Lubrizol opens Indian coating applications lab and plans recruitment

30-Nov-2010 - Lubrizol has opened a new applications centre in India to capture a share of the country’s growing coatings and drug ingredients market.

GSK to invest £500m in UK R&D and manufacturing

30-Nov-2010 - GSK has announced plans to invest £500m in its UK R&D and production operations with a particular focus on boosting biomanufacturing capacity.

People on the move: pharma jobs

30-Nov-2010 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at Hospira, Celanese, Nycomed and Unigene Laboratories.

Phase I environmental testing helps waste handling decisions

30-Nov-2010 - Performing environmental testing early in a molecule’s development and including data in tech transfers to CMOs helps ensure there is little mass loading from pilot and commercial plants.

Gerresheimer adds prefilled syringe lines, says bulk syringe market static

29-Nov-2010 - The primary containers and drug delivery system production company, Gerresheimer AG, is further investing in prefilled syringes with the launch of a new production line.

Anti-counterfeiting held back by self-interest & politics

29-Nov-2010 - Narrowly defined pharma self-interest and lack of coordinated political effort means, despite the best effort of some, the problem of counterfeiting may be worsening.

Pfizer and IPHA welcome Irish commitment to 12.5 corporation tax rate

29-Nov-2010 - Pfizer has welcomed Government commitments to keep Ireland’s 12.5 per cent corporation tax rate in face of recent EU pressure to increase it as a condition of the €85bn 7-year...

News in brief

J&J recall 9m more Tylenol bottles

29-Nov-2010 - Johnson & Johnson is recalling a further 9m Tylenol bottles in the US after learning of inconsistencies in product label warnings.

Genzyme transfers fill/finish to meet 1st decree deadline

25-Nov-2010 - Genzyme met its first consent decree deadline by transferring all fill/finish of US products from its Allston plant to its site in Ireland and Hospira.

GSK to sell penicillin factory to Dr Reddy’s

25-Nov-2010 - GlaxoSmithKline will sell its oral penicillin manufacturing facility in Tennessee, US, to Dr Reddy’s for an undisclosed sum, along with US rights to its Augmentin and Amoxin brands.

News in brief

Strategic alliance between Lonza and California Peptide Research

25-Nov-2010 - Lonza has formed a strategic alliance with California Peptide Research, (CPRI) for its peptide manufacturing and development services.

Control excipient reactivity with packaging & aluminium lakes

25-Nov-2010 - Aluminium lakes and in-liner packaging can, in some cases, be used to control reactive components in excipients and therefore overcome drug product instability.

Manufacturing of ONSOLIS is all go, says BioDelivery Sciences

24-Nov-2010 - Production of BioDelivery Sciences International’s (BDSI) chronic pain treating drug, ONSOLIS, has resumed after a temporary voluntary shut down at contract manufacturers, Aveva Drug Delivery Systems.

Drugmakers are blind to colours, say researchers

24-Nov-2010 - Drug manufacturers do not pay enough attention to the colour of their drugs, according to researchers examining the importance of aesthetics in pharmaceutical over-the-counter (OTC) products.

News in brief

Camlin Fine Chemicals’ board of directors OK Italian acquisition

24-Nov-2010 - Camlin Fine Chemicals has been given the green light from its board of directors to acquire an unnamed Italian fine chemicals manufacturer and form a subsidiary company to help boost...

ACTA finalised amid claims it creates trade barriers

24-Nov-2010 - ACTA was finalised last week but controversies remain, with research warning it could “create significant barriers to international trade, especially in generic medicines”.

Will & desire needed to drive adoption of real-time release

24-Nov-2010 - The knowledge and means are in place to implement real-time release (RTR), a PAT pioneer said at AAPS, but questions remain about whether pharma has the will and desire.

AAPS report

Millions of dollars wasted on failed recruitment

23-Nov-2010 - Poor recruitment practices cost the United States pharmaceutical industry millions of dollars, warns a leading US biopharma recruitment agency.

News in brief

J&J recall children’s Benadryl

23-Nov-2010 - Johnson & Johnson’s McNeil unit has initiated another recall, this time involving 4m packs of Children’s Benadryl allergy tablets and around 800,000 bottles of junior-strength Motrin caplets.

Genzyme looks at bids based on Campath performance in MS

23-Nov-2010 - Rumours suggest that Genzyme would consider accepting lower value takeover bids that take into account future performance of its cancer drug Campath in MS indications.

People on the move: pharma jobs

23-Nov-2010 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at Euthymics, CytomX, NPS Pharmaceuticals and InQ Biosciences.

Nose-to-brain delivery possible but challenges remain

23-Nov-2010 - Nose-to-brain delivery can become a reality, even for molecules with high molecular weights, but barriers relating to administration and adsorption remain, according to a panel at AAPS.

News in brief

BTG to add oncology beads in £177m deal

22-Nov-2010 - BTG is to add embolising and drug-eluting beads to its portfolio through the proposed £177.2m ($283.8m) acquisition of Biocompatibles.

Novartis to focus on specialty medicines but denies job cut rumours

22-Nov-2010 - Novartis aims to focus on the development of specialty medicines in a new long-term strategy to boost profitability in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

Unilife reveals US move contributed to Q1 loss

18-Nov-2010 - Syringe maker Unilife attributed increased first-quarter losses to higher expenditure, costs associated with relocation to the US and the construction of its new global headquarters and production facility in York,...

Roche to slash 4,800 jobs worldwide

18-Nov-2010 - Roche will cut 4,800 jobs worldwide over the next two years as part of a restructuring program designed to slash $2.4bn Swiss francs ($2.4bn) from annual costs.

News in brief

EMD Millipore launches enhanced Mobius 3L CellReady Bioreactor

18-Nov-2010 - German pharmaceutical giant Merck's life science division, EMD Millipore, has launched its 'single-use' Mobius 3L CellReady Bioreactor, for use in the development and optimisation of cell culture processes.

Dissolution devise makes ‘dosage dumping’ a thing of the past, says Agilent

18-Nov-2010 - Agilent Technologies has launched its 708-DS Dissolution Apparatus, a quality control instrument that can be set up for manual or automated applications to measure the release rate of an API...

China to claim second place in drug market by 2015, says IMS Health

17-Nov-2010 - IMS Health predicts China will become the world’s second largest pharmaceutical market by 2015 due to robust economic growth and healthcare reforms that allow for increased spending on drugs.

Partnerships needed to beat public health counterfeit threat

17-Nov-2010 - Combatting counterfeit drugs through forging stronger partnerships is beyond profit, it is about saving lives, AstraZeneca principal scientist Dr Michael Claybourn told a workshop on global drug quality at the...

News in brief

Spencer’s board happy with buyout

17-Nov-2010 - Spencer Pharmaceutical’s board of directors in favour of $0.97 per share buyout offer from anonymous buyer.

GEA ups Asian freeze-drying activity with BSGT purchase

17-Nov-2010 - GEA Pharma Systems stamps its authority in the Asian Pacific’s emerging freeze drying industry acquiring Beijing Sino-German Tianhe Technology (BGST).

Biogen Idec terminates lixivaptan accord narrowing therapeutic focus

16-Nov-2010 - Biogen Idec has started shedding development programmes to stay in line with the restructuring plan and job cuts it announced earlier this month.

USP building database of fake & substandard meds

16-Nov-2010 - The USP is building a database of counterfeit essential medicines to support international drug procurement organisations, such as WHO, and the timely sharing of information between national regulators.

News in brief

Possible IPO for GSK and Pfizer’s HIV company

16-Nov-2010 - The HIV company, ViiV, set up by GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer in 2009, might be spun off and floated in an initial public offering.

Cancer no longer a “death sentence,” says Quintiles, but drug sales decline

16-Nov-2010 - According to IMS Health Research, US sales of oncology drugs are slowing despite more firms promising exciting cancer drug developments.

Joint API inspection pilot a success, says EMA

15-Nov-2010 - The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says 12-month API plant joint inspection programme has fostered greater collaboration between international drug industry regulators and cut the number of duplicate visits.

in-Pharmatechnologist looks at the latest news in drug delivery

15-Nov-2010 - Outsourcing-Pharma reviews the latest developments in drug delivery with news from HepaLife Technologies and Jeiven, SurModics and Edge, as well as EDAP, Epitarget AS and INSERM.

People on the move: pharma jobs

15-Nov-2010 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at Aqua Pharmaceuticals, Algeta ASA and Amarin.

News in brief

Drug delivery market to reach $199bn by 2016, says GBI Research

15-Nov-2010 - A report by GBI Research predicts the drug delivery market will grow by 10.3 per cent annually in the years leading up to 2016.

Novartis’ ‘smart-pill’ may be ‘watching you’ by 2012

10-Nov-2010 - Novartis says it plans to submit its microchip containing ‘smart-pill’ technology to European regulators within 18 months.

Lilly buys Avid to boost diagnostics and AD biz

10-Nov-2010 - US drugmaker Eli Lilly said it will buy Avid Radiopharmaceuticals to expand its neuroscience diagnostics business.

Gerresheimer expands Indian presence with Mumbai office

10-Nov-2010 - Gerresheimer will open a representative office in Mumbai India this week as part of its growth strategy to capitalise in emerging markets.

No inspections of heparin sites in China in 20 months pre-crisis

10-Nov-2010 - In the 20 month period before the heparin crisis no Chinese producers were inspected by the FDA and efforts during and since have been hindered by legal and practical challenges.

FDA may be having difficulties in Puerto Rico, says US oversight cmttee

09-Nov-2010 - The US FDA’s Puerto Rico office may be “having difficulty” monitoring drug manufacturing in the country according to the Congressional Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Crucell reports weak Q3 results after vaccine facility contaminated

09-Nov-2010 - Dutch biopharmaceutical company Crucell expects its operating loss for 2010 to be in the €20-25 million range, citing costs associated with microbial contamination at its Shingal facility in Korea as...

Sharp enters TraceLink Network to become services “concierge”

09-Nov-2010 - Sharp Corporation has joined the TraceLink Network to provide production visibility and serialisation services for life sciences customers.

News in brief

Counterfeit antimalarials found in Ghanaian hospitals

09-Nov-2010 - Substandard and counterfeit antimalarials have been found in Ghanaian hospitals by the Medicines Quality Monitoring programme, a collaborative initiative involving the USP.

People on the move: pharma jobs

09-Nov-2010 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including the departure of an FDA foreign inspections official and the search for a leader of the EMA.

News in brief

Endo's takeover of Penwest gets shareholder approval

08-Nov-2010 - Penwest Pharmaceuticals shareholders have voted in favour of Endo Pharmaceuticals takeover plan, paving the way for the $144m merger.

Celanese rolls out new customisable EVA excipient

08-Nov-2010 - Celanese has launched a new controlled-release EVA excipient and says developing enhanced formulations is key to a drugmaker’s competitive edge in today’s pharmaceutical market.

Novartis and Arabio enter Swiss-Saudi vax manufacturing partnership

08-Nov-2010 - Novartis is teaming up with Arab Company for Pharmaceutical Products (Arabio) to provide Saudi Arabia and surrounding regions with vaccines for common diseases.

Alnylam, Medtronic & CHDI form RNAi delivery collaboration

08-Nov-2010 - Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Medtronic and CHDI Foundation are collaborating to advance RNAi delivered by an implantable infusion device for treating Huntingdon’s.

Overseas offices will shorten inspection times during crises

04-Nov-2010 - Overseas offices will help the FDA schedule inspections more quickly in times of crisis but, as yet, employees based abroad have visited relatively few facilities.

West’s drug delivery sales spark rise in Q3 profits but packaging profits drop

04-Nov-2010 - Sales and profits increased at West Pharmaceutical Services in Q3, but rising manufacturing costs hit drug packaging systems earnings.

ATMI acquires Artelis in ‘disposables’ deal

04-Nov-2010 - ATMI has acquired Artelis, a Belgian biotech firm, in an effort to “get closer to customers” by widening its disposable technology portfolio to the life sciences research and manufacturing sector.

News in brief

Jacobs supporting construction of GMP plant in China

04-Nov-2010 - Jacobs Engineering Group is providing engineering services to support construction of a multi-purpose GMP production facility in Chongqing, China.

Group forms for serialisation & ePedigree compliance

04-Nov-2010 - Collaboration between four companies is supporting clients’ serialisation and ePedigree needs to ensure patient safety, prevent counterfeiting and limit diversion.

Cambrex invests in formulations firm Zenara

03-Nov-2010 - Cambrex buys 51 per cent stake in Indian formulations firm Zenara Pharma, citing efforts to grow in emerging markets as key driver.

News in brief

Jansen adds automatic SDS appendix creation to REACH risk software

03-Nov-2010 - Jansen-Systems says EasyTRA’s automatic SDS functionality will make REACH exposure risk calculations “100 times faster.”

People on the move: pharma jobs

03-Nov-2010 - in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including appointments at Agensys, Unigene, Medivir and Apitope.

Agilent opens new LCMS plant in Singapore

02-Nov-2010 - Agilent Technologies has opened a new instrument plant in Singapore to boost capacity for LC/MS production and drive expansion across Asia.

Hikma builds in US injectables sector with Baxter unit buy

02-Nov-2010 - Baxter International will sell its US generic injectables business to UK-based manufacturer Hikma Pharmaceuticals

Anti-fake readiness a factor for emerging biotech buyers

02-Nov-2010 - Biopharm are increasingly assessing the threat counterfeiting and diversion pose to emerging biotechs when planning an acquisition, according to a white paper.

News in brief

Pfizer’s Lipitor recall widens

02-Nov-2010 - Pfizer has widen its recall of the cholesterol-fighting drug, Lipitor, after two more complaints of a musty odour emanating from the product’s bottles.