Breaking News on Pharmaceutical Technology

Water the key to green pharmaceutical manufacturing

Adoption of a new chemical technique could make manufacturing a drug considerably more "green", according to research in Angewandte Chemie.

GM maize to tackle HIV

Genetically modified (GM) maize is the most effective biomanufacturing platform for the production of monoclonal antibodies to combat HIV, according to research published in PNAS.

Strong growth fuels ambition to expand at Neuland

India's Neuland Laboratories is expanding its service offering with a shift into contract research and clinical testing via a joint venture with Cato Research of the US.

Nigerian counterfeit drug seizure

A 20ft container of counterfeit pharmaceuticals has been impounded by the Nigerian National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

Drug delivery development news in brief

in-PharmaTechnologist's round-up of developments in the field of drug delivery, this week includes: Access' Cobalamin technology; AlphaRx' nanobiotics; Inovio's DNA delivery system; and PTG.

IDMA warns of shortages unless drug prices are increased

The Indian Drug Manufacturer's Association (IDMA) believes that local firms may be forced to stop production of some medications in as little as two months unless national price restrictions are relaxed.

Durect ramps up Remoxy manufacturing

Specialty pharmaceutical firm Durect has begun manufacturing the key components of Remoxy, ahead of a planned NDA filing.

Cadmus to bring smart pharma packaging to US

Packaging and printing specialist Cadmus is to start making an intelligent pharmaceutical packaging with enhanced child-resistance for clients in US the drug industry.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

in-PharmaTechnologist.com presents its periodic round-up of personnel changes in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development.

New production process advances Novavax's SARS vaccine

US-based Novavax has made advances in its attempt to develop a vaccine to combat severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) by improving the production of a key component.

Outsourcing of production gaining pace in big pharma

Pharmaceutical manufacturers are now withdrawing from manufacturing at an unprecedented rate, with four of the top 10 players announcing major new outsourcing programmes in 2007, says IMS in a new document which explores the implications of that trend.

Artificial virus for 'tailor-made gene therapy'

An artificial self-assembling virus capable of serving as a drug delivery system has been created by researchers in Korea, according to a publication in Angewandte Chemie.

Pump-powered nebulizer for developing world

A pump-powered nebulizer for delivering vaccinations in the developing world is being worked on by researchers at Aerovax, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Perrigo and Cobrek plan to develop generic Luxiq

Michigan-based drugmaker Perrigo and Cobrek Pharmaceuticals, a newly formed subsidiary of Pentech Pharmaceuticals, are teaming up to develop a range of topical generic products for the dermatology sector.

Elan may spin off contract manufacturing arm

Irish drugmaker Elan is considering a separate stock exchange listing for its contract services unit, Elan Drug Technology, according to comments by executives at its recent annual general meeting.

Generex set to start trials of metformin gum

Buccal drug delivery specialist Generex Biotechnology reports that the production of its chewing gum-based metformin, MetControl, has been completed ahead of forthcoming trials in patients with diabetes.

FDA & EMEA to increase cooperation

The Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) has set out its vision of how increased cooperation between the US and European Union can improve the pharmaceutical regulatory process.

Pharmaceutical Manufacturing News in Brief

in-PharmaTechnologist.com's periodic round-up of developments in the pharmaceutical manufacturing space includes one production deal, news on India's API sector and an update on Jubilant's move to acquire Draxis.

ThalesNano and Sanofi to examine process chemistry

Process chemistry specialist ThalesNano and Sanofi-aventis R&D are teaming up to examine the development and implementation of continuous process technologies in the latter's manufacturing facilities.

Prometheus fires pellets for colon treatment

Prometheus Laboratories has initiated US Phase II trials of Colal-Pred, a treatment for ulcerative colitis which uses Alizyme's drug delivery technology to provide therapeutics solely to the colon.

Alcan's StabilitySolutions raise the high-barrier benchmark

The new StabilitySolutions line of high-barrier plastic bottles aims to set new standards for pharmaceutical packaging, according to its developer.

Archimedes licenses chitosan from Ploughshare

Archimedes Development, a subsidiary of Archimedes Pharma, expects that the intellectual property it has licensed from fellow UK firm Ploughshare Innovations will help extend the application of its ChiSys drug delivery system.

Rentschler and Boeh Ingelheim ink biopharma partnership

Germany's Rentschler Biotechnologie and Boehringer Ingelheim have inked a preferred partnership agreement to jointly offer customers a more streamlined biopharmaceutical production option.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

in-PharmaTechnologist.com presents its periodic round-up of personnel changes in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development.

MHRA responds to EU counterfeiting measures

UK governmental body the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has issued its response to the European Commission's proposals to tackle counterfeiting.

UK firm developing nasal MRSA gel

XF-73, a new gel-based bacteriocidal drug being developed by UK biotechnology firm Destiny Pharma, could represent a significant advance in the battle against bacterial resistance.

Gerresheimer on track to sell off technical plastics

Germany's Gerresheimer has now finished all the preparatory work required for the sale of its technical plastics division and will start the process of finding a buyer shortly.

$80bn Indian mega-hub proposed

The Indian government is close to rubber-stamping an $80bn industrial hub near Vishakhapatnam (Vizag) which is expected to attract pharmaceutical companies to the region.

Biotech acquisitions scale new heights

Big pharma's lust for biotech's pipelines appears to be continuing unabated with a record $27bn-worth of acquisitions and licensing deals being made last year.

Scientific Labs banned from making drugs by FDA

The FDA has issued US drug maker Scientific Laboratories with an injunction preventing it from producing drugs until manufacturing operations are brought up to code.

32,000 French pharmaceutical jobs at risk

A grim future awaits workers in the French pharmaceutical industry, with 32,000 jobs at risk between 2005 and 2015, according to a study commissioned by Leem, the French pharmaceutical industry body.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

Cambridge Major Laboratories, VGX Pharmaceuticals, Xcelience and Dr Reddy's Laboratories have all recently announced new contract manufacturing news.

West looks ahead to healthier 2008

Packaging component manufacturer West Pharmaceutical Services has shrugged off the after-effects of a difficult 2007 with an increase in revenues in the first quarter of 2008 that came ahead of analyst estimates.

CML to begin work on $30m API plant

Cambridge Major Laboratories (CML) says that it will begin construction of its new $30m (€19.2m) high tech API prodcution facility in June.

40% of EU counterfeit drug seizures of Swiss origin

The European Union's 2007 pharmaceutical counterfeiting data shows that almost 40 per cent of fake medicines seized by the EU originated in Switzerland.

SynCo completes production of AG011 for Ph II trials

SynCo Bio Partners has completed production of AG011 for ActoGenIX, enabling the latter firm to begin examining it in patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (UC).

Tongjitang stops production at earthquake hit plant

Tongjitang Chinese Medicines, which produces traditional treatments, has stopped manufacturing operations at its facility in Guiyang, Guizhou province due to damage caused by the recent earthquake.

Pfizer closes plant earmarked for Exubera

Pfizer is planning to close its Terre Haute, Indiana manufacturing facility which had received $300m of investment to prepare it for Exubera production.

Weekly comment

Pharma must adapt to emerging markets

Pharmaceutical companies are having to radically change their practices when it comes to tackling emerging markets such as China, India, Russia and Brazil, according to IMS.

BASF doubles certain alkylethonalamine production

Germany-based chemical company BASF has committed itself to doubling its manufacturing capacity for certain alkylethonalamines by mid 2009.

SFDA crackdown to get house in order

The Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) has revealed plans to tighten the drug registration review process as it attempts to improve standards in the nation.

EFPIA sparks drug repackaging debate with counterfeiting claim

The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has called for a ban on the repackaging of medicines as part of a "zero tolerance" approach to the growing problem of counterfeit medicines in the region.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

in-PharmaTechnologist.com presents its periodic round-up of personnel changes in pharmaceutical manufacturing and development.

Bushu business booming as Japan outsourcing roused

Bushu Pharmaceuticals, Japan's largest dedicated contract manufacturer, has been going from strength to strength as Japan's pharma outsourcing industry awakens.

Round up of manufacturing news

This year's Interpack exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany saw the launch of a range of new packaging, analytical and manufacturing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.

ORF Genetics' $1m geothermal plant

The opening of ORF Genetics' $1m production site for recombinant proteins in Grindavik, Iceland, is yet another groundbreaking move by this year's winner of the Icelandic Centre for Research's innovation award.

Super yeast promises 300x more protein production

Creation of complex therapeutic proteins appears to have taken a sizeable step forward after researchers increased production levels 300-fold.

IMS sets out top 10 strategic issues facing pharma industry

IMS has identified 10 critical developments in 2007 that could have a fundamental effect on the operating environment for pharmaceutical companies in the coming years.

Chesapeake restructures and exits Brussels

Another difficult quarter for US-based packaging company Chesapeake has seen it make plans to close its factory in Brussels, Belgium.

Biovail to close Puerto Rican plants

Canada-based Biovail has revealed plans to close two Puerto Rican manufacturing plants and lay off 250 people as it attempts to cut costs.

Agilent expands oligo drug production capacity

Agilent's purchase of DowPharma's Nucleic Acid Medicines business is the second time in recent years that the US scientific measurements specialist has ramped-up its nucleic acid manufacturing capabilities.

Generic Plavix opens door for API manufacturers

Switzerland-based Schweizerhall appears to have circumnavigated patent law, with approval of its generic version of Bristol-Myers Squibb's (BSM) and Sanofi-Aventis' Plavix (clopidogrel bisulfate) in Germany "expected shortly".

Weekly comment

Japan's contract manufacturing awakening

2005 marked the real beginning of contract manufacturing in Japan, which had been held back by an overly-cautious regulatory environment and significant and unique quality and specification demands in the marketplace.

Pharmaceutical excipients roundup

In-PharmaTechnologist's periodic round-up of events in the pharmaceutical excipient space includes one product launch and two regulatory developments.

China set to become fourth IPEC region

China is on course to having its own version of the International Pharmaceutical Excipients Council - joining its fellow organisations in Europe, the Americas and Japan.

Cambrex profits climb despite sales drop

Cambrex has experienced a jump in profitability for the first quarter 2008, despite a decrease in sales, assisted by previous cost-cutting initiatives.

Hospira faces $35m charge over Morgan Hill plans

The decision to end manufacturing operations at its facility in Morgan Hill, California in the next three years may cost Hospira up to $35m (€22.7m), according to a document the firm filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Researchers find route to rapid antibodies

Researchers have discovered a method of producing human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in just a few weeks, as opposed to three months using traditional techniques.

Eisai establishes new machinery subsidiary in China

With its new Eisai Machinery Shanghai (EMS) subsidiary, Eisai is hoping to increase both its sales and manufacturing support presence in China.

Japan needs innovation to maintain pharma foothold

Although Japan's pharma market sits in firm second position on the global stage, the country's foothold is slipping as other more innovative countries grasp for a greater presence.

Device to 'revolutionise' inhaled drug testing

UK-based Cambridge Consultants has developed a portable instrument which it says could "revolutionise" the way airborne drug delivery devices are tested.

Strong sales at Teva's API division

Teva's sales of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for the first quarter of 2008 rose by 51 per cent on the previous years figure, taking to total to $510m.

Goodwin completes late-stage clinical expansion

Goodwin Biotechnology has announced that it has finally completed the construction of its expanded manufacturing facilities, which were 10 years in the planning.

Bioprocessing holds back Millipore in Q1

Continued weakness in the market for products used in the manufacture of biologic drugs was the main reason why Millipore experienced a 'challenging' quarter, according to CEO Martin Madaus.

Pfizer to build 190m Irish biologics plant

Pfizer's plans for a new €190m manufacturing plant in Shanbally, Ireland suggest that the firm is intent on fulfilling its pledge to become a "top five biologics producer in the next eight years."

Chesapeake facility first in China to gain PS9000:2001

US-based Chesapeake's manufacturing facility in Kunshan, China has become the first pharmaceutical packaging plant in the nation to receive the PS9000:2001 certification.

Double-strength digoxin recalled in US

A heart medication sold by Mylan Laboratories in the US has had to be recalled, after it emerged that some doses may contain twice the intended dose of active ingredient.

Voxels offer targeted drug delivery breakthrough

US scientists have developed a system of 'microcontainers' that one day could enable the simultaneous and targeted delivery of a range of drug dosages in a single injection.

GEA hopes for top Performa with new tablet press

GEA Pharma Systems believes that its new Performa P system, which was presented at this year's Interpack conference in Dusseldorf, Germany, can help increase output and reduce costs for tablet manufacturers worldwide.

Watson's OAI lifted and Goa manufacturing transfer on track

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has withdrawn its long-standing block on the manufacture of new products at Watson Pharmaceuticals' facility in Davie, Florida.

IMA records boost in profits

Italy-based IMA has posted a 30.3 per cent increase in net operating profit for the 2007 calendar year, taking the total to $108m.

Merck warned by FDA over vaccine plant failings

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has sent Merck & Co a warning letter saying it has failed to correct a number of manufacturing deficiencies at its main vaccine manufacturing plant in West Point, Pennsylvania.

AM Technology's continuous reactor a 'beautiful solution'

UK-based AM Technology has developed the Coflore Agitated Cell Reactor (ACR) which it claims offers significant advantages over traditional continuous stirred tank reactors.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

QSV Biologics, SynCo Bio Partners and the American Peptide Company have all recently announced new contract manufacturing news.