'Super Combination Traveler's Vaccine' looking promising

31-Jul-2007 - The concept of a "Super Combination Traveler's Vaccine" has come one step closer to reality with the initiation of a Phase II study on a single dose, oral typhoid fever...

Laboratory suppliers see strong Q2 growth

31-Jul-2007 - Laboratory equipment manufacturers have been doing well in the first half of 2007, with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waters, Affymetrix and PerkinElmer all achieving near double digit growth.

Gerresheimer going strong

31-Jul-2007 - German packaging firm Gerresheimer has reported healthy first half financial results, boosted by a series of strategic acquisitions and favourable market conditions, with the firm's recent initial public offering promising...

China continues steps toward drug safety reform

31-Jul-2007 - China continues to take steps toward drug safety reforms as it forges closer ties with US regulators and shuts down dodgy manufacturing plants.

The fine line between antibody yield and process throughput

31-Jul-2007 - UK researchers have developed a computer simulation to aid researchers find the optimum conditions for purifying polyclonal antibodies on affinity chromatography systems.

Gene therapy skies grey again

31-Jul-2007 - Just as the biopharma industry was recovering from its hangover after negative clinical events in the gene therapy field, the death of a patient during a gene therapy trial last...

Sanofi's SoloStar hits US market despite patent suit

31-Jul-2007 - Sanofi-Aventis' disposable insulin pen SoloStar has been launched across the US for use with the company's 24-hour basal insulin Lantus (insulin glargine), despite patent infringement claims emanating from fellow insulin...

Nikon to care for your cells while you study them

31-Jul-2007 - Nikon have launched a new 'hands off' system that combines an incubator and inverted microscope to allow automated live-cell culture studies and time-lapse imaging in a controlled environment.

Risk management strategy progressing nicely

31-Jul-2007 - European pharmaceutical and medical authorities have announced their satisfaction on the progress being made with the European Risk Management Strategy (ERMS) following a meeting earlier this month.

MorphoSys pleased with financial results

30-Jul-2007 - German-based MorphoSys has a positive outlook for its antibody producing industry, despite the research antibody segment posting revenue 10 per cent below expectations in the six-month financial report released today.

TB booster vaccine enters Phase II

30-Jul-2007 - A new booster vaccine aimed to up the immune response against tuberculosis (TB) has entered Phase II trials in South Africa.

Biocon JV sets up in UAE

30-Jul-2007 - Indian biotech heavyweight Biocon has today announced that its joint venture with Abu Dhabi-based Neopharma has spawned new company NeoBiocon, operating out of one of Dubai's newest biotechnology parks.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

30-Jul-2007 - Akorn, Dompé, Angel Biotech and Flamingo Pharmaceuticals have all made new contract manufacturing announcements this past week.

Patent promise for oral insulin tablet tech

30-Jul-2007 - A novel drug delivery technology capable of delivering large molecules in oral tablet form is set to gain patent protection in a number of countries through an international patent treaty.

RFID set for explosive growth

26-Jul-2007 - The use of radio frequency identification (RFID) technologies in the healthcare industry is set for explosive growth over the coming years as teething problems from its formative years are overcome.

Product news in brief - week 30

26-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round-up of product news from suppliers such as Bruker, Sotax, SP Industries, SUI and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Novel soft mist COPD inhaler set for EU

26-Jul-2007 - A novel spring-powered inhaler system to deliver the blockbuster COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) treatment Spiriva (tiotropium) has successfully completed the EU approval process, paving the way for its introduction...

SwitchGear screens signalling-pathways

26-Jul-2007 - SwitchGear Genomics has launched a new high-throughput tool (HT) that allows researchers to peer into disease-related pathways and study how potential drugs affect disease progression.

Frustration for GPC oral cancer drug

26-Jul-2007 - GPC Biotech was dealt a blow this week as an advisory committee recommended that regulatory bodies should hold off on approval of a novel oral formulation of a platinum-based cancer...

Don't trust 'Old Faithful' when pipetting hot liquids

26-Jul-2007 - Artel's extreme pipetting expedition team went to Yellowstone National Park, US, where they found that pipetting hot or cold liquids can cause delivery volume errors of up to 37 per cent.

Rentschler in protein production expansion

26-Jul-2007 - Rentschler Biotechnologie has completed the first phase of a €50m expansion of its biomanufacturing capacity with the launch of two new bioreactors aimed at making protein-based drugs for biopharma clients.

Disappointment for Biovail bupropion plans

25-Jul-2007 - Biovail has this week sought to reassure its investors after the news that US regulators issued the company with a Non Approval letter for its new bupropion salt anti-depressant.

First dissolution-focused CRO launched

25-Jul-2007 - Lab equipment specialist Sotax has announced the creation of a new contract research organisation (CRO) focused exclusively on dissolution testing services.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

25-Jul-2007 - Roche, Alexza Pharmaceuticals, WuXi PharmaTech, Ambrx and NovaDel Pharma have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

World pharma packaging set for solid growth

25-Jul-2007 - Worldwide demand for pharmaceutical packaging is set to grow steadily over the coming years growing to over $30bn (€21.7bn) by 2011, according to a new report published this week.

Nabi splits into two units; cuts 5% staff

25-Jul-2007 - Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has announced the creation of the second of its two new business units, Nabi Pharmaceuticals, a month after spinning off its Biologics segment.

MS drugs boost Biogen Q2 results

25-Jul-2007 - Biogen Idec has announced healthy financial results for the second quarter of the year, boosted by high sales of its three leading drugs.

Vivalis cell lines show MAb production power

25-Jul-2007 - French firm Vivalis has announced the first data evaluating its proprietary EBx cell lines for the production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), with initial results suggesting high cytotoxic properties in the...

Cash injection for Dengue fever vaccine

24-Jul-2007 - US biotech firm VaxInnate has been awarded a lump sum from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the development of the company's tetravalent Dengue fever vaccine.

Industry news in brief - week 30

24-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round-up of industry news, including new developments at Affymetrix, Bio-Rad, Jeol, Illumina, NuGen, Qiagen, Roche and VWR.

ABI launches new miRNA expression arrays

24-Jul-2007 - Applied Biosystems (ABI) has launched its TaqMan microRNA (miRNA) assays in array format to help researchers search for miRNA biomarkers more efficiently from smaller samples.

Bio-Rad tackles the 'SELDI biomarker controversy'

24-Jul-2007 - Ever since Bio-Rad's acquisition of Ciphergen's SELDI MS (surface enhanced laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry) technology late last year, it has been fighting against the spectre of "controversial" research results obtained...

Tamiflu caps for kids get EU thumbs up

24-Jul-2007 - Roche has received a positive opinion from EU regulators recommending the approval of low-dose capsules of the blockbuster flu drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir), providing a more convenient dosage form for children.

The future of oral controlled release

24-Jul-2007 - The field of oral controlled release drug delivery is constantly evolving and developing, allowing ever more precise and tailored delivery profiles for pharmaceutical drugs.

Codexis expands portfolio with BioCatalytics buyout

24-Jul-2007 - Biocatalysis expert Codexis has acquired BioCatalytics for an undisclosed amount to strengthen its off-the-shelf biocatalyst portfolio and give itself a larger 'window to the market'.

Xcelience expands as contract formulation biz booms

24-Jul-2007 - Formulation services firm Xcelience has announced it is expanding its headquarters in Tampa, Florida with the acquisition of a new building in a bid to cope with growing customer demand.

Sanofi's US facility completed

23-Jul-2007 - Sanofi Pasteur has completed construction of its new facility in the US in a bid to meet an anticipated demand for seasonal influenza vaccine in the future.

Novozymes awarded for animal-free innovation

23-Jul-2007 - Danish firm Novozymes has been honoured by animal rights organisation PETA for its efforts to provide animal-free bioprocessing methods aimed at cutting animal testing during drug development.

MHRA stalls cannabis-based MS drug

23-Jul-2007 - A UK firm developing cannabis-derived multiple sclerosis (MS) treatments has decided to pull an EU application for its lead candidate Sativex, following demands by UK regulators for additional data in...

CABB catches SF-Chem in chlorine combo

23-Jul-2007 - German speciality chemicals firm CABB has scooped up Swiss company SF-Chem in a deal set to create a leading European supplier of chlorine and speciality intermediates.

Three hits for Novartis

23-Jul-2007 - Thursday was a good day for Novartis as EU regulators issued positive opinions on no less than three of the company's drug products, for the treatment of Alzheimer's, osteoporosis and...

The 'global disaster' of fake internet pharmacies

19-Jul-2007 - Fake internet pharmacies are a growing "global disaster" with increasingly dangerous consequences, pharmaceutical industry figures say.

FDA draft guideline on ICH Q10

19-Jul-2007 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft guideline document outlining a model for implementing the International Conference on Harmonization's (ICH) Q10.

Study pushes conventional envelope on bioprocessing

19-Jul-2007 - The first study comparing traditional and optical sensors in cell culture has been published and the authors are heralding it as a potential paradigm shift in the realm of bioprocessing.

Carl Zeiss ships first helium ion microscope

19-Jul-2007 - Microscopy expert, Carl Zeiss has shipped the world's first commercial helium ion microscope that promises to allow researchers to view objects at higher resolutions than ever before.

Product news in brief

19-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round-up of new product releases, with new offerings from ADInstruments,Corning, FEI, Supelco, Tecan, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Waters.

Increasing plasmid production efficiency

19-Jul-2007 - Swiss researchers have developed a method that combines bacterial capture, lysis and the purification of plasmid DNA to improve industrial-scale bioprocesses.

Luminex to increase assay speeds and efficiency

19-Jul-2007 - Luminex has unveiled its new bead-based assay system, the FlexMAP 3D that can measure up to 500 analytes from a single sample and increase productivity in clinical and pharmaceutical laboratories.

Gardasil rival set for EU approval

19-Jul-2007 - GlaxoSmithKline's cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix, has received a positive opinion from the European Commission for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP), bringing a competitor to Merck & Co's dominant Gardasil vaccine a...

Sanofi still waiting on insulin pen accusations

19-Jul-2007 - Despite numerous media reports of an impending patent infringement suit, Sanofi-Aventis has yet to formally hear anything from plaintiff Novo Nordisk, who claims the French firm's SoloStar insulin pen violates...

Contract manufacturing news in brief

19-Jul-2007 - Xcellerex, QSV Biologics, IntegrityBio and Indoco Remedies have all made new contract manufacturing announcements of late.

Nanotechnology - or is it?

19-Jul-2007 - At last week's Controlled Release Society annual meeting, an industry analyst looked at nanotechnology and its increasingly prominent role, but noted that much of what is touted as nanotechnology actually...

Weekly Comment

Informed consent 'not up to scratch'

18-Jul-2007 - A recent survey of clinical trial participants in the US has revealed worrying signs that the informed consent process is 'not up to scratch'.

Canadians get Naprelan

18-Jul-2007 - Canadians finally have access to the controlled-release formulation of naproxen sodium, which has been on the US market for more than 10 years for the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Biocon targets global cell culture market

18-Jul-2007 - Biocon is targeting the global cell culture market with the production of pharmaceutical-grade insulin as a potent growth factor.

People on the move: pharmaceutical manufacturing

18-Jul-2007 - Biomira, Isolagen, Pharma-Olam International, Hyaluron and WuXi PharmaTech have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

'No-touch' testosterone therapy proves positive

18-Jul-2007 - Australian drug delivery specialist Acrux has reported positive results in Phase II trials of its innovative under-arm lotion formulation for testosterone replacement therapy.

Viral vs. non-viral: The debate

18-Jul-2007 - At a packed out session at last week's Controlled Release Society meeting in the US, two experts battled it out to win one of the key debates in gene delivery:...

Acambis' universal vaccine enters the clinic

18-Jul-2007 - UK firm Acambis has announced that its universal influenza vaccine candidate has entered Phase I trials, hoping to prove a key weapon in the fight against pandemic flu and last-minute...

IDT simplifies miRNA discovery with miRCat launch

18-Jul-2007 - Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has launched a new kit for cloning libraries of small RNAs from any primary RNA source to enable the discovery of new small RNA molecules.

Contracts awarded in fight against biological threats

18-Jul-2007 - UK's deltaDOT, along with US firms Xcellerex, Dowpharma, BioPharm Services, Neugenesis and SRI International, have all been given key contracts by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to...

Safflower seeds sowing a protein-producing future

17-Jul-2007 - The humble safflower seed is looking like it could be the next protein-producing factory after SemBioSys Genetics produced commercial levels of an atherosclerosis treatment.

Expansion of allergen material facility

17-Jul-2007 - Biopol Laboratory is acting to meet the demand of sneezes, itchy eyes and running noses as it consolidates its five allergen production facilities into one main building in Idaho.

Industry news in brief

17-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round up of industry news with developments at Affymetrix, Agilent, Ciphergen, Eksigent, GE Healthcare, Horiba, Qiagen and Tepnel.

deltaDOT selected to aid 'the accelerated manufacture of pharmaceuticals'

17-Jul-2007 - UK-based deltaDOT has been given a key role providing analytical technologies to a consortium aiming to increase the efficiency of vaccine and biological drug production.

VGX strengthens its plasmid position

17-Jul-2007 - US biopharmaceutical company VGX has strengthened its position in the plasmid DNA area with the award of two new patents covering the use and manufacture of plasmid DNA.

Cash injection for next generation conjugate vaccines

17-Jul-2007 - A Swiss firm working on a novel technology to vastly improve the production process for conjugate vaccines has announced a hefty cash boost to push forward development of its novel...

Genentech displays strong growth again

17-Jul-2007 - In its second quarter of 2007, the world's number two biotech, Genentech, has again posted strong results.

'Stretching' DNA could unravel drug interactions

17-Jul-2007 - US researchers have used atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques to study the interactions within DNA strands as a first step to understanding how drugs interact with DNA.

New test machines have the X factor

17-Jul-2007 - Productivity bottlenecks will be a thing of the past thanks to the new 'X' range of automated drug delivery testing machinery from UK-based firm Astech Projects.

Single-shot vaccines on the horizon

17-Jul-2007 - Research being carried out at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to replace standard vaccination schedules with a single-shot alternative could do away with the need for repeated jabs.

Needle-free injection device a winner

16-Jul-2007 - A new needle-free delivery system is taking a stab at the traditional needle and syringe after winning an award at the 2007 Medical Futures Innovation Awards.

Bridging the blood brain barrier

16-Jul-2007 - A novel technology set to overcome the challenges of the blood brain barrier is being developed in a bid to open the gates to previously unusable compounds for the treatment...

Best foam forward

16-Jul-2007 - An Israeli drug delivery firm is developing a new vaginal drug delivery system, making use of bio-adhesive foams to offer a more convenient and effective treatment option for women with...

Milking transgenic rabbits gets approval

16-Jul-2007 - A drug developed from the milk of transgenic animals is one step closer to being the second such drug on the market following a European thumbs up of its facilities,...

Endo Pharmaceuticals pain patch results painful

12-Jul-2007 - US-based Endo Pharmaceuticals has announced its pain relief patch has failed two Phase III trials.

BioSante adjuvant looks promising

12-Jul-2007 - BioSante Pharmaceuticals' vaccine adjuvant is coming up trumps as vaccine manufacturers race towards finding the most efficient bird flu vaccine.

Outsourcing-Pharma.com special focus

Deja vu? Inyx tale parallels the past

12-Jul-2007 - As Outsourcing-Pharma.com continues to investigate the circumstances of the Inyx group's insolvency problems, it can be revealed that some of the senior management have been involved at a senior level...

Product news in brief

12-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round up of new product releases, with new offerings from Activotec, Luminex, Nonlinear Dynamics, Oxford Gene Technology, SP Industries, TandD, Thermo Fisher Scientific and VWR....

Company Profile: GE Healthcare Life Sciences

12-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you an exclusive interview with Ger Brophy - general manager of Advanced Systems within GE Healthcare's Life Science Division.

Separating the DNA from the blood

12-Jul-2007 - US researchers have developed a microfluidic device for purifying and concentrating DNA directly from blood samples that could speed up the use of genomics in clinical trials.

Generics set to boom

12-Jul-2007 - The European generics market is expected to boom to $35.9bn (€26.1bn) in 2013, according to a Frost & Sullivan report.

AeonClad the way to better drug, particle and device coatings

12-Jul-2007 - University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) spin-out has exclusively licensed plasma coating technology that could improve the controlled release of drugs and the biocompatibility of medical implants.

Improved culture media could advance stem cell research

12-Jul-2007 - Medicult, a Danish company best known for supplying products for use in fertility clinics, has developed a protein-free cell culture medium that could cut out problems associated with current media.

Ventana hits back at Roche's 'inadequate' offer

12-Jul-2007 - Ventana has hit back at Roche Diagnostic's hostile take over bid two weeks after its 'inadequate' $3bn (€2.2bn) offer for the tissue analysis expert.

AlphaVax awarded grant for adjuvant technology

11-Jul-2007 - US-based AlphaVax has been awarded a $3.6m grant from a US Government health agency to develop a new adjuvant technology for vaccines.

Sigma-Aldrich to develop zinc finger binding proteins with Sangamo

11-Jul-2007 - Sigma-Aldrich is to collaborate with Sangamo BioSciences to develop zinc finger DNA-binding proteins to create knock-out cell lines and cell lines with enhanced protein production performance.

People on the move: Pharmaceutical manufacturing

11-Jul-2007 - Circassia, Affibody, Actavis, Sigma-Aldrich, and Abraxis BioScience have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Servier sets up in Russia

11-Jul-2007 - France's largest independent drug company Servier has invested €40m in a new tablet producing factory in Russia to meet demand from the local market.

Weekly comment

China carries out execution on corrupt drug official

10-Jul-2007 - China has wasted no time in executing the first of its convicted corrupt former drug officials after his desperate appeal for life failed.

Citric acid sensor is faster and cheaper

10-Jul-2007 - A new fluorescent chemical sensor can detect citric acid at low concentrations more rapidly and cheaply than current optical sensors, its developer claims.

New scales outweighs the competitors

10-Jul-2007 - The end to botch-ups in batches is being heralded with the launch of a new set of scales.

Agilent to 'turn back time' on preserved tumour samples

10-Jul-2007 - Agilent has licensed Kreatech's non-enzymatic labelling technology to allow researchers to study preserved tumour samples that would otherwise be too degraded to study on its microarray platform.

Industry news in brief

10-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round up of industry news with developments at Affymetrix, Applied Microarrays, Carl Zeiss, Guava Technologies and Tepnel Life Sciences.

Noven acquires JDS to transform business outlook

10-Jul-2007 - Transdermal drug delivery expert Noven Pharmaceuticals is to buy JDS Pharmaceuticals in a deal worth $125m (€91m) to transform itself into a 'fully-integrated speciality pharmaceutical company'.

Anticalins look promising

10-Jul-2007 - A new generation of therapeutic protein products has entered the biopharma scene and are proving more efficient than antibodies when using the same drug delivery systems.

The new 'gold' standard for predicting anticancer activity?

10-Jul-2007 - US researchers have designed an assay for determining the relative binding affinities of duplex and triplex binders that have potential use as anticancer agents and gene expression modifiers.

Shasun gets the thumbs up

10-Jul-2007 - Indian pharmaceutical manufacturing company Shasun Chemicals and Drugs has now got its eye fully on the US market after recent approval of its new formulation facility in Puducherry.

First light for Angel after UK plant closure

10-Jul-2007 - Contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) Angel Biotechnology has penned a brand new deal with a Russian drug maker worth £450,000 (€664,000) just a few days after closing its struggling UK facility.

GE's online life science shopping mall

10-Jul-2007 - GE Healthcare Life Sciences division has launched a free-of-charge one-stop shop for all life science purchases, regardless of supplier, to give customers greater control over the ordering process.

Outsourcing-Pharma.com special focus

Legal wrangling as Inyx units are deemed insolvent

10-Jul-2007 - Almost the entire international operations of specialty pharma contract manufacturer Inyx is facing insolvency and the company is locked in a legal battle with its principal financier.

Outsourcing-Pharma.com special focus

Charting the course of Inyx' downfall

10-Jul-2007 - With a knife-edge financial history of spiralling debts, exacerbated by continued borrowing, Inyx' recent insolvency problems are hardly surprising.

Alzheimer's patch gets stuck into US market

09-Jul-2007 - The first and only transdermal treatment for Alzheimer's disease has been approved in the US.

Dishman to buy Solvay fine chemicals unit

09-Jul-2007 - Indian contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) Dishman Pharmaceuticals has announced its plans to buy Solvay Pharmaceuticals' fine chemicals and vitamin businesses for an undisclosed sum.

Helvoet burns rubber to stay ahead of injectables market

09-Jul-2007 - The world's number two manufacturer of rubber components for pharmaceutical products, Helvoet Pharma, has broken ground on a new facility that promises to double or even triple its capacity to...

China gets tough on manufacturers

09-Jul-2007 - China is cracking down on its pharmaceutical manufacturers with the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) revoking the production licenses of five drug makers since July, according to reports in...

Abraxis BioScience splits in two

05-Jul-2007 - Abraxis BioScience will be separating the company into two independent public companies following accelerated growth, the US-based firm announced this week.

Product news in brief

05-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round up of new product releases, with new offerings from Jasco, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Shimadzu, Velocity11 and Waters.

Illumina tool could cut genotyping costs in half

05-Jul-2007 - Illumina has started shipping what it boldly claims is "the most powerful DNA analysis tool" on the market, which it claims could cut genotyping study costs in half.

China to play starring role in AstraZeneca API outsourcing

05-Jul-2007 - AstraZeneca is planning to gradually withdraw from making its own active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and will use China as the pinnacle of its new outsourcing plans.

Oxoid's new portable air monitoring device

05-Jul-2007 - Microbiology expert Oxoid has released a new active air quality monitoring device to help pharmaceutical companies prove that their clean areas are microbe free.

Here WEEE go recycling

05-Jul-2007 - With the WEEE regulations finally coming into effect in the UK at the start of July, LabTechnologist.com looks into the implications for laboratory users and suppliers.

Novo Nordisk gets transparent on bioethics

05-Jul-2007 - Biopharma company Novo Nordisk has launched a new website dedicated to bioethics which it claims is the first of its kind in the industry.

Ex-UCB unit sells for €0.8bn

05-Jul-2007 - Taminco, UCB's old intermediates and derivatives unit, has been sold at auction to European investment group CVC Capital Partners for €0.8bn.

Gel cap strength put to the test

05-Jul-2007 - A UK firm has introduced a new piece of kit for pharma firms to test how the contents of their hard gel capsules can affect the strength and stability of...

Needle safety solution wins coveted packaging prize

05-Jul-2007 - German packaging firm Gerresheimer has been awarded another prize for its innovative safety-conscious rigid needle shield, this time winning the World Packaging Organisation's renowned WorldStar award.

Circassia bags ex GSK chairman

05-Jul-2007 - Start-up UK biotech firm Circassia technology has had a major result in bagging 30-year industry veteran and former GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) chairman, Sir Richard Sykes, as its new chairman of the...

Initiative launched to tackle ICH

04-Jul-2007 - The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has launched a new initiative to help implement the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) guidelines.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

04-Jul-2007 - Agilent, Goodwin Biotechnology, IntegrityBio, Vastox, and AMRI have all made new contract manufacturing announcements this past week.

New diarrhoea drug adds to IBD arsenal

04-Jul-2007 - Italian firm Cosmo Pharmaceuticals has announced positive preliminary results from trials testing out a new formulation of an antibioticfor traveller's diarrhoea that makes use of the company's innovative MMX technology.

Australia to increase monoclonal antibody production

04-Jul-2007 - Australia is soon to boast the largest monoclonal antibody production facility in the Southern Hemisphere, which will go some way in alleviating the increasing demand for the biologic agents.

Combo contraceptive spray delivers the goods

04-Jul-2007 - Aussie drug delivery firm Acrux has reported positive results from trials of its novel transdermal spray, tested for the first time with a combination contraceptive formulation.

NPS takes steps in new outsourcing plan

04-Jul-2007 - NPS Pharmaceuticals has sold two facilities and appointed a new COO as part of a recently revealed restructuring strategy to rely more on outsourcing.

People on the move: pharmaceutical manufacturing

04-Jul-2007 - NPS Pharmaceuticals, Targanta Therapeutics, Merck & Co., MAP Pharmaceuticals and Merrimack Pharmaceuticals have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Serono offers 'head start' on MS drug access

04-Jul-2007 - EMD Serono has this week announced a plan to give faster and wider access to its multiple sclerosis (MS) drug to those suffering from the most common form of the...

Systech upgrades packaging software

03-Jul-2007 - US-based Systech International has enhanced its features to its packaging software application, Systech Guardian.

South Korea acts to save its pharma industry from US competition

03-Jul-2007 - South Korea is to inject about one trillion won ($1.07bn) into its pharmaceutical industry to give it a rev up as the newly signed free trade agreement (FTA) with the...

Thar expands SFC business with Berger acquisition

03-Jul-2007 - Thar Instruments has bought Berger SFC from Mettler Toledo to expand its SFC capabilities and achieve 'critical mass' in a market that is growing as pharma looks for greener separation...

Sartorius Stedim Biotech born

03-Jul-2007 - The hook-up between German and French firms Sartorius and Stedim to create a combined biotech business is now complete, with the deal finalised and the new company ready to roll.

Industry news in brief

03-Jul-2007 - LabTechnologist.com brings you its periodic round up of industry news with developments at Applied Biosystems, Inverness Medical, Jasco, Shimadzu and VWR.

Azur snaps up FazaClo as Avanir reshuffles

03-Jul-2007 - Irish firm Azur Pharma is the proud new owner of schizophrenia drug FazaClo (clozapine), sold off by pharma firm Avanir as it struggles to scrape together resources to fund development...

BioAlliance's buccal tab brings in the cash

03-Jul-2007 - A novel antifungal treatment developed by French firm BioAlliance has attracted a US partner, bringing $65m (€48m) to the company only months after announcing a multi-million deal in Europe.

Immunoassays for the masses?

03-Jul-2007 - US researchers have developed a fast and efficient, label-free method of detecting the presence of antigens and disease biomarkers in clinical samples.

Amaxa drives high-throughput cell transfection

03-Jul-2007 - The European Commission (EC) has given a €2.75m grant to a consortium of companies, led by Amaxa, to develop the first ultra high-throughput (UHT) devices for transfecting cells.

NextPharma moves forward with funds and acquisition

03-Jul-2007 - British contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) NextPharma Technologies has announced a €30m fundraising round and the acquisition of Bioserv, another CMO based in the US.

Nanotube longboats help in the sacking of tumours

03-Jul-2007 - US researchers have developed a method of using carbon nanotubes to carry platinum anticancer pro-drugs into cancer cells so that they can unleash their deadly cargo with greater effect.

EU approves recombinant fertility drug duo

03-Jul-2007 - A new recombinant combo treatment that could help some of the rising number of women experiencing fertility problems, has now been approved for use in the Europe.

Invitrogen launches 3D cell scaffold

02-Jul-2007 - Invitrogen has launched an animal-free, 3D bioscaffold cell culture system, to allow researchers to study cells in an environment that mimics the conditions of cells in the body.

Final stages of Bradman Lake's new packaging machinery facility

02-Jul-2007 - The finishing touches are being added to the new Bradman Lake Group's packaging machinery facility in Norwich, Norfolk, as the company continues on its global expansion plan.

AstraZeneca makes latest outsourcing move in France

02-Jul-2007 - AstraZeneca has sold a manufacturing plant in France to a contract manufacturer who will continue to supply the drug giant with its products under a new outsourcing contract.

Massive vaccine deal makes Intercell's day

02-Jul-2007 - One of the most significant deals to take place in the vaccine industry in the last ten years was signed late last night between vaccine heavyweight Novartis and biotech firm...

Prolonged-release schizophrenia drug gets EU approval

02-Jul-2007 - A new and improved extended-release treatment for schizophrenia has been granted marketing authorisation by the European Commission. Invega (paliperidone) is a once-daily formulation that will be marketed by J&J subsidiary,...

Anti-obesity drug slim on safety aspects

02-Jul-2007 - Sanofi-Aventis' hotly touted anti-obesity blockbuster drug has become weighted down in safety concerns as the French company withdraws its New Drug Application (NDA) in the US and awaits a safety...