US have developed a drug delivery technology that directs therapeutics directly to bone, raising the possibility of improved treatment for osteoporosis and other diseases affecting bone, including...

Genomic analysis tool improves treatment?

21-Mar-2005 - The prospect of using genomic analysis as a tool for studying trauma patients is a realistic prospect according to a new study, which says the tool can be used to...

Pierre Fabre expands in injectables

21-Mar-2005 - French pharmaceutical company Pierre Fabre is to invest €30 million in its plant at Idron near Pau to bolster its contract manufacturing activities for injectable drugs.

Time for FDA to move on biogenerics

21-Mar-2005 - As the US Food and Drug Administration continues its deliberations on generic biopharmaceuticals, the industry body representing generic drug manufacturers has said that the time has now come for the...

18-Mar-2005

Renin inhibitor shows promise in trial

18-Mar-2005 - Swiss drugmaker Novartis says that its renin inhibitor drug aliskiren (SPP100), which potentially represents the first in a new class of orally-active drugs for high blood pressure, has shown promising...

FDA pharmacogenomics guidance 'imminent'

18-Mar-2005 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is gearing up to publish its final guidance on the submission of pharmacogenomic data alongside drug marketing applications, first disseminated in draft form...

17-Mar-2005

India's TASC and Glenmark to merge

17-Mar-2005 - TASC Pharmaceuticals, which makes active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), is to merge with fellow Indian company Glenmark Laboratories, a specialist in formulations and biological drugs.

RFID pilot a success, says Aegate

17-Mar-2005 - The results of a UK pilot study of radiofrequency identification (RFID) and bar coding in pharmacies has shown clear evidence that the system can improve patient safety, reports Phil Taylor.

Top Bulgarian pharma firm opens new plant

17-Mar-2005 - Commercial League, the largest and fastest-growing pharmaceutical group in the Balkans, has opened a new primary and secondary packaging plant in Bulgaria to serve the domestic and, potentially, export markets.

PCR test for mycoplasma rivals culture methods

17-Mar-2005 - Scientists at US biotechnology company Genentech have developed a rapid testing method for mycoplasma contamination in Chinese hamster ovary cells, one of the most common mammalian cell lines used in...

X marks the spot for gene hunters

17-Mar-2005 - A team of gene researchers has sequenced the entire length of the X-chromosome, providing a starting point to explore the biological differences between men and woman and a plethora of...

16-Mar-2005

Niro debuts 'wash off line' concept for tablet presses

16-Mar-2005 - A module has been designed for Niro's Courtoy MODUL tablet press that allows it to keep operating while the cleaning cycle runs.

FMC raises price of MCC range

16-Mar-2005 - Costs rises for raw materials and energy push Philadelphia-based FMC BioPolymer to hike up prices for its cellulose gel range.

Discovery could improve transdermal drug delivery

16-Mar-2005 - A group of US researchers claim to have identified a fundamental mechanism that may facilitate the design of safer and more efficacious topical drug delivery systems, reports Phil Taylor.

Government actions 'hindering Pakistan's drug industry'

16-Mar-2005 - Efforts by Pakistan to build a pharmaceutical sector to rival that of neighbouring India are being undermined by regulatory interference, according to representatives of the domestic drug industry.

MAb purification products launched by GE

16-Mar-2005 - GE Healthcare has launched two new products designed to meet growing industry needs for the purification of monoclonal antibodies, one of the fastest growing drug classes in the drug industry.

15-Mar-2005

Crystal analysis improved by Thermo software

15-Mar-2005 - Thermo Electron has revamped its Array Automation software for Raman spectrometers, in a move which it says enables pharmaceutical companies to reduce the polymorph and crystal analysis workload in drug...

Impstoffwerk gets €40m injection from EIB

15-Mar-2005 - The European Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend around €40 million to Germany's Impfstoffwerk Dessau-Tornau - a developer and contract manufacturer of pharmaceutical and veterinary medicines - to help...

Protein purification made simple

15-Mar-2005 - GE Healthcare has launched a range of prepacked columns designed to meet the growing need for pure proteins to use in functional and structural genomics and proteomics research.

FIP website tackles fake drug peddlars

15-Mar-2005 - Yesterday's headline suggesting that up to 1 in 7 drugs in the global marketplace provided a timely reminder of the problem as the second Global Forum on Pharmaceutical Anticounterfeiting gets...

Incineration deadline looms for UK industry

15-Mar-2005 - The UK's Environment Agency has reminded all industrial operators who want to continue to burn waste after the end of this month that they must apply for a new permit...

Teva to build €75m API plant in Hungary

15-Mar-2005 - Teva Hungary, a subsidiary of number two generic company Teva Pharmaceuticals, is to build a $100 million (€75m) factory for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in Sajobabony, Hungary.

14-Mar-2005

Quark Biotech links gene to AMD development

14-Mar-2005 - A study has suggested the hypoxia inducible gene RTP801 may serve an important mechanistic role in the development of experimental chordial neovascularisation (CNV), the principal cause of Age-related Macular Degeneration...

Valois unveils dose counter for inhalers

14-Mar-2005 - French company Valois has developed a new dose counter that should improve the safety of inhalers used to delivery drugs to asthmatics and people with chronic bronchitis.

ISPE publishes powder containment guide

14-Mar-2005 - The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has published a new guide detailing standardized methods for the containment of powdered materials in the pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.

One in seven drugs fake worldwide, claims report

14-Mar-2005 - Pharmaceutical companies and governments are not doing enough to combat the problem of drug counterfeiting, which is developing into an international health crisis, claim researchers.

Discovery leads to improved candidiasis drug?

14-Mar-2005 - Biologists have shown for the first time how histatin, the naturally occurring antifungal agent in saliva, kills the oral pathogen Candida albicans, a yeast responsible for most HIV-related oral infections.

Packaging firm Leu-Tronic forges US alliance

14-Mar-2005 - A subsidiary of US firm PPi Technologies is is to collaborate with Germany's Leu-Tronic on a solution for food packagers and drug companies that get need to deal with returned...

Florida drugstores resist drug paper trail system

14-Mar-2005 - Two top drugstores in the US state of Florida are seeking an exemption from legislation requiring a strict paper-based pedigree for drugs throughout the supply chain, on the grounds that...

10-Mar-2005

Meat-free media launched for fill trials

10-Mar-2005 - Oxoid has launched a new meat-free culture medium to serve what it says is a growing demand by pharmaceutical companies for non-animal-derived materials for use in pharmaceutical production.

Recordati's pharmachem unit back in the black

10-Mar-2005 - Italy's Recordati has reported flat turnover but a rise in operating income in 2004, while its pharmaceutical chemicals business managed to return to profit, reports Phil Taylor.

Hitachi breaks SEM resolution barrier

10-Mar-2005 - A scanning electron microscope with the world's highest resolution has been launched, which claims previously unobtainable resolutions of 0.4nm at 30kV and 1.6nm at 1kV. The product is aimed at...

Pharma contributes to strong 2004 at BASF

10-Mar-2005 - German chemicals giant BASF reported strong earnings increases across the board yesterday, helped by pricing increases. The companies activities in pharmaceuticals, part of its chemicals and fine chemicals units, also...

J&J to buy TransForm for $230m

10-Mar-2005 - Johnson & Johnson is planning to acquire TransForm Pharmaceuticals, a privately held company that specialises in the discovery of improved formulations and novel crystalline forms of drug molecules, in a...

World pharma markets still slowing down

10-Mar-2005 - The growth in the global pharmaceutical continued to slow in 2004, with a 7 per cent hike to $550 billion, as the sector felt the effects of increased pricing pressure...

deCODE trials unique atherosclerosis compound

10-Mar-2005 - Biopharmaceutical company deCODE genetics, announced the initiation of trials for a first-in-class compound used to treat atherosclerosis for which there is currently no effective drug treatment. The disease strikes almost...

09-Mar-2005

Second study finds biopharma in overcapacity

09-Mar-2005 - A second market research report has found evidence that production capacity in the market for contract manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals is now in excess, in contrast to the hitherto prevailing wisdom...

BioAlliance shows styrylquinoline synergy with HIV drugs

09-Mar-2005 - BioAlliance Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the field of drug resistance may have discovered a novel way to overcome growing HIV resistance. They have developed a new family of...

Bespoke answer to tough packaging challenge

09-Mar-2005 - Schneider Electric has teamed up with automated handling company PES Technology to develop a bespoke packaging line for a hazardous and time-critical pharmaceuticals process.

Amino acids for synthesis to be $1bn market

09-Mar-2005 - Sales of amino acids used in synthesis applications will reach nearly $1 billion in 2009 and represent the fastest-growing category in the $7 billion amino acids market.

Microcapsules help cells grow in 3D

09-Mar-2005 - The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in Singapore has developed a method to cultivate cells cost-efficiently in a 3-dimensional configuration that mimics the cell environment in our body, paving...

Report finds CSOs paid the lowest

09-Mar-2005 - A recent report into salaries within the pharmaceutical industry reveals that the Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) is paid amongst the lowest for all executives when compared to salaries paid to...

08-Mar-2005

Thermo upgrades platform software

08-Mar-2005 - Pharmaceutical companies will be able to reduce their polymorph and crystal analysis workload in their drug discovery laboratories after Thermo Electron upgraded its array automation software for Raman spectrometers.

Pfizer signs up for Pfenex technology

08-Mar-2005 - The world's largest drug company, Pfizer, is to make use of a gene expression system developed at Dowpharma for the production of one of its therapeutic proteins.

Human microdosing proves its value in drug R&D

08-Mar-2005 - Xceleron has announced the long-awaited results of the CREAM trial into human microdosing in drug development, which demonstrates that microdosing provides a valuable insight into the human pharmacokinetics (PK) of...

SkyePharma rebounds after GSK drug seizure

08-Mar-2005 - UK company SkyePharma has shrugged off the news that production of a GlaxoSmithKline drug based on its drug delivery technology, the antidepressant Paxil CR (paroxetine), had been halted by the...

Flexicon laminate protects asthma drugs

08-Mar-2005 - US company Flexicon has launched Flexi 6611, an ultra high-barrier foil-based structure for pharmaceutical and medical device applications.

Novartis breaks ground on Singapore facility

08-Mar-2005 - Swiss drugmaker Novartis has started construction of a $180 million tabletting facility in Singapore, providing further evidence of the emergence of the island state as a pharmaceutical hub.

07-Mar-2005

Manufacturing problems lead to seizure of GSK drugs

07-Mar-2005 - GlaxoSmithKline has become the latest drugmaker to fall foul of regulatory authorities for failing to meet manufacturing standards.

Researchers discover cholesterol controls cell signals

07-Mar-2005 - US researchers have discovered that cholesterol plays a key role in anchoring a signalling pathway, which has been linked to cell division and cancer. The findings could identify cholesterol as...

Nanotechnology to revolutionise drug delivery

07-Mar-2005 - The emergence of nanotechnology is likely to have a significant impact on drug delivery sector, affecting just about every route of administration from oral to injectable, according to specialist market...

Inhaled insulin for diabetes filed in US

07-Mar-2005 - US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis have filed with the US Food and Drug Administration seeking marketing approval for Exubera, an inhaled human insulin powder, for the treatment...

Metabolex reports positive results type 2 diabetes

07-Mar-2005 - Metabolex has announced positive clinical trial results for its oral insulin sensitiser for type 2 diabetes, which is primarily designed to eliminate the dose-limiting side effects of the currently marketed sensitisers.

Chiron cautious on flu vaccine capacity

07-Mar-2005 - Although US biotechnology company, Chiron, fully intends to be able to provide its Fluvirin flu vaccine for the 2005/6 flu season, it says it is difficult to predict the number...

Drug-eluting stents: what room for improvement?

07-Mar-2005 - There is no doubt that the introduction of stents, and latterly those that deliver pharmacological agents, has revolutionised the treatment of coronary artery disease over the last 10 years and...

04-Mar-2005

Research inhibits cancer's ability to resist treatments

04-Mar-2005 - A team of researchers have discovered how a key enzyme involved in repairing DNA is put together and how it works, a development that opens up new drug therapies for...

03-Mar-2005

Outsourcing to show healthy growth in pharma

03-Mar-2005 - A desire by pharmaceutical companies to concentrate their resources on marketing products, rather than production and drug discovery, will drive global revenues for contract manufacturing and research to nearly $168bn...

FDA lacks power to require drug label changes

03-Mar-2005 - A high-ranking US Food and Drug Administration official has told a Senate advisory committee that the agency needs more authority to force drug companies to change labelling for their drugs...

TABWRAP system set for CPhI debut

03-Mar-2005 - BioProgress of the UK says that the commercial version of its TABWRAP tablet-coating machine should be launched at this year's Conference on Pharmaceutical Ingredients (CPhI) meeting in November, reports Phil...

MHRA says Chiron can restart flu vaccine production

03-Mar-2005 - The UK regulatory authorities have cleared Chiron to resume production of its influenza vaccine Fluvirin at its facility in Liverpool, lifting a ban imposed in October because of contamination problems...

New desiccant format protects powdered drugs

03-Mar-2005 - Sud-Chemie Performance Packaging has launched a new desiccant joint to keep pharmaceutical products safe from moisture damage.

Ultrasonic Scientific launches 'first of its kind' analyser

03-Mar-2005 - Ultrasonic Scientific has released an ultrasonic analyser, described as the 'first of its kind' as the only ultrasonic analyser of sedimentation stability. The product brings the benefits of ultrasound to...

02-Mar-2005

Niro extends drying test centre for pharma

02-Mar-2005 - Denmark-headquartered Niro is finalizing a €10 million investment programme centred on the expansion of its drying test site, located at its main facility in Copenhagen, that will extend its reach...

Neurocrine announces positive GnRH receptor antagonist trials.

02-Mar-2005 - Neurocrine Biosciences has announced positive Phase I clinical trial results with its proprietary, orally active small molecule Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) receptor antagonist that could diminish bone demineralisation.

Archimedes expands nasal analgesic alliance

02-Mar-2005 - UK company Archimedes Pharma has signed the first licensing deal for its nasal delivery platform since acquiring the technology from West Pharmaceutical Services last month.

Real time spectrometer unveiled by JEOL

02-Mar-2005 - JEOL USA has unveiled a new technology for analysing the chemical composition of solids, gases, and liquids in real time, with applications across a broad range of industries including the...

Disposable mixer for bioprocessing launched

02-Mar-2005 - In the US, Wave Biotech and ILC Dover have launched a new version of their disposable mixing device for use in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and other industries.

Dutch scheme extends helping hand to biotech SMEs

02-Mar-2005 - The Netherlands has set up a programme to boost its biotechnology sector by helping small and medium-sized biopharma firms to develop and manufacture products, writes Phil Taylor.

Novel HIV therapy yields encouraging results

02-Mar-2005 - VIRxSYS report the results of its latest clinical trial, testing VRX496, a HIV-derived lentiviral vector that could represent a novel HIV gene therapy. The trial results also showed patients with...

01-Mar-2005

Thermo Electron introduces the ARL Quant'X

01-Mar-2005 - Thermo Electron has launched an X-ray analyser in response to the needs of laboratories dealing with unpredictable samples. It incorporates a non-destructive analysis with sensitivity at single-digit ppm levels for...

New player in spectroscopy unveiled at Pittcon

01-Mar-2005 - Polychromix, a company specialising in optical systems, has branched out into the spectroscopy sector with a new range of near infrared (NIR) spectrometers that are targeted at users who need...

Low-cost option for dissolution testing

01-Mar-2005 - Varian has launched a manual dissolution testing product for pharmaceutical, food and academic laboratories seeking a low-cost, workhorse system.

No security issue from parallel trade, says Pfizer VP

01-Mar-2005 - Claims that allowing parallel trade in pharmaceuticals is opening the door to counterfeiting and bioterrorists have been refuted by a senior executive at Pfizer in testimony to the US Senate's...

Discovery aids membrane protein studies

01-Mar-2005 - Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences have discovered a way of making membrane proteins in bacterial cells, opening the door to new and improved treatments for a host...

Owens-Illinois lauded for 1-Clic closure

01-Mar-2005 - Owens-Illinois has received an Ease-of-Use Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation in the US for its 1-Clic Packaging System, first introduced in 2002.

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