Breaking News on Pharmaceutical Technology
All news articles > November 2006
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30-Nov-2006
Progen chooses in-house manufacture for anti-cancer drug
Biotech company Progen has decided to manufacture its new anti-cancer drug in-house rather than outsource it in order to save on costs after the FDA gave the thumbs up for the manufacture of the drug for its upcoming phase III clinical trial.
Angel wins manufacturing contract from CellCure
Angel Biotechnology this week announced a major development and GMP manufacturing deal with Danish biotech company CellCure.
From needle to patch, a new generation of flu vaccine
Drug delivery specialist Iomai is testing a new flu vaccine which could make the use of needles unnecessary.
BioProgress set to launch NRobe technology
BioProgress last week announced an update to their agreement with licensing partner FMC Corporation for its oral drug delivery technology, NRobe.
New syringe-testing rig launched
A new syringe-testing rig has been launched by texture analysis equipment provider, Stable Micro Systems.
29-Nov-2006
Reaxa expands catalyst portfolio
British chemical products and technologies firm Reaxa has launched a new encapsulated catalyst for market trials. Platinum EnCat is a platinum nanoparticle catalyst encapsulated within polymer beads, intended for the hydrogenation of pharmaceutical intermediates.
Tougher regulations boost lab information management systems growth
The necessity for drug manufacturers to comply with increasingly rigorous regulations is driving laboratory information management systems (LIMS) growth, according a new study.
Biopharm shuts its doors
New Zealand-owned drug maker Biopharm will shut its doors after running out of money.
Indian contract manufacturer matures
Indian chemicals firm Syschem has decided to move from being just a contract manufacturer to making and selling its own its own active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) & intermediates.
28-Nov-2006
Crucell strengthens vaccine portfolio with SBL purchase
Dutch biotech company Crucell said last week that it had completed its acquisition of SBL Vaccin in an agreement worth €39.4m, but remained tight-lipped about its plans for the Swedish firm's contract manufacturing business.
Medpharm inks new formulation deal
Medpharm has signed a new topical drug formulation outsourcing deal as this market sector continues to remain strong.
Phenylephrine reformulation a flop?
Major drug companies across the US have scrambled to reformulate their over-the-counter cold medications in time for a new law that came in to effect in September, however, there are claims that the new formulations are a flop.
27-Nov-2006
Granules India takes stake in Chinese firm
Granules India and Biocause have signed an agreement to create a 50 : 50 joint venture entity to manufacture and sell pharmaceutical APIs (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients), starting with Ibuprofen.
Quality, safety issues block Novartis' antifungal approval
Leading drug manufacturer Novartis is set to appeal following failure to gain approval for their anti-fungal treatment Mycograb in the European Union.
Convenience, portability and customisation drives packaging
France's biggest packaging show ended on Friday, with exhibitors targeting thedemands for more convenience, portability and customisation.
Actavis gains foothold in Russian generics market
Actavis has announced its majority purchase of Russian pharmaceutical manufacturer, ZiO Zdorovje, in a move set to establish the company's presence in the growing Russian generics market.
Almac Pharma expands solid oral dose production capacity
Solid oral dose product specialist Almac Pharma has announced it is expanding its formulation facilities located at its UK headquarters to provide a wider range of services to pharma and biotech companies.
23-Nov-2006
Battle for brain cancer drug delivery continues
Scientists have discovered a new nanoparticule-based drug delivery system to treat brain cancer that it claims could revolutionise currently used chemotherapeutic treatments for this devastating type of cancer.
Novo Nordisk to sue over inhaled insulin patent knock-back
Novo Nordisk is planning to sue the head of the US Patent and Trademark Office after its inhaled insulin product has had its patent application knocked back for the second time.
Rising inhaler device use fuelling automated QC testing
The growing inhaler device market is driving demand for automated quality control (QC) testing equipment for these products, according to Astech Projects.
Baxter signs Austrian flu vaccine contract
Baxter has been contracted by the Austrian government to supply 16m doses of pre-pandemic influenza vaccine - enough to vaccinate the country's entire population.
Plant-based insulin moves forward
Canadian biotech company SemBioSys has signed a manufacturing deal with Cangene to process and purify its novel plant-derived insulin.
22-Nov-2006
Singapore drives pharma industry forward
Singapore has successfully completed the first phase of its biomedical science (BMS) initiative and is now pushing the second phase forward in order to drive growth in its pharma industry further.
Actelion buys US biotech firm for $420m
Actelion has announced it is acquiring biopharmaceutical company CoTherix for $420m (€328m) with the objective of taking over and increasing the distribution of Ventavis, the only approved inhaled therapy for the treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) in the US.
WHO urged to change biologic drug naming policy
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) urged the World Health Organization (WHO) to change its International Nonproprietary Names (INN) policy for biological products at a meeting last week in Geneva.
Bioxel files new patent for taxane manufacturing processes
Canadian pharma manufacturer Bioxel has announced the filing of a second international patent application to secure the synthesis of paclitaxel and decetaxel - two taxane-based drugs effective against cancer.
DSM takes stake in medical devices firm
DSM Venturing, the investment arm of the Dutch chemical giant, has announced it has snapped a 10 per cent share in pharma materials provider Micromuscle.
21-Nov-2006
Cell culture system hailed as 'transforming cultivation'
Integra Biosciences is hailing its novel cell culture system as being responsible for dramatically transforming the effectiveness of small-scale antibody production.
SAFC to offer new solid-form services in US
Sigma-Aldrich (SAFC) will soon offer new solid-form research capabilities at its US high-potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) facility in Madison, Wisconsin.
FDA seeks drug safety budget boost from pharma
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the pharmaceutical industry are in strong negotiations to decide how much drug companies will pay the agency to review new drugs from the end of next year, when the current law expires.
Traditional Chinese medicines draw pharma's attention
Dragon International has announced its plans to acquire Jinguang Pharmaceuticals, a manufacturer of Chinese herb medicines, in a bid to get a first step into the burgeoning traditional Chinese herbal medicine market.
GSK contract to supply US with bird flu vaccines
Drug giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has been awarded a contract with the US government to supply 800,000 doses of flu vaccine to the US, where a bird flu pandemic still remains a threat.
20-Nov-2006
US hit by major Bayer consolidation
Bayer has announced major global consolidation plans as it prepares to absorb its newly-acquired German rival, Schering.
pSivida inks transdermal drug delivery pact
Australia's pSivida said that an undisclosed US firm is now evaluating its novel BioSilicon technology with the aim of developing new transdermal drug delivery systems.
Item-level RFID tagging 100% reliable, say firms
Packaging maker Owens-Illinois (O-I) and RFID provider Impinj say they have demonstrated 100 per cent reliability of radiofrequency identification (RFID) for pharmaceuticals in an item-level live demonstration.
New cost-cutting polymers invented
General Electric (GE) has launched a range of ultra-high-performance plastics that it claims will answer the need for cost-effective injection moldable resin.
Vectura and Innovata to merge in drug inhaler race
Vectura and Innovata have announced they are merging in a deal worth £128.8m with the objective of becoming UK's number one in the pulmonary drug development sector.
17-Nov-2006
New bill clamps down on animal activist activity
The US government to pass new measures that make prosecuting animal-rights activists who target enterprises much easier. The move has lead critics to warn that peaceful demonstrators would be labelled as terrorists.
16-Nov-2006
Sunnex mounts assault on particles
Sunnex has launched a new range of stainless steel machinery mounts for pharma manufacturing equipment that are said to cut particle emissions.
Dor makes ground with ricin vaccine
Dor BioPharma has announced it has made progress with the formulation of RiVax, a new drug that could be the world's first vaccine for the deadly ricin toxin.
Drug counterfeiters changing tactics to bypass EU customs
Drug counterfeiters are changing their trafficking tactics to smuggle fake drugs into Europe.
Cardinal's RFID pilot shows promise and perils
Cardinal Health has announced the results of its radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag pilot, the first to test the viability of the technology across the whole supply chain, from item through to case and pallet level.
India's Aurobindo makes manufacturing reshuffle
India's Aurobindo Pharma has decided to cut loose its bleeding Chinese pharma subsidiary - while still holding on to its ingredients making operation - and instead focus on a new investment in India.
15-Nov-2006
More pharma ingredients to be 'made in Taiwan'
International drug firms are increasingly turning to Taiwan for the low-cost made-to-order processing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), according to the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA).
Swedish firms join to stop allergy
Two Swedish firms have joined together to make an investigational protein-based allergy drug for Phase III trials.
Oxford Biomedica presents encouraging data for Parkinson's treatment
Oxford Biomedica has made available preclinical efficacy data, which suggests that gene-based product could have significant efficacy for those suffering from Parkinson's disease when compared to current treatment methods.
DataLase reveals alternative pharma labelling technique
DataLase has revealed a novel labelling tape that it claims is a cost-effective replacement for print-and-apply labels for outer case secondary pharma packaging.
How to select a suitable aseptic processing CMO
Pharma companies struggling to choose a suitable contract manufacturer to aseptically produce injectable final drug products (FDP) may now have the support they need thanks to a new guide released this week.
Sugar used as 'Trojan Horse' to fight cancer
Researchers in Denmark have discovered a new drug delivery method based on sugar nanocapsules that could be a breakthrough to treat cancer, viral diseases and hereditary disorders.
14-Nov-2006
Ex-Pfizer manufacturing equipment under the hammer
A liquidation sale will be held to offload unwanted manufacturing equipment at a plant formerly owned by Pfizer - much of which is new and was never turned on or certified.
Albany announces major restructure at US facility
Albany Molecular Research (AMRI) has announced a major restructure at its struggling large scale manufacturing facility in Rensselaer, New York.
Millipore launches smaller batch processing tool
Millipore has introduced a new size of its single-use prefilter for clarification steps in mammalian cell culture that is capable of processing smaller bioreactor batches.
Alcan sells lab equipment unit to focus on packaging biz
Canada's Alcan is selling its New Jersey-based lab equipment business to private equity company River Associates Investments in order to focus on its core competencies.
13-Nov-2006
Wyeth boosts manufacturing in US plant as Puerto Rico site struggles
Wyeth has boosted production at the US plant it has earmarked for closure while it is dealing with ongoing manufacturing deficiencies in its Puerto Rico facility.
Valois steps up cleanroom productivity
Valois has made two major instrument investments that will allow it to dramatically increase productivity as it dons the diving suit to undertake environmental testing in its cleanrooms.
DPT Labs enlarges formulation offering
The opening of new R&D, manufacturing and distribution facilities has allowed DPT Laboratories to enlarge its formulation development and analytical chemistry offerings.
Lonza signs double deal with Genentech
Lonza has signed two separate deals with California-based Genentech - a move that illustrates the re-emergence of a relationship between the two firms.
10-Nov-2006
Asterand make available cell ranges for disease research
Asterand is to make available novel research materials to be used in the investigation of rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, cancer and other diseases making available a range of cell material that is currently difficult to obtain.
09-Nov-2006
3M sells pharma biz for $2.1bn
Diversified manufacturer 3M has announced it has agreed to sell its global drug making business for around $2.1bn (€1.6bn) in a three-part deal.
BASF raises prices on intermediates
BASF has announced it is raising it prices globally for some of its intermediate products to offset higher raw material costs.
New bioprocessing path discovered in bacteria
Scientists have discovered that a bacteria protein secretion path, unexploited until now, could be key in the production of anti-infective biopharmaceuticals.
DSM and UMN sign manufacturing deal
DSM Biologics, the biopharma arm of DSM group, has signed a manufacturing deal with Japanese UMN Pharma based on the firm's novel recombinant protein manufacturing platform.
The Lancet weighs into boiling REACH chemicals debate
One of the most influential medical journals, The Lancet, has weighed into the European REACH chemicals debate, which is at near boiling point as the draft legislation approaches its final approval date in December.
08-Nov-2006
NovaDel's spray approved for angina
Pharma company NovaDel has announced that the US regulators have given the thumbs up to its oral spray for relieving and preventing angina due to coronary artery disease.
Pseudomonas-based protein expression to rival E. coli?
Drug developers are increasingly turning to Pseudomonas-based expression technology for their hard-to-express proteins, according to contract manufacturer Dowpharma.
Help at hand for drug makers with compliance concerns
Drug manufacturers having troubles complying with the FDA?s current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations, may now have the help they need thanks to a new white paper available on the subject.
Wyeth spends millions on new drug delivery deals
Wyeth has spent millions of dollars this week on two new deals aimed at enhancing the delivery of its drugs in development.
Vetter keeps on expanding lyophilisation services
Germany's Vetter Pharma-Fertigung has announced its plan to expand its services by adding vial filling for lyophilised - or freeze-dried - products to its portfolio.
07-Nov-2006
Life sciences salaries soar
Salaries in the US life sciences industry have soared this year to reach $74,000 (€58,000) on average as more companies seek to attract and retain top talent by offering competitive remuneration packages, according to the Scientist's latest salary survey.
Diosynth bags cardiovascular drug deal
Diosynth Biotechnology has bagged a deal for the process development, scale-up, and clinical manufacturing of Viron Therapeutics' lead compound.
Antimicrobial flooring to avoid contamination
A new improved range of urethane-based floor systems that is claimed to help pharma manufacturers reduce the level of bacteria contamination in their production environment has been launched.
Novartis splashes the cash in Asia
Novartis is splashing its cash in Asia, intending to invest $100m (€79m) in China and INR5bn (€90m) in India to establish large new R&D centres.
Aptuit continues service expansion
Aptuit has announced its intention to acquire SSCI, a leading solid state chemistry company, just weeks after it bought the pharmaceutical services division of technology firm EaglePicher.
06-Nov-2006
California waives ban on mercury flu shots to face shortage
California's Health and Human Services (HHS) has decided to temporarily suspend a ban on mercury-based flu vaccines given to children under three, citing a vaccine shortage caused by production delays.
Sterile bioreactor sampling system unveiled
A new method of preventing bioreactor contamination when sampling has been unveiled by UK firm Cellexus Biosystems.
MSD invests €100m in Irish drug making arm
Merck Sharp & Dohme has just announced a €100m investment in South Tipperary, Ireland to build a new formulation R&D centre and drug manufacturing plant.
Xoma gets EU certification for clinical trial drugs production
Pharma company Xoma has announced that its manufacturing facilities have received European certification for the production of medicines used in clinical trials.
ProImmune launches tool for T-cell detection
ProImmune has introduced a tool for evaluating and characterising CD4+ single antigen-specific T cells, enabling evaluation of the T cell immune response in a range of disease areas including, autoimmune disease, cancer and infectious diseases.
03-Nov-2006
Nalge Nunc release RNase/DNase-free products
Plastic labware manufacturers Nalge Nunc have launched its range of RNase/DNase-free products and capabilities specifically designed to support molecular biology research from microwell plates to packaging.
02-Nov-2006
Bionomics selects SAFC to manufacture 'new generation' cancer drug
Australian pharma company Bionomics has signed a deal with contract manufacturer SAFC Pharma for the scale-up of its flagship cancer drug.
Scientists improve cancer drug synthesis
Researchers have developed a more efficient and cost-saving method to make cladribine, a drug used for the treatment of certain types of leukaemia and potentially efficient against multiple sclerosis (MS).
Millipore reports profit fall in third quarter
Massachusetts-based Millipore has reported a fall in net profit in its third quarter results, mainly due to increased costs and recent acquisition charges.
01-Nov-2006
Recordati experiences net profit growth
Italian pharmaceutical company Recordati has reported a net profit growth of 6.5 per cent to €18.5m in its third quarter results, as a slump in sales was offset by lower costs.
Roche's oral polymerase inhibitor exhibits hep C efficacy
Roche took the opportunity at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) meeting to disclose the results of its hepatitis C polymerase inhibitor, which exhibited viral reductions greater than current polymerase inhibitors.
Servier picks Ireland to expand manufacturing
French pharma company Servier has announced the launch of a new manufacturing facility and also the expansion of its existing operation in Ireland, an investment totalling €184m.
LAB to acquire PharmaForm
Canadian drug maker LAB International has announced its plan to acquire Texan PharmaForm in order to speed up the manufacture of its inhalable anti-pain drug, which will reach late stage clinical trials next year.
Researchers use bacteria to make anti-cancer drugs
Scientists are looking into the possibility of using bacteria to make a new library of anti-cancer compounds that are usually too difficult to create synthetically. The discovery could provide the basis for developing useful new anti-cancer drugs.
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