Breaking News on Pharmaceutical Technology

OctoPlus feels the market pressure

Dutch drug delivery and development company OctoPlus is withdrawing its follow-on financing on its five-strong product portfolio in response to the US mortgage crisis and the struggling stock market.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: news in brief

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you a selection of recent headlines from around the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

Jubilant Organosys eyeing up European acquisitions

Indian pharma services provider Jubilant Organosys is looking to buy up European contract research organisations (CRO) and contract research and manufacturing services (CRAMS) and it has got $100m to spend, according to a report in The Economic Times.

A spoonful of foam helps the medicine go down

Is it a liquid? Is it a solid?………No, it's 'foam-on-a-spoon'.

Merck heads to Ireland for new 200m site

Merck has settled on a site in south east Ireland for a new vaccines and biologics facility, investing €200m ($280m) in its third facility on the island.

Astellas snaps up cancer antibody specialists Agensys

Japanese drugmaker Astellas has agreed to acquire US biotech firm Agensys as part of its plan to ramp up antibody research, especially in the field of cancer.

Akorn and Cipla team up again

Specialty pharmaceutical company Akorn has signed up with India-based Cipla in an exclusive manufacturing and supply agreement for an undisclosed inhaled drug.

AstraZeneca finds buyer for German plant

Reports emerged in the German press yesterday claiming that AstraZeneca has found a buyer for its Plankstadt manufacturing facility.

Chromatide wins GRAND grant for enzyme-catalysis development

Chromatide has been awarded a grant to help it develop an enzyme immobilisation method using its unique polymer systems that should enable them to be used in flow-chemistry systems.

PolyTherics gets funding for antibody fragments

PolyTherics has been boosted with £350,000 ($723,135) in funding to explore the development and production of long-lasting therapeutic antibody fragments.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

Dr Reddy's, China Aoxing Pharmaceutical, Cook Pharmica and Alpha Biologics have all recently announced contract manufacturing news.

Singapore's pharma output continues to slow

Singapore's biomedical manufacturing output was down again over October, stunting growth for the region's entire manufacturing sector.

Sanofi expands flu vaccines in China

Sanofi-Aventis is to build a new influenza vaccine manufacturing facility in China.

MHRA launches new action plan to combat UK counterfeit hub

The UK has become an unlikely hub for drug counterfeiters, with the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) last week launching its new three-year action plan to tackle the recent surge in drug fakes head on.

Weekly Comment

Paediatric drugs and testing highlighted

The importance of paediatric drug formulations and clinical trials in children was highlighted at this month's American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) conference in San Diego.

Schott takes aim at Russia

Pharmaceutical packaging specialist Schott has announced plans to head to Russia and establish its first pharma production site in the country.

Pharma should keep outsourcing in mind

The pharmaceutical industry is backward when it comes to outsourcing, industry experts said at the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) conference in San Diego last week.

Regulators slate Roche 'lack of knowledge and understanding' in Viracept contamination case

The official report into good manufacturing practice (GMP) failures that caused dangerous contamination and a Europe-wide recall of Roche's HIV drug Viracept (nelfinavir) claims the firm simply did not understand its own manufacturing processes.

GSK buys Reliant for cardiovascular drugs

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has acquired Reliant Pharmaceuticals for $1.65bn in a bid to improve its cardiovascular therapy portfolio.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: news in brief

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you a selection of recent headlines from around the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

Boehringer Ingelheim takes on prefilled syringes

Boehringer Ingelheim has added to its contract services with the manufacture, fill and finish capacity for drugs in prefilled syringes.

FMC improves on existing excipients

FMC BioPolymer has introduced two new excipient products to the pharma market - the first in two years.

Pharmaceutical patent round-up

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you an update of pharmaceutical patent litigations.

Take off immune system brake to improve cancer vaccines

The discovery of a new molecule that can act as a brake for the immune system could lead to new therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes.

Recipharm rescues Ashton Pharma

Recipharm has come to rescue of UK-based Ashton Pharma, which has been nervously awaiting to discover its fate, having spent five months in administration after its former owners Inyx Inc. suffered major financial woes.

Biovail knocked back by FDA decision

Canadian firm Biovail has been thrown another curveball by US regulators as the resubmission for its antidepressant candidate is handed Class 2 status, delaying approval for at least another six months.

Men get the heads up on possible oral contraceptive

It might be years away yet, but men could be the ones popping a pill for contraception if GTx has anything to do with it.

Cisbio licenses 'universal' kinase assay platform

Cisbio has licensed BellBrook Labs' ADP immunodetection technology for use in its HTRF screening system that will enable researchers to study the activity of any protein kinase.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

Alfacell, Phoqus Pharmaceuticals, Watson Pharmaceuticals, Stem Cell Sciences, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals and ISPE have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Pandemic flu vaccine supply inadequate, says report

The current state of pandemic influenza vaccine supplies and capacity is shockingly insufficient, a new report has found - less than one-fifth of needed doses would actually be available within six months of an outbreak.

Puerto Rico's problems piling up

Pfizer's revelation this week that it plans to slice jobs in Puerto Rico is the latest in a string of blows for this popular offshore manufacturing location.

Kids' vaccine market set to quadruple

A recent report suggests that the market for paediatric and adolescent vaccines is set to grow four-fold over the next decade, spearheaded by Wyeth's Prevnar as the first blockbuster vaccine.

Cancer antibody marches on quoths Raven Biotechnologies

Raven Biotechnologies have announced positive initial clinical trial results for their anticancer antibody that causes tumour cells to swell up and die.

Cystatin C can wash away Alzheimer's plaques

Scientists have discovered that a protein called cystatin C can prevent damaging Alzheimer's plaques from forming by keeping their constituent protein water soluble.

Simultaneous measurement of multiple cytokines

Researchers at Randox, UK, have developed a biochip that enables the simultaneous measurement of 12 human cytokines from human serum samples enabling cytokine studies to be conducted faster.

Blast at Aesica London plant

Contract manufacturer Aesica has confirmed reports of a blast at its Ponders End facility in North London last night, hospitalising three workers.

Formulation tech goes Enterion

The Enterion capsule is quickly becoming big pharma's new best friend as the technology helps drug companies assess the feasibility of oral modified release formulations.

Researcher recognised for studies in drug delivery

Dr Mitsuru Hashida is hoping his studies into drug delivery will be useful for the pharmaceutical industry.

CML snaps up API services firm

Cambridge Major Laboratories (CML) has bought up a Dutch supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) development services, creating one of the largest pharma chemistry development organisations in the western hemisphere.

Weekly Comment

South Africa 'underutilised' for clinical trials

While India, the Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe and Latin America are all gaining recognition as potential new hot spots, South Africa remains 'underutilised as a clinical trial destination,' according to a prominent industry figure.

Pfizer saves Coley with $164m buyout

After a clinical hiccough five months ago set Coley Pharmaceutical's drug development funding back several years, Pfizer has stepped in to save the day, snapping up the biotech for $164m.

NeoMPS gets acquired

PolyPeptide Laboratories Group is to acquire the peptide manufacturing group NeoMPS.

APIcross goes solo in drug delivery

Contract pharmaceutical development company Azopharma has carved out its drug delivery segment into a new company, APIcross Drug Delivery Technologies.

J&J Belgium suffers strike over job cuts

Workers at Johnson & Johnson's (J&J's) Belgium subsidiary went on strike today in protest at the compensation being offered to those at the firm falling foul of the dreaded pharma axe.

Pipeline match following Celgene's $2.9bn acquisition of Pharmion

Celgene has agreed to pay $2.9bn for Pharmion in the hope of becoming a 'global leader in the haematology and oncology field', but do the company's pipelines match up well together?

Mega deal creates largest pharma player in CEE

Hungarian pharma Gedeon Richter has announced plans to combine with Polish firm Polpharma to create a major presence in Central Eastern Europe (CEE) through a share deal worth HUF231bn ($1.3bn).

J&J rejigs

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced plans to revamp its organisation in a bid to address the "new environment" emerging in human healthcare.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: news in brief

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you a selection of recent headlines from around the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

AMRI continues growth

Albany Molecular Research Inc (AMRI) recently turned in Q3 results, posting figures buoyed by continued demand for its pharmaceutical development services.

Extra breathing space for epinephrine MDI ban

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given stakeholders an extra month to get their views in on scrapping epinephrine inhalers containing CFCs.

Icahn invests in Genzyme, prompts takeover rumours

The man often credited with causing Biogen Idec to be put up for sale, billionaire corporate raider Carl Icahn, has invested in Genzyme and promptly started industry tongues wagging about a takeover.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

AstraZeneca, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Pieris, Theraptosis and InteKrin Therapeutics have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Accelrys offers academics its scientific operating system for free

Accelrys is offering its SciTegic scientific operating system to academics for free to enable them to create software applications and share them with both academic and commercial communities.

Pfizer, Nektar agreement not so sweet after all?

Pfizer yesterday announced a multi-million dollar pay-off to ex-partner Nektar Therapeutics, but the details of the deal reveal not only Nektar's concerns for its future, but also that Pfizer is still keeping its fingers in the Exubera pie.

PharmEng opens new Canada plant

Canadian contract manufacturer PharmEng recently announced that its new specialised manufacturing facility in Nova Scotia is open for business.

NPIL to trim ex-Pfizer site

NPIL Pharma last week told workers at its former Pfizer plant in Morpeth, UK that the company is considering hiving off jobs in a bid to maintain the site's viability.

Nanogen scraps microarray business in favour of PCR assays

Nanogen has decided to pull the plug on its microarray business after not finding any 'financially meaningful opportunities' for it, reducing staff by 20 per cent in the process.

AstraZeneca in 'serious trouble', say analysts

An analyst report released yesterday identified AstraZeneca as being in 'serious trouble' and branded it as potentially the 'worst [large cap] performer in [the] entire sector' over the next eight years.

Practice run for pharma RFID

IBM has teamed up with RFID specialist Tagsys to offer pharmaceutical manufacturers a chance to have a practice run implementing their RFID track and trace technology ahead of new legal requirements coming into force in 2009.

China gets serious on drug GMP; safety pact with FDA imminent

As of next year Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturers will face a tougher time gaining good manufacturing practice (GMP) certification after the country's regulator signalled new and stricter standards were on the way.

BAC looks to enhance laboratory purification with new antibody toolkit

Bio Affinity Company (BAC) has launched a new antibody purification toolbox based on its successful industrial-scale technology to provide researchers with a simpler purification route.

AstraZeneca axes packaging plant

AstraZeneca's axe has made its latest appearance in South Africa, with the sale of a packaging plant and the formation of an outsourcing deal with its new owners.

$60m expansion for mystery pharma

Swedish construction firm Skanska today announced that it has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to expand a pharmaceutical facility in the US, though the company is keeping the identity of its client close to its chest.

WHO talks on research strategy for developing world diseases stall

Talks between World Health Organization (WHO) member states and the drug industry over how to narrow the health gap between rich and poor countries have stalled.

Hefty price hike for BASF excipients

German chemicals firm BASF has announced a major price hike across its range of pharmaceutical excipients, upping price tags by as much as 9 per cent.

Wacker expands further into biologics

Biopharmaceutical contract manufacturer Wacker will be expanding its German facility in Jena for €15m ($22m) as it meets demand for biologics.

Biovail keeps head above water

Although the Canadian drug delivery specialist yesterday released third quarter results showing revenues down on last year, operating income is on the up despite generic competition and recent stumbles for its antidepressant candidate.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: news in brief

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you a selection of other headlines from the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

ProMetic techs for next generation hyperimmunes

Italian biopharmaceutical firm Kedrion is set to sign a deal with ProMetic BioTherapeutics to gain access to the firm's manufacturing technologies to increase yield and reduce prions in its hyperimmune products.

Genentech named facility of the year winner

US biotechnology company Genentech is filling its trophy cupboard again after being named the winner of the 2007 Facility of the Year Award.

Add PEG to make the drug go farther

A US research team has found a way to increase drug distribution in the brain to fight the recurrence of human brain tumours.

Merck HIV vaccine failure puts cold virus on trial

Merck & Co's failed HIV vaccine may actually increase the risk of infection and the latest data raises questions over whether the cold virus used as a delivery technique was at fault.

P&G in shock nasal spray exit

Procter & Gamble (P&G) has this week terminated an agreement with Nastech to develop a nasally delivered version of Eli Lilly's osteoporosis drug Forteo (teriparatide), leaving its partner with no explanation for the decision.

West unscathed by Exubera shot - for now

West Pharmaceutical Services, one of the two firms responsible for manufacturing Pfizer's failed Exubera device, recently turned in its third quarter financials, so far avoiding any major dent from the company's decision to drop the inhalable insulin product.

New counterfeit report highlights worrying trends

A new report highlights a number of worrying trends emerging in regard to the increasing number of fake pharmaceuticals infiltrating supply chains around the globe.

Sanofi pushes on with cell culture flu shot

Sanofi Pasteur has kicked off Phase II trials of its cell culture-based seasonal flu vaccine in the US, part of a five year project with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

DSM third quarter results

DSM's third quarter financial results are paving the way for the company's transition to a life sciences and material sciences company.

New oral film takes the heat out of manufacturing

Another oral dissolvable film has been developed, with the formulation and manufacturing process potentially giving the strip a production advantage.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: people on the move

MedImmune, Perlegen Sciences, NexMed and Eden Biodesign have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

New firm to tackle poor solubility head on

A new Belgian company has joined the throng of pharmas tapping into the booming drug delivery business, but claims that its unique technologies will carve it a place as one of the industry's key players.

New safety warning delays Novartis diabetes drug

Swiss firm Novartis today announced that it has contacted regulators regarding the safety of the 100mg dose of its recently approved Type II diabetes drug, Galvus (vildagliptin).

Satraplatin ruling in GPC Biotech favour

GPC Biotech has found a ray of light in the satraplatin quagmire following an arbitration ruling in favour of the Germany-based biopharmaceutical company.

Cash injection for anthrax jab

US firms Medarex and PharmAthene today announced that they are to receive additional funding from the US Government to support the ongoing development of their anthrax therapeutic, Valortim.

Tecan and GE join forces to aid HT protein purification

Tecan and GE Healthcare Life Sciences division are collaborating to simplify high throughput (HT) protein purification by increasing the speed and reliability of expression screening programmes.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

Bioserv Corporation, Mikart, Laureate Pharma, Cenexi and Lonza have all recently announced new contract manufacturing news.

Pharmaceutical patent round-up

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you an update of pharmaceutical patent litigations.

GSK, Fabre-Kramer lose out on antidepressant

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Fabre-Kramer Pharmaceuticals (FKP) were dealt a blow last week as their potential first in class, once-daily antidepressant treatment received another thumbs down from US regulators.

Neural stem cell drug delivery is encapsulating

Inherited genetic disorders could be treated with a new stem cell-based drug delivery therapy through the use of microcapsules.

Weekly Comment

FDA failure on foreign inspections frightening

A US government audit has confirmed the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) continual lack of inspection of foreign drug manufacturing plants.

Japan's Tamiflu supply halved

Japan will only be receiving 50 per cent of its usual supply of the blockbuster flu drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) this year, thanks to significantly reduced demand following reports of suicidal behaviour in adolescents taking the medication.

Flutiform safety results a 'significant milestone'

UK-based SkyePharma has been given a boost in regards to its asthma treatment following the release of positive Phase III results.

Weekly Comment

Pharma must 'reinvent' itself to survive

With IMS Health's annual forecast for the pharma industry predicting slower approvals, more black box warnings and the continuation of the 'wave of genericization,' the shift by pharma firms to refocus and reinvent themselves will need to move on apace in order to secure their position in a changing market.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing: news in brief

In-PharmaTechnologist.com brings you a selection of other headlines from the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.

Valeritas insulin delivery device gets a name

US-based Valeritas has announced the brand name for its lead candidate disposable insulin delivery device - V-Go.

GSK blocks new patent rules

Just a day before they were due to come into force, GlaxoSmithKline has won a court case to block controversial changes to patent rules.

Genentech Avastin decision 'hard to overlook'

Despite Genentech's recent decision to push out the cut-off date to ban the sale of cancer drug Avastin (bevacizumab) to compounding pharmacies in the US to restrict off-label use, ophthalmologists still find the firm's actions hard to forgive.

Future of satraplatin uncertain

GPC Biotech has met another obstacle in its path towards satraplatin approval after the German company announced disappointing and unexpected results in its Phase III trial.

SCOLR on track for first 12-hour ibuprofen

SCOLR Pharma has initiated the first of three pivotal trials to evaluate its extended release ibuprofen tablet, with hopes that it will be the first and only 12-hour formulation on the market.