All news articles for December 2006

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20-Dec-2006

NNE scoops up Fresenius' Pharmaplan

NNE and Fresenius ProServe yesterday announced they had reached an agreement by which NNE will acquire Fresenius' subsidiary, engineering company Pharmaplan GmbH.

More speculation on inhaled insulin market potential

Innovative, non-invasive new ways of delivering insulin are poised to transform diabetes management, despite concerns about their safety and efficacy, according to new research.

Monoclonal T cell receptors to be used for vaccine validation

German biotech company MediGene and Sanofi Pasteur have signed a deal to develop new monoclonal T cell receptors that the vaccine maker will use to develop and validate vaccines more efficiently.

Wyeth kicks off CMO agreement with Crucell

Crucell yesterday announced it had received the first orders from US-headquartered Wyeth Biotech. The order represents the first move following the finalisation of the contract manufacturing agreement between the two companies at the end of 2005.

Injectable antipsychotic drug delivered by Captisol technology

Specialty pharmaceutical company CyDex has been boosted by the news that an intramuscular injection formulation of schizophrenia drug Abilify, which makes use of its Captisol solubility technology has been launched in the USA.

19-Dec-2006

Nanoparticles to treat drug overdoses

Researchers have discovered that using nanotechnology could help reduce fatalities from drug overdoses, as nanoparticles can act as potential antidotes.

Adenovirus patent awarded to Introgen

Introgen Therapeutics last week announced that it has been granted a European patent for the commercial production of adenoviral compositions.

Medichem passes third consecutive FDA plant inspection

Pharma company Medichem has announced it has passed a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection without any problem for the third consecutive time.

Fertin develops battle ready antimicrobial chewing gum

Medicated chewing gum company Fertin Pharma has announced a collaboration with the US Army Dental Research and Trauma Detachment (USADRT) on the first antimicrobial chewing gum to lower incidences of disease and non-battle related injuries among soldiers.

Imaging tech to thwart pill pirates

A UK based firm aims to take up the fight against drug counterfeiters with its innovative imaging and spectroscopy products. TeraView says its technology could aid regulators and law enforcement agencies screen for potentially lethal fake medicines.

18-Dec-2006

Solvay deal suggests Novasep's strategy has paid off

Solvay has contracted Novasep to provide synthesis of two active pharmaceutical ingredients, following Novasep's decision to combine synthesis and processing expertise.

Shire to get European approval for its ulcerative colitis drug

Pharma company Shire has agreed with European regulators on labelling information for its ulcerative colitis drug Mezavant, a further step in the firm's ambition to capture more of the $1.6bn (€1.2bn) mesalazine market through its easy and effective delivery system.

Evolving enzymes - increasing efficiency for drug makers

The directed evolution of enzymes can lead to more efficient tools for the synthesis of drug molecules.

Dr Reddy's increases its manufacturing capacity

Dr Reddy's Laboratories has boosted its ability to serve Western pharmaceutical markets with an increase in its manufacturing capacity for drug formulations.

Patheon limps in with end of year results

Patheon last week announced its fourth quarter and end of year financial results after a tough year for the contract drug manufacturer.

MonoSolRx's thin film drug delivery system attracts investors

Drug delivery company MonoSolRx has announced it has received a $38m (€29m) funding from an investment group, illustrating the appeal of the company's dissolving film technology.

15-Dec-2006

The changing face of allergy therapeutics

Oral immuno-therapies offer a cure, rather than just relief, to millions of hayfever sufferers worldwide.

14-Dec-2006

J&J's drug-eluting stents survive FDA scrutiny

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided against restricting the use of drug-eluting cardiac stents after a two-day investigation into their potential to increase blood clots.

Dr Reddy's overcomes formulation challenge to develop 4-in-1 heart pill

Dr Reddy's Laboratories has started first clinical trials of a "four-in-one" polypill clinical trial, which could revolutionise the cardiovascular drugs market.

EU chemical law passed amid controversy

EU lawmakers have approved a new chemical law aimed at making producers and importers of chemicals prove that the substances they put on the market are safe for consumers - making it one of the most controversial laws in years.

Ben Venue wins Vion anti-cancer contract

Vion Pharmaceuticals has awarded a manufacturing agreement with Ohio based contract manufacturers Ben Venue Laboratories to produce its lead anticancer drug, Cloretazine (VNP40101M).

Schott's pharma packaging business keeps growing

Schott has reported a 15 per cent growth rate for its pharma packaging business, three times higher than the growth of the overall pharma industry.

13-Dec-2006

Solvay reinforces outsourcing relationship with Lonza

Lonza Group and Solvay Pharmaceuticals have today announced a strategic long-term manufacturing alliance.

Schwarz awards contract for new Irish API manufacturing facility

Schwarz Pharma has awarded an engineering and procurement contract to a Jacobs Engineering Group subsidiary for the development of a new active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) manufacturing facility in Ireland.

AstraZeneca opens first manufacturing plant in the Middle East

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca has invested in a tablet manufacturing plant in Egypt, which could form a launching pad for an expansion into emerging markets.

Roche invests in new 'molecular machete' drug delivery enhancer

Roche has invested $20m in a new technology that has the potential to dramatically enhance the delivery of subcutaneous drugs by acting like a 'molecular machete'.

12-Dec-2006

Gamma-radiation resistant RFID chip GammaTag debuts

The first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can resist gamma irradiation has been developed to track pharmaceutical products early on and throughout the supply chain.

Delivery technology 'could speed up siRNA development'

US researchers have developed a novel delivery vehicle for siRNA, an up-and-coming technology for switching off genes in the body that could accelerate its use in drug development.

Glass research opens new window for drug delivery

A new 'glass' making technique that improves stability and durability could lead to novel coatings and improvements in drug delivery, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Centre for Neutron Research.

More jobs cuts at BASF as Asian API market closes in

Almost 130 jobs will be lost at BASF's Minden site as the company succumbs to growing pressure from the Asian generic active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) market.

Singapore eyes biologics manufacturing

Biologic drug manufacturing is slowly starting to take off in Singapore and is expected to be a key component of the country's drug manufacturing activity in the future.

11-Dec-2006

Auxilium halts drug trials to look into manufacturing issue

Biotech drugmaker Auxilium has temporarily suspended Phase III clinical trials to investigate a manufacturing problem with its new injectable enzyme batch, which could potentially cost the firm $1m (€750,000).

Oracle bolsters pharma packaging

Oracle has bought US firm Tolas Healthcare Packaging in a bid to bolster its pharma packaging capabilities.

Siegfried signs over capacity to Celgene in €34.9m deal

Fine chemicals maker Siegfried Holdings has agreed to sign over part of the production capacity of its Zofingen production plant to US biotech Celgene Corp in a collaboration worth €34.9m.

Novel ionic liquid method promises low-cost levodopa production

Dutch researchers have developed a new way of making a Parkinson's disease drug using an inexpensive ionic liquid method that could yield cost savings of €11.3 million per annum.

US Senate approves FDA chief nomination

The US Senate has confirmed Andrew von Eschenbach as the official Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after months of delay due to complaints about the regulator's oversight.

07-Dec-2006

Alcan splashes out on new packaging centre

Packaging maker Alcan has announced it will invest $27.5m (€20.7m) for an expansion project in its US pharma centre to meet the growing demand for pharmaceutical flexible packaging materials.

Panacea takes stake in Cambridge's new vaccine biz

Indian pharma firm Panacea Biotec has taken a 10 percent stake in UK-based vaccine maker Cambridge Biostability (CBL) for £1.9m (€1.4m) under a new joint venture deal signed between the two companies.

Baxter expands lyophilisation capacity

Baxter is expanding its lyophilisation capacity at its German facility to support future growth of its contract manufacturing business for anti-cancer drugs.

Genzyme expands manufacturing capacity in Europe

US biotechnology company Genzyme invests heavily in Lyon, boosting their biotech-production operations in Europe

Phoqus joins forces with GSK on oral drug delivery system, Qtrol

Phoqus pharmaceuticals reaches milestone in GSK deal on Qtrol, due to an increasing demand for drug delivery system.

06-Dec-2006

Compromise agreed on REACH, a new EU chemical law

A late night compromise on controversial EU legislation on chemical control - REACH - means it could now come into play as planned in 2007.

Nastech delays osteoporosis nasal spray development

Nastech missed out on a $15m (€11m) milestone payment after having to delay the development of its new nasal spray for the treatment of osteoporosis because of the need of an additional clinical trial.

Auxilium slices contract manufacturing deal with Cobra

Biotech company Auxilium has decided to amend its manufacturing agreement with UK-based Cobra biologics in order to favour the in-house production of its new injectable enzyme.

ProMetic and Novartis team up for new vaccine purification technology

The UK subsidiary of ProMetic Life Sciences has signed a deal with Novartis to develop a new purification technology for recombinant protein vaccines that is claimed to be more efficient and cheaper than currently used methods.

Flow reactor heater for high-speed flow chemistry

New flow reactor heater allows high-speed, multi-step reactions in front of your eyes allowing users to monitor progress and intervene in case problems to avoid time and reagent waste.

05-Dec-2006

Pfizer manufacturing plant in question after torcetrapib blow

A hefty investment by Pfizer in an Irish manufacturing facility could prove to be a waste after the potential blockbuster it was designed to make has been canned.

AAIPharma to offer 'one-stop shop' for drug development

AAIPharma has announced it has signed a contract manufacturing agreement with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals Outsourcing which aims to provide a "one-stop drug development solution" for drug makers.

Biolex technology produces superior MAbs

A new cell culture process developed by Biolex Pharmaceuticals produces monoclonal antibodies which are both more potent and more effective.

Lonza and BioOne continue investing in Singapore

Swiss custom manufacturer Lonza and Singapore's BioOne Capital have announced a new joint venture to build a $350m (€263m) large-scale manufacturing facility in Singapore.

Millipore's single-use container film enters the bioprocessing market

Millipore has introduced a new container film - PureFlex - that ties in with the trend towards increasing use of disposable products within the bioprocessing sector.