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31-May-2007

New class of biologic may bring psoriasis relief

New research presented yesterday has revealed that a new class of biologic drug may bring new relief to those suffering from the skin condition psoriasis.

Animal-free cell culture ingredients hit the shelves

Danish firm Novozymes has launched its first range of animal-free recombinant cell culture ingredients from its new business unit in the UK, offering biopharmaceutical firms an alternative to traditional serum-based production methods.

GMP peptide plant planned downunder

A fund to promote biotech collaborations between Australia and New Zealand has awarded a lump sum to two Antipodean firms which will result in a new good manufacturing practice (GMP) compliant peptide manufacturing plant in the under-served Southern Hemisphere.

Symetix launches optical inspection system for solid-dose pharmaceuticals

Symetix has launched an optical inspection system for solid-dose pharmaceuticals, with a particular emphasis on softgel capsules.

Bird flu blood could hold key to new cure

Antibodies from the blood of bird flu survivors could hold the key to developing an alternative prevention and treatment for the deadly H5N1 virus for the 6bn people potentially at risk should a pandemic emerge.

Semi-synthetic paclitaxel production starts in Italy

Italian company Indena has announced it has invested in a new facility for the semi-synthetic production of a potent cytotoxic active principle.

Solution to supply chain issues encoded in barcode

A magic bullet for the pharmaceutical supply chain has entered the stage as radio frequency identification (RFID) technology attempts to fix up its teething problems.

Softgel formulation to challenge Abbott drug

Two firms have announced a licence and supply agreement for a novel formulation of valproic acid presented as a softgel capsule, which could challenge Abbott's top selling drug Depakote (divalproex sodium).

New credentials for pharma industry

Pharmaceutical manufacturing professionals will be able to have their skills formally recognized in a new certification, it was announced.

30-May-2007

MDS Pharma ends FDA probe nightmare

MDS Pharma has decided to continue the 'consolidation' of its Canadian operations by putting an end to some activities at its Montreal facility, cutting 160 jobs.

Drug delivery in liposomes could be thing of the past

The use of liposomes as a drug delivery system could be old news if a new and improved lipid-like nanoparticle lives up to its potential, according to a team of Austrian and American scientists.

Vivalis tech fuelling flu vaccine development

Biopharma firm Vivalis has announced several licence agreements for its proprietary cell line technology, adding to the list of companies applying the technology to develop and commercialise new human influenza vaccines.

People on the move: Pharmaceutical manufacturing

CellCyte Genetics, Whatman, Nektar Therapeutics, Anesiva and Hyaluron Contract Manufacturing have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Ethical reputations of top pharma firms revealed

The latest ethical reputations of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies have been revealed, with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) emerging as big pharma's Mother Theresa, according to a recently-released compilation by Geneva-based ethical-monitoring firm Covalence.

ISO invigorates packaging standards

Alcan Packaging Kreuzlingen is the latest company to receive certification for the new ISO standard for primary packaging, becoming the first flexible packaging firm in the world to achieve the accreditation.

CMO Daiso licences chiral synthesis tech from Harvard

The fine chemicals division of Japanese contract manufacturer Daiso has taken out a license to a highly-selective technology used to synthesise chiral molecules.

Alcohol dependence drug shows financial promise

Sales of Alkermes's new drug for alcohol dependence are on a high following its release in June last year, and have contributed a hefty portion to the company's coffers.

29-May-2007

Micromet, Nycomed join forces on anti-GM-CSF antibodies

Suppressing granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) to tackle inflammatory and autoimmune diseases is the concept behind a new worldwide collaboration between German-American biopharmaceutical company Micromet and Denmark's Nycomed.

Increased intelligence through genetic engineering

Scientists who have genetically engineered mice to be more intelligent, claim the results could lead to new treatments for Alzheimer's, post-traumatic stress disorder or drug addiction.

Asian contract manufacturers key to curbing EU generics costs

Using low cost contract manufacturing destinations are the key to helping generics firms in Europe keep their drugs cost-effective, says a Frost & Sullivan report.

FDA panel set to decide on expanded use for Tysabri

Elan and Biogen Idec have announced that a US advisory panel has set a date to review their potential blockbuster MS drug Tysabri (natalizumab) for the treatment of Crohn's disease.

Oral calcitonin into Phase III for osteoarthritis

An oral formulation of salmon calcitonin based on Emisphere Technologies' eligen delivery system has entered Phase III clinical trials for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Parallel trade pushing fakes?

Batches of two fake blockbuster drugs are being recalled after counterfeits made their way into the UK supply chain via parallel distribution, adding fuel to the debate on the security of the practice in the EU.

West targets growing Asian market for investment

With Asia increasingly becoming the destination of choice for manufacturers and the domestic market blossoming, a major components manufacturer has singled out its Singapore facility for a multi-million dollar expansion.

CMOs driving disposable demand

Contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs) have been pinpointed as a growth driver of single-use biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies.

ESS to distribute filling machine

ESS Technologies has added Bergami's new TF 80 automatic tube filling and closing machine to its offering to US pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Iomai changes tack with flu vaccine patch

Iomai Corporation is scoping out new antigen possibilities after its patch-based vaccine for seasonal influenza failed to match the immune response of the same vaccine administered by injection in a Phase I clinical trial.

FluMist problems drag on

Despite promising opinions regarding the extension of the age indication for MedImmune's inhalable flu vaccine FluMist, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is withholding any final decisions until manufacturing violations have been rectified.

New president of manufacturing for Eli Lilly

Eli Lilly has announced the appointment of Dr Frank Deane as the new president of its manufacturing operations.

24-May-2007

Inhaler solution to premature ejaculation hasn't come too soon

The end of premature ejaculation is in sight as a simple inhalation of a drug promises to prolong the action under the sheets.

Acambis brings smallpox vaccine production in-house

UK biotech firm Acambis has decided to bring the manufacturing of its soon to be approved smallpox vaccine in-house while its agreement with contract manufacturer Baxter comes to an end.

Inovio's electroporation tech delivers the goods in trial

Inovio Biomedical, a US company developing novel DNA immunotherapies and other treatments based on electroporation technology, has reported interim data from a Phase I/II clinical study showing that its MedPulser system significantly enhanced the potency of an experimental prostate cancer vaccine.

Alembic seals epilepsy drug delivery deal

Indian firm Alembic has landed a licensing deal with biopharma heavyweight UCB to apply the company's novel drug delivery system for a once-a-day version of UCB's market leading epilepsy drug.

AMRI snaps up two manufacturing sites in India

Albany Molecular Research (AMRI) has followed up its push into new markets for its drug discovery operations by tapping into the well-established trend for sourcing contract pharmaceutical manufacturing from the lower-cost Asian region.

MFIC to bring microfluidics to drug formulation

MFIC is looking to introduce a new microfluidic system that could help pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to manufacture difficult to formulate drugs.

YM's revamped MAb facility gets thumbs up

YM BioSciences today announced that the upgraded manufacturing facility for the firm's humanized monoclonal antibody (MAb) for the treatment of cancer has successfully passed a series of regulatory reviews.

Packaging machinery purchases set to plateau

Packaging machinery purchases in the US are expected to level off in 2007 as buyers exercise caution in the face of uncertainty in the US economy.

23-May-2007

New insulin product takes the nasal route

A young start-up company is gearing up to challenge the likes of Pfizer by developing a new insulin product, based on its novel nano-based intranasal delivery technology.

People on the move: Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

Hana Biosciences, SupplyScape, Galenea, and Mpex Pharmaceuticals have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

'Mini-antibodies' in first-ever clinical trials

'Miniature antibodies' are set to enter clinical trials for the first time ever, potentially paving the way for more effective antibody therapies that are also cheaper to manufacture.

Thailand gets $2m WHO vaccine boost

Thailand is the first recipient of six major grants the World Health Organization (WHO) is distributing to developing countries to establish in-country manufacturing capacity for influenza vaccine.

International market boosts Dr Reddy's revenue

India-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories has boosted its revenue by 168 per cent for the 2006 year, fuelled by a strengthening position in the international market.

ACCU-BREAK aims to divide and rule with tabletting tech

Novel tabletting technology developed by US company ACCU-BREAK Pharmaceuticals promises to solve the problem of uneven doses when pills are split by hand.

Once-a-day pharyngitis drug one step closer

The US Food and Drug Administration have finally accepted Advancis Pharmaceutical's new drug application (NDA) for its once daily amoxicillin Pulsys product for tonsillitis and pharyngitis.

Draxis gets two thumbs up in inspection

Canada-based Draxis Health has passed a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection with flying colours after contracting out its manufacturing services to two new clients.

22-May-2007

Amgen's US monopoly in EPO drugs may be close to its end

Swiss drug major Roche is facing a delay in bringing its EPO drug Mircera (continuous erythropoietin receptor activator) to market in the US after the Food and Drug Administration sent it an 'approvable' notice for the product.

Not shaken or stirred - new disposable bioreactor hits market

A firm specialising in disposable equipment for the biopharmaceutical industry has introduced a new revamped bioreactor to its catalogue, dispensing with the traditional rocking and rolling mechanisms used in many bioreactors.

GMP certification positions Eden for clinical trial supply

Eden Biodesign, the biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing services company that runs the UK's National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC), has now been cleared to produce investigational medicinal products for clinical trials at its facility in Speke, Liverpool.

Approvable letter no distraction for Shire's ADHD drug

An approvable letter for Shire's long-lasting formulation of its best-selling attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drug Adderall is not the stumbling block it may appear says the company.

Taro rescued from looming financial crisis

A white knight in the form of Indian-based Sun Pharmaceuticals, has rescued an Israeli company from a looming financial crisis by investing more than $400m in the company.

New Bosch vial filling system promises clinical trial efficiency

Bosch Packaging Technology has launched the FLT1020 vial filling system, a scaled-down version of full-sized filling units that is geared specifically to use in the early stages of clinical trials.

Molecular Insight increasing radiopharmaceutical output

Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals is buying a commercial-scale radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Texas for $3m as it moves towards increasing its manufacturing in the increasingly profitable pharmaceutical area.

Alnylam hooks up with MIT for RNAi therapeutics delivery

US company Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has consolidated its relationship with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) by signing an agreement to sponsor a five-year program at the Institute's Center for Cancer Research, focused on the delivery of therapeutics based on RNAi interference.

QLT to shed drug delivery platform

Biopharma firm QLT has decided to shed a chunk of its Atrigel drug delivery products and platform in a bid to improve profitability at the company.

21-May-2007

Novel FluVacc vaccine enters Phase I trial

A live attenuated replication-defective vaccine against the influenza virus has started a Phase I clinical trial at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria.

Solvay wins plaudits for renewable epichlorohydrin process

Solvay's Epicerol process for manufacturing the chemical intermediate epichlorohydrin from glycerine won the Belgian company the 2007 Glycerine Innovation Award at the Annual Meeting and Expo of the American Oil Chemists' Society earlier this month.

RFID and real-time temperature monitoring combine

A UK-based technology company is part of a trio leading the way in innovative supply chain solutions by combining real-time temperature monitoring with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag for the pharmaceutical industry.

End of GSK contract 'not the end of the world' for Cobra

The significance of the aborted deal between GlaxoSmithKline and Cobra has been exaggerated due to GSK's high profile and is not the end of the world, the British contract manufacturer said.

Luck of the Irish brings new biologics base

Proposals for the construction of a new small-scale biologics manufacturing plant in Ireland courtesy of pharma heavyweight Pfizer emerged late last week.

17-May-2007

SkyePharma's GeoMatrix underpins another new drug formulation

UK company SkyePharma's GeoMatrix technology has been used to develop a new formulation of a hypertension drug which can provide lower drug doses.

Amgen knocked back as EPO competition looms

The decision of the US Supreme Court not to hear Amgen's appeal in a patent infringement case against Sanofi-Aventis and Shire, involving the anaemia drug Epogen (epoetin alfa), may weaken Amgen's position in keeping another rival off the US market.

Down on the biopharm

The critical role transgenic animals could play in the future of biopharmaceutical production has been tackled by a task force in a new report out this week.

Siemens launches software support for PAT implementation

Siemens is offering software support for the implementation of Process Analytical Technology (PAT) in the pharmaceutical industry with the launch of its Sipat package.

Thermo and Sartorius sign disposables agreement

Thermo Fisher Scientific and Sartorius have signed a supply agreement continuing the relationship between Sartorius and Thermo's recently acquired TC Tech.

Lonza to combine microbial biopharma ops

Swiss contract manufacturer Lonza has decided to merge its US microbial biopharma business activities in a single location, three months after buying Cambrex's biopharma unit.

Firm expands to meet demand for Pancrecarb

US company Digestive Care (DCI) is quadrupling its manufacturing, research and development capacity following an increase in demand for its drug Pancrecarb (pancrelipase).

Avecia ramps up manufacturing capacity

Massachusetts-based Avecia OligoMedicines has announced an expansion of its manufacturing facilities to accommodate increased production plans.

MFIC rollercoaster continues as Q1 revenues drop 11 per cent

MFIC Corporation, which designs, manufactures and distributes high-performance Microfluidizer materials-processing equipment for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics/personal care and food industries through its Microfluidics Division, reported an 11.1 per cent drop in revenues to $2.80m for the first quarter of 2007.

16-May-2007

'No link' between autism and mercury-containing vaccines

The debate on the status of thimerosal in vaccines has reared its head again after a new study concludes there is no link between autism and the mercury preservative in vaccines.

Bacterially derived nanocells offer direct route for cancer therapy

Bacterially derived nanocells that can deliver chemotherapeutic drugs directly to cancer cells without the shortcomings of liposomal or viral carriers could be in clinical trials by the end of this year, an Australian biotechnology company says.

R&D outsourcing set to climb

Outsourced pharmaceutical R&D spending is set to increase at twice the expected rate of general R&D expenditure for the next five years, according to new research published this week.

Albemarle moves operations to newly bought DSM plant; cuts staff

US contract manufacturer Albemarle has announced it will move operations of its pilot plant in Ohio to its recently acquired manufacturing facility in Michigan.

Granules India tabletting plant to come onstream in August

Contract manufacturer Granules India is moving towards vertical integration, with a new tabletting facility scheduled to come onstream this August at the company's Gagillapur site near Hyderabad in India.

EU biosimilars regulations still need 'clarifications'

There are some areas of the European approval system for biosimilars that still need to be clarified, a panel of industry experts said during BIO 2007.

Lupin beefs up with Symbiotec steroids joint venture

India's Lupin Ltd is ramping up its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) capability by teaming up with compatriot and corticosteroid specialist Symbiotec Pharmalab Ltd.

Sandoz moves to meet demands in injectables

Sandoz Canada is investing $80m in new facilities to meet demands for its generic sterile injectable pharmaceuticals.

15-May-2007

Pharmaceutical industry big driver as IMA continues on the up

The IMA Group's first quarter 2007 results continue to show growth following the firm's expansion in the pharmaceutical industry and its acquisitions over the last year.

GMP for market's only synthetic gene delivery molecule

A French firm developing an innovative gene delivery tool has received a cash boost of €80,000 to ramp up good manufacturing processes for its synthetic delivery molecule.

Australian spin-offs pursuing nanotechnology innovations

A transdermal patch for needle-free delivery of insulin and a diagnostic test for rapid detection of meningococcal disease are among the products under development by two new Australian companies set up to commercialise the research outcomes of Nanotechnology Victoria (NanoVic).

Pharma dreams of greener future

More efficient ways to make amides and removing the need to use solvents during reactor cleaning top the list of the pharmaceutical industry's most wanted greener processes.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

Robinson Pharma, Vybion, Prosensa, Diosynth Biotechnology, ImmunoGen and Novogen have all recently announced new contract manufacturing deals.

Production hitch stems US supply of ProQuad combination vaccine

Lower than expected yields of varicella zoster virus (VZV) have forced Merck & Co to run down US supplies of ProQuad, its all-in-one children's vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella (German measles) and varicella (chickenpox).

FDA approves new inhalable COPD treatment

The market's first nebulized form of formoterol fumarate for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been given the go ahead by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Revolutionary breath-freshener delivery system to combat rotavirus

It might look like a simple breath freshener dissolving mouth-strip but the John Hopkins University innovation is just steps away from cutting costs and saving thousands of lives from the deadly rotavirus.

14-May-2007

New insights in cancer cell migration

A workshop being held this week in Italy has shed new light on how cancer cells spread around the body, highlighting new strategies for potentially combating the disease.

Merck Generics finds new home with Mylan

After months of speculation and bartering following Merck KGaA's decision to put its generics arm up for sale, the winning bid has finally been announced, with US firm Mylan Laboratories emerging victorious beating off the competition and sealing the deal for €4.9bn.

Goodwin doubles US biomanufacturing space

US-based firm Goodwin Biotechnology said it is about to complete the expansion of its biomanufacturing facility as the number of contracts with biotech companies has jumped in the past two years.

Midatech nanoparticles aiming for the clinic in 2008

Midatech, the UK group exploring the therapeutic and diagnostic applications of nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles, scaffolds for synthetic vaccines or antibiotics and non-invasive imaging agents, is hoping to put its first product into clinical trials in 2008.

Roche opens biotech production facility in Basel

Roche has opened a Biotechnology Production Centre at its home base in Basel, Switzerland.

Klockner invests in new Indian packaging plant

German packaging company Klockner Pentaplast (KP) is investing more than $20m (€15m) in a new pharmaceutical films manufacturing facility in Aurangabad, India, in a bid to up its presence there.

10-May-2007

Schwarz Parkinson's patch ploughs on

Schwarz Pharma's foray into the central nervous system disorder market is beginning to pay serious dividends as the firm's ground-breaking transdermal patch for Parkinson's continues to prove a success story, now gaining approval in the US market.

Germany's BfR pushes for single-generation reprotoxicity test under REACH

Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung/BfR) has launched an initiative that it believes could reduce by as many as 2.8m the number of laboratory animals needed to test chemicals for reproductive toxicity under the EU's new REACH regulation.

Thermo Fisher Scientific launches new cell media

Two new cell growth media for human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells have been launched to aid the discovery and production of various biological drugs.

SAFC adds to biologics portfolio

SAFC Pharma has acquired its third biologic drug contract manufacturer in four years with the aim of further expanding its capabilities in that area.

Lonza plans to commercially produce emerging class of drugs

Lonza is betting on the growth of antibody-drug conjugates as the way-of-the-future cancer treatments by moving to large scale production of the emerging drug class by 2008.

BASF raises production capacity for THF intermediate

BASF is boosting by 30,000 tons its annual production capacity for the chemical intermediate tetrahydrofuran (THF) at the group's site in Ludwigshafen, Germany.

Wyeth facility gets FDA OK

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Wyeth's Puerto Rico manufacturing facility the all clear following a recent re-inspection of the plant.

09-May-2007

Midatech opens GMP nanoparticles production plant

The UK's Midatech Group has opened what it describes as "the world's first cGMP-grade manufacturing plant for the production of nanoparticles at a scale commensurate with pharmaceutical applications".

People on the move: Pharmaceutical manufacturing

AEterna Zentaris, Eli Lilly and Xcellerex have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Hatching hep C hope

Researchers have managed to rear a flock of transgenic hens capable of producing eggs that express remarkably high levels of a protein used for the treatment of hepatitis C, potentially creating a cheaper and more efficient rival to traditional bio-manufacturing techniques.

Clariant cuts ties with life sciences and contract manufacturing

Clariant has cut its ties with the life sciences industry and will no longer offer custom manufacturing services in this arena after the sale of the last piece of its Lifesciences division.

New pandemic flu vaccine gets EU approval

A new human vaccine to be used in the case of a flu pandemic has gained approval in the EU. The Novartis vaccine, Focetria, will be manufactured containing the offending virus should the World Health Organization's warning system rise to a level 6 alert, signifying that a pandemic has taken hold.

Pall pushes disposables

As single-use technologies become more and more popular for use in biopharmaceutical manufacturing, Pall is following market demands bolstering its product line by adding a number of disposable products to its portfolio.

Do-Coop hits DMF, cGMP milestones for water-based nanotechnology

Do-Coop Technologies, an Israeli company that uses nanotechnology to create an equivalent of intracellular water as a medium for enhancing existing chemical and biological reagents, reactions and processes, has announced two "significant milestones" for its proprietary Neowater platform.

08-May-2007

BIO begins in peace

The BIO International Convention in Boston officially began yesterday amid relative peace after concerns over possible large and violent protests failed to materialise.

Contract packagers in demand, although the times, they are a changin'

Reliance on contract packaging staff is increasing and it is currently a 'contractor's market.' However, the biggest challenge in a packaging laboratory - stability - will only be overcome as full-service packaging firms take over the scene, attendees heard during a recent presentation at Interphex, New York.

Genta pushing hard for antisense approval

US biopharma company Genta has outlined how it hopes to gain approval for its antisense drug with a new clinical trial and multiple appeals against regulators.

EMEA launches GMP database

An online database detailing information on all manufacturing and importation certificates and authorisations issued within the European medicines network has been launched by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

Pall continues patent tussle with Entegris

The ongoing intellectual property tussle between Pall and Entegris continues with Pall claiming Entegris' Impact filter cartridge line infringes four Pall patents.

Solvay sells facilities to contract manufacturer

Solvay Pharmaceuticals has sold two of its manufacturing facilities that it no longer considers as core. The new owners will now act as a contract manufacturer for Solvay, the company announced today.

Avecia paves way for more efficient protein production

The Biologics division of UK company Avecia has launched pAVEway, a new microbial system for producing high yields of a wide range of therapeutically active protein, such as vaccines, cytokines and growth factors.

EMEA to re-examine epoetins over cardiac fears

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) said it will now re-examine all epoetins approved in the EU after new fears have been raised over cardiac safety.

Wockhardt reinforces European presence with Negma acquisition

Indian biopharmaceutical company Wockhardt Limited has continued its push into Europe with the all-cash acquisition of France's Negma Laboratories (Negma-Lerads) for $265m (€195.4m).

Amylin raises investment in long-acting Byetta facility to $400 million

Amylin Pharmaceuticals is expanding significantly on the US manufacturing facility it is building in West Chester, Ohio for a long-acting version of its injectable diabetes drug Byetta (exenatide).

03-May-2007

Xceleron to accelerate growth further

Not content with doubling its revenues over the past year, Xceleron is pushing for even more growth by hiring new business development personnel.

SAFC completes protein purification capacity expansion

SAFC Pharma, the contract manufacturing arm of Sigma-Aldrich, has announced it has completed the construction of two protein active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) facilities at its US manufacturing site.

Big bucks for BMS biologics base

Construction has finally begun on Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BMS) new biologics manufacturing facility in Massachusetts, with the company upping its original investment estimates for construction from $660m (€485.7m) to $750m.

BioProgress unveils FastWrap technology for rapid tablet disintegration

Specialty pharmaceutical and healthcare company BioProgess has come up with another twist on its tablet coating technology, TabWrap.

Prosonix wins award for SAX

Prosonix and Bath University in the UK have won the Royal Society of Chemistry's (RSC) Innovation award for the development of a tool that enables the manufacture of crystalline pharmaceuticals of specific sizes.

Bosch plans to snap up Pharmatec

The Bosch Group has announced plans to augment its packaging technology division with the acquisition of German firm Pharmatec.

One-off costs slice Millipore profits in Q1

One-off costs related to last year's acquisition of Serologicals and a continuing manufacturing consolidation strategy were largely responsible for sharp falls in Millipore's pre-tax and net profits for the first quarter ended 31 March 2007.

Genentech licenses Sangamos ZFP technology for protein production

Sangamo BioSciences has added Genentech to the list of partners for its proprietary zinc finger DNA-binding protein (ZFP) technology.

New facility for Althea one step closer

Technology and services provider Althea Technologies has stepped closer to a significant increase in manufacturing capacity as it announces the completion of the first phase of construction at its new San Diego facility.

02-May-2007

Follow-on biologics 'not substitutable', says BIO

The US Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO) has fuelled even further the ongoing debate over the potential approval path for follow-on biologics in the country with the release of a white paper this week that stressed that 'generic' versions of these drugs can only be comparable and not identical.

Biotech M&A recipe for success

Pharma companies, desperate to fill their drying out pipelines, have shifted from inking licensing deals with biotech firms to buying entire companies as it proves cheaper, a Cambridge conference has heard.

Novo Nordisk ploughs $200m into Brazilian insulin plant

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is investing $200 million (€146.5m) in a major expansion of its insulin production facilities in Montes Claros, Brazil.

Stevanato broadens glass expertise with Optrel acquisition

Italian glassware specialist Stevanato Group has consolidated the engineering side of its business through the acquisition of fellow Italian company Optrel.

New hope for TB with nano drug delivery

South African researchers have provided a glimmer of hope for the millions of people in the developing world struck down by tuberculosis (TB) by developing a nano-sized drug delivery platform that could make all the difference in the battle against drug resistant forms of the disease.