Breaking News on Pharmaceutical Technology

OctoPlus, Glycotope, Merck KGaA and SCM Pharma on BioPh 2009

How successful was the BioPh conference in Madrid? in-PharmaTechnologist asked key players attending the inaugural event.

Sales down but profit doubles at MWV healthcare

Profits doubled at MWV’s healthcare division in the third quarter, despite slightly lower sales, as the packaging company’s efforts to focus on high return opportunities and maximise production efficiency paid dividends.

News in brief

Pfizer, GSK and Bayer accept Ecuador’s plan to break patents

Late last week Ecuador’s government announced plans to sidestep patents on more than 2,000 drugs, enabling them to produced local or imported as “generics”

Work begins on Indian seasonal flu vacc plant

Novavax says its new Indian vaccine plant will be operational in four months with sufficient capacity to help meet local demand for seasonal influenza vaccines.

News in brief

Unilife tagets pharma with Unifill brand

US headquartered Unilife is targeting pharmaceutical companies with its new Unifill RTF safety syringe and product range and has begun seeking international trademarks.

CDC targets track and trace

CDC Software has launched Trace Express Viewer which helps identify suspect materials, provides cGxP compliant transaction processing and covers users’ ePedigree requirements.

Qualitest expands recall to all Accusure insulin syringes

US generics firm Qualitest Pharmaceuticals has recalled all Accusure insulin syringes after reports that the needles may detach from the syringe.

Nokia forms anti-counterfeiting JV

Nokia, SAP and G&D are forming a company to provide anti-counterfeiting services which will draw on the firms’ respective expertise in mobile phones, supply chain technology and encryption.

News in brief

Korsch and ACG set up tabletting machine JV

German compression technology specialist Korsch says its JV with ACG Worldwide (ACG) helps meet growing global demand for tabletting machines.

People on the move: pharma jobs

in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at Hospira, PTI, Migenix and Shrink Nanotechnologies.

Malvern and Kaiser partner on Raman microscope development

Malvern Instruments and Kaiser Optical Systems have teamed up to meld Raman spectroscopy with particle characterisation in a unique combination that has application across the drug development and manufacturing process.

3Ms Drug delivery sales slide in comparison with strong 2008

Drug delivery device sales for Q3 were one of the few low points for 3M’s healthcare business, falling 5 per cent year on year.

News in brief

Micromeritics opens new European HQ

Micromeritics says its new European headquarters in Germany is better positioned to serve its expanding client base in the region.

2D barcodes make faking less attractive, says EFPIA

The EFPIA hopes a pilot 2D barcode labelling scheme will make drug counterfeiting less attractive for fakers and help improve patient safety.

Novavax increasing H1N1 vaccine production

Novavax has entered into a deal with Xcellerex to boost production of its H1N1 vaccine, which is entering clinical trials in Mexico, using the CMO’s FlexFactory disposable biomanufacturing platform.

Hovione adds aseptic spray drying to offering

Portuguese CMO Hovione has bought an aseptic spray-drying line from US firm Acusphere and says that the demand for the technology is increasing as drug firms aim to boost bioavailability.

IMS Health looking at buyout bids

IMS Health has confirmed it is “exploring strategic alternatives” after speculation this week suggested that the market analysis group had received a number of takeover bids.

Soluplus launched as market for HME excipients heats up

BASF says its new Soluplus excipient will help meet demand for solubilising agents that are compatible with hot melt extrusion (HME) manufacturing methods.

GEA launches contract spray-drying service

GEA Niro has begun offering contract spray-drying services for drug candidates and clinical trial supplies from its “Test Center” in Copenhagen, Denmark and wants the drug industry to know about the technique’s advantages.

News in brief

US doctors say drug labels lack key information

Drug labelling approved by the US FDA often lack key information, according to two physicians quoted in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM).

APC’s new R&D unit to focus on complex peptides

The American Peptide Company (APC) plans to set up an R&D unit at its facility in Sunnydale, California to better serve growing demand for innovative technologies.

FDA buys fake Tamiflu to warn consumers

The FDA has warned consumers about the spread of counterfeit H1N1 treatments after the agency bought products advertised as Tamiflu (oseltamivir) that contained none of the active ingredient.

Kimtech cleanroom coveralls launched

Kimberly-Clark Professional has launched Kimtech Pure A5 cleanroom coveralls, for sterile and non-sterile environments, to provide an affordable way to reduce the risk of contamination.

News in brief

B-MS to close Indy QC plant

US drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb will close its QC facility in Evansville, Indiana by the end of the year according to reports in the local media.

Valois discusses what patients want from a device

Patients want nasal delivery devices that are portable, hygienic and can be used discretely, according to a director at Valois who delivered a talk on the company’s side-actuated product at CPhI 2009.

People on the move: pharma jobs

in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at Peregrine Pharmaceuticals, Seaside Therapeutics and Eucodis.

News in brief

FDA approves Cervarix; also Gardasil for men

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Cervarix for vaccination against HPV and also granted a new indication to its rival Gardasil, which is now permitted for use in men.

H Lundbeck eschews outsourcing and buys Elaiapharm

CNS focused drugmaker H Lundbeck says its acquisition of French CMO Elaiapharm represents a cheaper option than third-party manufacturing.

Write for In-PharmaTechnologist.com

Do you enjoy reading our latest headlines? Then, why not help to write them yourself by working as a freelance correspondent for In-PharmaTechnologist.com?

EC GMP directive “still alive”; Cargill

The EC’s plan to make excipients comply with GMP is “still alive”, according to Cargill which spoke to in-PharmaTechnologist at CPhI about its Zerose erythritol product that it claims can improve compliance.

News in brief

Schott plans 24/7 RTF syringe production at US plant

The US arm of packaging giant Schott has added ready-to-fill (RTF) glass syringe manufacturing capacity at its facility in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in a $14m (€9.4m) expansion designed to meet growing demand.

Cargill discusses Zerose erythritol's development

Henry Hussell, marketing manager at Cargill Pharma, talks about Zerose erythritol's development since it was launched at CPhI 2008.

Critical gains funding for hGH nasal delivery

Critical Pharmaceuticals has received a £1.5m ($2.4m) award to develop its hGH nasal spray, the market for which could be sizeable as company’s attempt to differentiate in response to generic competition.

ACRO wants trials for most biosimilars

ACRO says while a 12-year exclusivity period for innovative drugs is important for R&D, US legislation should include rules on trials for biosimilars

News in brief

Lilly sells Tippecanoe API site to Evonik

US drugmaker Eli Lilly will sell its Tippecanoe laboratories API manufacturing unit to Germany’s Evonik Industries.

Stralfors says pack service plan can help drugmakers hit deadlines

Packaging group Stralfors says its recent collaboration with Novo Nordisk proves that its service plan is ideal for projects with strict time-to-market requirements.

CPhI 2009 - Road to recovery?

As CPhI 2009 draws to a close we take a look back on the show, which, despite some negatives, appears to have been an overall success.

News in brief

Reaxa sets up Indian subsidiary

Reaxa will set up an Indian subsidiary to manage supply chain, commercial scale production and application development for its growing number of customers in the country.

Dow launches flake PEG at CPhI

Dow Polyglycols and Surfactants is using CPhI 2009 in Madrid to launch Carbowax Sentry PEG in flake form, expanding the company's excipient range.

galenIQ 981 cuts coating time and extends shelf-life, says Beneo Palatinit

Beneo-Palatinit’s new galenIQ 981 excipient offers drugmakers a way of improving industrial processing, stability and shelf-life.

Dispatches from CPhI

Gene therapy to drive viral and biologics market, says SAFC

SAFC Pharma has added extra viral and biologics capacity at its California plant in a $12m project that allows it to take projects from the lab to commercial scale.

Novartis options Heptares’ Star GPCR tech in $200m deal

Novartis has optioned rights to apply Heptares Therapeutics’ Star GPCR technology to one of its drug development programmes in a deal that, the UK firm says, could be worth over $200m.

People on the move: pharma jobs

in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including elections to ISPE's board and a Roche exec joining Dendreon's board.

News in brief

Millipore rolls out CellReady 3L benchtop bioreactor

Millipore has expanded its Mobius process technology range with the new CellReady 3L bench-top bioreactor.

USP targets counterfeits in Cambodia

The USAID and USP have launched a campaign to tackle counterfeits in Cambodia and Greater Mekong Subregion, using a film to educate the population of the dangers of fakes and need to use legitimate pharmacies.

Heptares calls on Sygnature for discovery chemistry

Sygnature Chemical Services will provide synthetic chemistry services for Heptares Therapeutics GPCR drug development programme under a deal signed last week.

News in brief

Colorcon asks Oracle to help cut costs

Drug excipients and coatings firm Colorcon says that adoption of Oracle’s “Enterprise Manager” platform will reduce IT downtime and costs.

3M opens first Asia-Pacific R&D lab in Singapore

US firm 3M Drug Delivery Systems has set its sights on the Asia-Pacific region, with a new lab in Singapore which, it says, will help it better serve both local and international markets.

Court sides with GSK over parallel trade restrictions

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and other pharmas concerned by parallel trade have been given encouragement by Europe’s highest court which said the EC must reconsider the company’s Spanish sale conditions.

CPhI 2009 show preview

We look ahead to CPhI 2009 which takes place in Madrid, Spain next week and will showcase the world’s leading ingredients, contract services, machinery and biotech companies.

Labopharm upbeat about depression drug after FDA OKs API maker

Canadian drugmaker Labopharm says its Italian API maker Gruppo Angelini has resolved all the US FDA concerns about processes used to make a once-a day version of the depression drug trazodone.

GSK forms JV to expand in Chinese vaccine market

GSK and Walvax have entered into a long-term joint venture (JV) to serve the Chinese vaccine market, with the big pharma transferring technology to enable local production and building a manufacturing plant.

News in brief

Sanofi, Teva and Ratiopharm raided in EC competition probe

French drug major Sanofi Aventis, Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and Germany’s Ratiopharm were raided by European Commission (EC) competition officials yesterday as part of an ongoing investigation.

MannKind’s shares tumble; deal unlikely in 2009

MannKind’s share price tumbled by 31 per cent yesterday, just days after it published encouraging safety data for Afresa, because it revealed a partnership deal is unlikely to occur in 2009.

Genentech licenses SurModics tech for SR Lucentis

Its new microparticle technology licensing deal with Genentech could be worth as much as $200m (€136m) says US delivery specialist SurModics.

Reliance on external partners threatens innovation; experts

Pharma’s reliance on outsourcing and products developed by biotechs could cause the pace of innovation to “decline considerably”, according to experts that are concerned about the lack of funding for small businesses.

News in brief

Coldpack hopes Pharma Pouch gets a warm reception

Insulated packaging specialist Coldpack says its new Pharmaceutical Pouch product can help ensure drugs are kept at the correct temperature during transportation.

Hospira buys facility & filgrastim rights to boost biogenerics

Hospira has acquired the worldwide rights to filgrastim and a Croatian biologics plant from Pliva, increasing its presence in the biogenerics field, and told in-PharmaTechnologist that further expansions are possible.

GSK’s H1N1 orders total 440m doses

GSK has won 22 government orders for its H1N1 swine flu vaccine in the past two months, taking total sales to 440m doses which media reports suggest will earn the company £2.2bn ($3.5bn).

French govt unlikey to relinquish grip on health spending, says BMI

Despite the government’s “aggressive” promotion of generic drugs, pharmaceutical spending in France will continue to grow, according to new analysis by Business Monitor International (BMI).

People on the move: pharma jobs

in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma space, including appointments at Sigma-Aldrich, Novavax and Pfizer’s CEO taking on an additional role.

Rexam consolidates pharma pack operations into Healthcare unit

Rexam has merged its Pharma, Primary Packaging and Prescription units into a new Healthcare division to keep pace with the increasingly globalized drug manufacturing industry's regulatory demands.

Cherwell gets BSI ISO 9001:2008 accreditation

UK pharmaceutical test media supplier Cherwell Laboratories says its receipt of BSI ISO 9001:2008 accreditation demonstrates its commitment to quality.

News in brief

India’s formulation market worth $14bn by 2013, says Angel Broking

India’s drug formulation market will grow 12 per cent a year and be worth $13.7bn (€9.3bn) by 2013, according to new research by market analysts Angel Broking.

Less potent heparin begins shipping on Thursday, says FDA

From Thursday onwards all formulations of the blood thinner heparin shipped in the US will be only 90 per cent the strength of previous version, according to the FDA.

News in brief

Dr Reddy’s withdraws oversized drugs in US

India pharmaceutical firm Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has voluntarily recalled four lots drugs in the US after testing revealed that some may contain oversized tablets.

Ash Stevens starts $6m expansion

Buoyed by an increase in repeat business and deals with large pharma companies Ash Stevens has begun a $6m (€4.1m) expansion of its API manufacturing facility, with further phases planned to occur over the next six years.

Sun says Taro suit is “baseless litigation”

Sun Pharmaceuticals says the new lawsuit filed against it by Taro Pharmaceuticals is “another unfortunate attempt by the Taro directors to divert Taro's limited resources to assisting the Levitt family in their ongoing refusal to comply with their written agreements.”

BASF unveils Asia growth plan

German chemicals giant BASF wants to double the revenue it generates in the Asia-Pacific, with pharmaceuticals being one of the key markets in which it wants to expand.