Adherence packs play part in MWV’s Q2 gains

30-Jul-2009 - Good adherence pack sales and profits growth helped US packaging group MeadWestvaco to a positive set of Q2 financials, despite a 16 per cent drop in sales for the period.

Genzyme hit with $8bn lawsuit

30-Jul-2009 - Shareholders have filed an $8bn (€5.7bn) lawsuit against Genzyme alleging that the company’s CEO “issued a series of materially false and misleading statements” about its manufacturing problems.

Medingo’s insulin patch approved; shares rocket

30-Jul-2009 - Medingo’s insulin dispensing patch has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), sending shares in its parent company soaring to a 12 month high.

JLL bid “irrelevant”, says Patheon after win in Canadian Courts

29-Jul-2009 - In the latest twist in an increasing bitter takeover battle, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has rejected JLL’s bid to oust directors elected to the board of Canadian CMO...

Mylan & FDA appear to disagree on QC inquiry

29-Jul-2009 - Mylan and the FDA appear to be in disagreement about whether investigations into quality controls at a US facility are ongoing, with both releasing seemingly contradictory statements.

Caraco posts loss following cGMP issues

29-Jul-2009 - The financial impact of Caraco’s cGMP compliance issues have been revealed in its Q1 results, which saw a $14m (€9.9m) operating income in 2008 turn into a $14m loss this...

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Diethyl glycol likely to have killed 25 children

29-Jul-2009 - Paracetamol tainted with diethyl glycol is thought to have killed up 25 children in Bangladesh, according to health officials in the country.

Pfizer to settle Trovan suit this week, say Nigerian authorities

28-Jul-2009 - This week, US drug giant Pfizer will sign an out of court settlement relating to the 1996 trial of its candidate meningitis vaccine treatment Trovan (trovafloxacin), according to Nigerian authorities.

New liquid protein tech could improve drug delivery

28-Jul-2009 - Scientists at the University of Bristol in the UK and the Max Planck in Germany have developed the world’s first “liquid protein” that could have a big impact on the...

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Sanofi may sell Alnwick R&D facility

28-Jul-2009 - French drugmaker Sanofi-Aventis may put its Alnwick Research Centre in Northumberland, UK up for sale, according various media reports.

Rexam considers rights issue, market remains weak

28-Jul-2009 - Beauty packaging specialist Rexam is considering issuing new equity to service its burdensome debt pile, after market conditions failed to improve in the last quarter.

KV hires restructuring and bankruptcy firm

28-Jul-2009 - KV Pharmaceutical has hired a firm specialising in restructuring and bankruptcy and said “there are significant uncertainties regarding its ability to continue as a going concern during the upcoming fiscal...

Pharma: people on the move

28-Jul-2009 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharmaceutical sector, including appointments at Novavax, Halozyme and Abraxis.

Compass completes ISO Class 8 upgrade

27-Jul-2009 - US firm Compass Pharma Services is now offering ISO class 8 certified packaging services in a bid to capture a share of the expanding high-potency drug sector.

EMEA fast tracking H1N1 vaccine data

27-Jul-2009 - The EMEA is fast tracking the review of data on H1N1 pandemic vaccines to ensure it has checked submissions before the northern hemisphere flu season, which starts in September.

Sanofi to buy Indian vaccine biz

27-Jul-2009 - Sanofi-Aventis is continuing to expand in emerging markets by agreeing to acquire Indian vaccine manufacturer Shantha Biotechnics in a deal that values the company at €550m ($784m).

News in brief

IMS Health to shed 850 jobs

27-Jul-2009 - Industry analyst IMS Health will cut 850 jobs over the next 12 to 15 months, including 170 positions at its US operations.

News in brief

Work begins on Marchesini’s €6.5m logistics unit

23-Jul-2009 -  Italian production machine specialist Marchesini has begun work on a €6.5m ($9.2m) extension of its facility in Pianoro, Bologna.

Belgian authorities positive about NextPharma’s steriles unit

23-Jul-2009 -  NextPharma Technologies’ development facility in Braine l’Alleud, Belgium has received positive early feedback following an inspection by the country’s drug watchdog, the AFMPS.

CML aims to be west’s biggest API maker with new plant

23-Jul-2009 -  US group Cambridge Major Laboratories (CML) will begin transferring API production to its 125,000 sq ft manufacturing plant in Germantown, Wisconsin at the end of next month.

P&G close to finding buyer for its pharma unit

22-Jul-2009 -  Procter & Gamble (P&G) is close to finding a buyer for its pharmaceutical division for around $3bn according to various media reports.

News in brief

Ampac Fine Chemicals get anti pollution gong

22-Jul-2009 -  Ampac Fine Chemicals’ (AFC) anti pollution efforts have been recognised by Californian authorities for the third year running.

SAFC launches raw materials sourcing service for medical diagnostics

22-Jul-2009 -  SAFC Supply Solutions has launched a new materials sourcing offering, designed to meet the medical diagnostics sector’s demand for raw materials that are compliant with international regulatory standards.

News in brief

Wyeth shareholders OK Pfizer takeover

21-Jul-2009 -  Wyeth’s shareholders gave Pfizer’s $68bn (€48bn) takeover a ringing endorsement late yesterday, with 98 per cent voting in favour of the deal.

Nycomed to expand manufacturing operations in Russia

21-Jul-2009 -  Swiss drugmaker Nycomed will invest $84m (€60m) in a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Russia, boosting its presence in the country.

Borealis’ high resistance LE6609-PH BFS re-lanuched

21-Jul-2009 -  Austria’s Borealis has brought its Bormed LE6609-PH BFS grade plastic back to market in a move that, it claims, will allow converters to speed up their production cycles by reducing...

Alcan talks still on in wake of Bemis deal, says Amcor

20-Jul-2009 -  Australian group Amcor has confirmed that talks about a takeover of Alcan’s pharmaceutical packaging business are still ongoing but says that no binding agreement has yet been reached.

Pfizer may bid for Turkey’s Abdi Ibrahim

20-Jul-2009 -  Rumours suggest that US drug giant Pfizer is considering a bid for Turkish generics group Abdi Ibrahim as part of its strategy of expanding in emerging markets.

News in brief

Construction begins at Viva Biopharma's US plant

20-Jul-2009 -  Construction of Viva Biopharm USA’s $30m (€21m) drug manufacturing facility is under way in the latest stage of parent Viva Canada’s international expansion programme.

SAFC and SSB step towards “totally disposable factory”

16-Jul-2009 -  SAFC’s bioscience unit and Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) have teamed up to create a suite of fluid management solutions that they hope will prove irresistible to the booming biomanufacturing sector....

FDA advocates food pigments and flavours to combat counterfeits

16-Jul-2009 -  Draft guidance issued by the US FDA suggests that greater use of inks, pigments, flavours and other physical chemical identifiers (PCIDs) will help combat counterfeit drugs.

News in brief

Mega deals for productivity? Maybe not says Decision Resources

16-Jul-2009 -  Mega mergers may not provide the pharmaceutical industry with the productivity gains it desires according to a new report by Decision Resources.

Pfizer plans 10-fold increase in cancer drug sales

15-Jul-2009 -  US drug giant Pfizer wants a massive increase in sales of cancer drugs by 2018 to sustain growth.

Johnson and Johnson sales hit by tough retail environment

15-Jul-2009 - Leading pharmaceutical and personal care player Johnson & Johnson has been hit hard during its second quarter by the global economic recession.

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Propofol found at Jackson’s home not part of recalled batch, says Teva

15-Jul-2009 -  Israeli generics giant Teva Pharmaceuticals says the vial of propofol found at Michael Jackson’s home does not belong to either of the batches covered by its recent recall.

Oscient files for bankruptcy and sells Factive

15-Jul-2009 -  US drugmaker Oscient Pharmaceuticals has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy and will sell its bronchitis therapy Factive (gemifloxacin mesylate) to North Carolina-based Cornerstone Therapeutics for $5m (€3.5m).

Gerresheimer cuts forecast despite pharma packaging growth

15-Jul-2009 -  Gerresheimer has cut its forecast for 2009 after a poor second quarter that saw gains made in drug packaging pegged back by falling demand from the cosmetics industry.

Mallinckrodt pulls “subpotent” Cr-51 batch

13-Jul-2009 -  Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals has recalled one batch of its sodium chromate Cr-51 diagnostic agent after FDA post-marketing tests revealed that some of the products were “subpotent.”

Roche begins cutting jobs at Genentech

13-Jul-2009 - Swiss firm Roche has begun making cuts at recent $46.8bn biotech acquisition Genentech, in the first stage of a widely anticipated integration programme.

Ranbaxy pulls batch of acne drug in US

13-Jul-2009 -  Indian generics firm Ranbaxy voluntarily withdrew one batch of its acne drug isotretinoin from US shelves late last week after FDA analysis revealed out of spec dissolution test results.

News in brief

Sanofi pulls cough mixtures after phenol detected

13-Jul-2009 -  Drug major Sanofi Aventis has recalled three of its cough syrup mixtures in France after traces of phenol were found in the products.

West buys Plastef’s delivery business

09-Jul-2009 -  US contract manufacturer West Pharmaceutical Services has purchased French device firm Plastef Investissements’ drug delivery business, adding the eris safety syringe system to its offering.

News in brief

Colorcon launches drug delivery substrate

09-Jul-2009 -  Colorcon has launched a drug layering substrate, composed of uniform, free flowing pellets, which it claims has applications in multiparticulate drug delivery.

EC won’t revisit excipient GMP in short term; expert

09-Jul-2009 -  There will be no major changes in the short term after the “surprise” decision by the EC to drop the directive about some excipients having to comply with GMP, according...

Pharma: people on the move

09-Jul-2009 -  in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest roundup of appointments in the pharmaceutical sector, including movements at UCB Pharma Canada and a resignation at GeoVax.

OSI leaves Long Island after "failing to make biotech work"

08-Jul-2009 -  US biotechnology group OSI Pharmaceuticals will move HQ to a facility in Greenburgh, New York due, according to observers, to the high cost of land at its current base in...

Cozzoli filling line aims to cut contamination

08-Jul-2009 -  Cozzoli believes its new powder filling line, which is capable of depositing varying doses of antibiotics into differing sizes of vials, can help companies reduce the risk of contamination.

Siemens develops bulk RFID reader

08-Jul-2009 -  NXP and Siemens have collaborated to create a RFID system capable of bulk reading hundreds of labels, which they believe could improve efficiencies across the pharma supply chain.

News in brief

Esco launches new Pharmacon Downflow sampling booths

08-Jul-2009 -  Singapore-based Industrial cleanroom and containment specialist Esco Micro has rolled out the latest generation of its Pharmacon Downflow booths for pharmaceutical sampling, grinding, dispensing and filling operations.

ISO 9001 accreditation a “huge step” for Prosonix

07-Jul-2009 -  Ultrasonic particle engineering specialist Prosonix has been accredited under the ISO 9001:2008 quality scheme, after an inspection by the UK unit of independent auditing group SGS.

MJ Biopharm GMP breach prompts number of recalls

07-Jul-2009 -  Novartis and Jubilant Organosys are among several companies forced to recall generic drugs after manufacturing operations at their shared CMO, India’s MJ Biopharm, were found to be in breach of...

News in brief

Evolvence plans more Indian pharma investment

07-Jul-2009 -  Dubai-based investment group Evolvence Capital plans to invest in more India drugmakers, according to a report in the Emirates Business newspaper.

Pfizer plans Irish process lab, shelves SF unit and sells skin drugs to Graceway

07-Jul-2009 -  Pfizer will invest €11m ($15.3m) in a new kilo technology R&D laboratory at its API manufacturing facility in Ringaskiddy, Ireland.

BASF expanding China JV

07-Jul-2009 -  BASF and Sinopec are to invest $1.4bn (€1bn) in expanding their Chinese specialty chemical joint venture, adding 10 plants and increasing capacity at three existing sites.

News in brief

GSK buys 13 B-MS generics for North African market

06-Jul-2009 -  UK drug major GSK has paid Bristol-Myers Squibb’s (BSM) $23.2m (€16.6m) for 13 generic products that it sells in North Africa and the Middle East.

Novasep buys to get big in bio

06-Jul-2009 -  Novasep has bolstered its upstream processing capabilities by acquiring Henogen, a Belgium-based CMO that has biotech development and cGMP manufacturing expertise.

Sepha shows off BlisterScan in Japan

06-Jul-2009 -  Northern Irish pack testing specialist Sepha has moved forward with plans to enter the Japanese market, showcasing its BlisterScan platform at Interphex Japan in Tokyo last week.

USP revises monographs to tackle contamination

06-Jul-2009 -  The USP is revising monographs of four pharmaceutical excipients in light of hazards associated with diethylene glycol contamination and is seeking comments from interested parties.

Dow to shut 3 US ethylene plants

02-Jul-2009 - Dow Chemical is closing three US manufacturing plants, including an ethylene production unit in Hahnville, Louisiana in a further bid to restructure its specialty chemicals business.

Spain to build its first vaccine plant

02-Jul-2009 -  The Spanish Ministry of Health is leading a €60m ($84.9m) programme that will build the country’s first vaccine production facility and use Novavax’s recombinant virus-like-particle (VLP) technology.

Pharma: people on the move

02-Jul-2009 -  in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of appointments in the pharmaceutical sector, including the new president of Sanofi-Aventis France.

News in brief

Pfizer abandons Ph III Sutent colon cancer study

02-Jul-2009 -  Pfizer has pulled the plug on a Phase III trial of its drug Sutent (sunitinib) in colon cancer after it failed to demonstrate improved clinical efficacy over standard chemotherapy.

Lantus cancer link research flawed says Sanofi; mulls R&D restructuring

01-Jul-2009 -  Sanofi-Aventis has moved to defend its long-acting diabetes treatment Lantus (insulin glargine) and says that recent research linking it to the development of cancer is of “poor quality.”

PSI collaborates with Microfluidics

01-Jul-2009 -  Particle Sciences (PSI) is aiming to advance its contract processing offering by collaborating with Microfluidics and sharing formulation and nanotechnology expertise.

Rottapharm expanding Irish operations

01-Jul-2009 -  Rottapharm is investing €7m ($9.8m) in its Irish manufacturing operations, which will create 35 jobs and add 2000 sq m housing three manufacturing and associated packaging lines.