Quintiles has targeted Africa as the next non-traditional area to develop new medicines and the opening of its office in Ghana, which is now fully operational, is a major step in this process, Gillian Corken, head of Quintiles in Africa, told Outsourcing-Pharma.
Apotex’s manufacturing difficulties have begun to impact on its operations, with the company recalling some products, New Zealand authorities issuing a temporary import ban and lay offs at a supplier.
Phase Forward has adopted technologies from BMC Software to improve its operational efficiency, make “substantial cost savings” and ensure its systems maintain the availability, reliability and compliance demanded by clients.
Market intelligence giant IMS Health has extended its KPO market and sales analytics offering and signed a new collaboration deal with Indian IT contracting group Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
A totally outsourced model of discovery is “probably valid”, according to a report that believes pharma must overhaul its operations because its business model is in danger of becoming “irrelevant”.
Lab Research (LRI) aims to boost its Korean presence in a new agency deal with Safe Chemicals that, CEO Luc Mainville says, will meet growing demand for large molecule contract R&D.
Recruiting patients with rare diseases for clinical trials could become easier if the US Congress passes a bill to allow patients on supplemental security income (SSI) benefits to receive compensation.
Novasep’s API manufacturing facility in Le Mans, France has been certified under the potent compound safety programme run by occupational health and safety specialist SafeBridge Consultants.
US packaging group MeadWestVaco (MWV) has launched its Med-Easy pharmaceutical packaging solution in Europe in an effort to appeal to patients who need to take their treatments on the move.
US biotechnology major Genzyme has begun $68m of refurbishment work on a new 211,000 sgft manufacturing and shipping complex in Northborough, Massachusetts.
BioClinica is continuing to acquire companies in the wake of the collapse of its etrials bid, buying software and services provider Tourtellotte Solutions just over two weeks after its last takeover.
QPS’ bioanalytical laboratory in Taiwan is the first in the country to be certified as compliant with good laboratory practice (GLP) standards by the Department of health (DoH), according to unit president Vincent Yen.
Pharma companies can cut the risk of taking a TKI into Phase I by using the HemoRANK in vitro test, according to ReachBio that has developed the assay to evaluate a molecules clinical hematotoxicity.
In 25 years most biotechs will be virtual, according to a director of preclinical CRO L2D who formed the company with a “completely novel business model” to target this huge growth opportunity.
News of Bayer’s selection of ex-Thermo Fisher Scientific boss Marijn Dekkers as its CEO was somewhat overshadowed by a new FDA warning letter about quality testing at its manufacturing facility in Bergkamen, Germany.
LyondellBasell is to close a low density polyethylene (LDPE) plant in the UK by the end of the year on continued weak demand and as it seeks to phase out uneconomic facilities from its global operations.
US contract research organisation (CRO) PPD has set its sights on the Asian biopharma sector with new a lab at the heart of Singapore’s rapidly expanding drug development and trial industry.
The FDA has approved four H1N1 vaccines, made by CSL, AstraZeneca, Novartis and Sanofi-Aventis, that will be distributed in the next four weeks as part of the US’ swine flu preparation.
Virtify says the new online version of its Virtx CTRR system can help drugmakers comply with the increasingly complex disclosure rules that regulators worldwide apply to clinical trials, in an automated approach that saves time and money.
Revenues from Pall’s biopharmaceuticals division grew in fiscal 2009, excluding foreign currency changes, with the company benefiting from the “thriving market” for vaccines and expanding adoption of single-use systems.
Quintiles believes there is a “dire need” for trial sites that can raise standards and reduce inefficiencies in the clinical research process and is expanding its Prime Site programme to meet this demand.
Outsourcing to a well known CRO with a good reputation is vital to ensuring that data is well received by regulatory authorities, according to a CEO that just inked a deal for preclinical safety testing.
Orasi Medical claims CROs and pharmas can cut the cost and length of Alzheimer’s trials, and improve accuracy, by using its brain function measuring service, which is now being promoted in Japan.
US drugmaker Eli Lilly plans to cut 5,500 jobs by 2011 as it prepares to enter what CEO John Lechleiter said will be “the most challenging period in [the] company’s history.”
US firms Xybion Medical Systems and Locus Technology say their new animal management and data analysis partnership will help streamline preclinical development and reduce research costs.
Colorado trial support services group nSpire Health says its Koko spirometry and PiKoLogic ePro technologies were crucial factors in winning more than $9m (€6.1m) worth of clinical research contracts.
Patheon has posted “disappointing” Q3 results, with manufacturing difficulties in Puerto Rico, a slowdown in demand for development services and reduced client demand for some products impacting on revenues.
Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing sector, including appointments at Hovione, Agilux, McKesson and CIT.
Angel Biotechnology has inked a deal to manufacture the CTX stem cell line, which can now be frozen and thawed when needed, at its dedicated cell-based therapies plant that is equipped and licensed for the task.
Canadian group Clinical Logistics (CL) and US analysis specialist Gentris have teamed up to develop a dedicated low temperature storage service for clinical cell and DNA samples collected during drug trials.
Dishman is pushing ahead with its international expansion, increasing efforts to win contracts in the US and Japan and nearing completion of a facility Shanghai, China, which is the first it has built outside of India.
Hyderabad, India-based Makro Care says its GCP “helpdesk” website has already proved to be an invaluable information source for contract research organisations (CRO), investigators and pharma trial sponsors.
Demand for new delivery options for biologic drugs will drive an expansion of the $2.7bn needle-free technology market over the medium-term, according to a new report by industry analysts Kalorama Information.
in-PharmaTechnologist presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma sector, including Roche appointing Genentech’s CEO to lead its pharma division and Mylan’s CFO leaving after three months in the job.
Biotechs that partner or outsource in emerging markets are better equipped to innovate and prosper, according to research that warns “if you are not in Shanghai, Mumbai, or Dubai, watch out".
The new partnership with Indian CRO Abridge Clinical Research (ACR) is a unique collaboration offering cost efficient and timely trial solutions according to Global Pharmaceutical Services (GPSI) spokesperson Keith Russell.
Russia-based CRO SynRG has cut the time to prepare a detailed proposal from two weeks to two hours, giving the company a competitive advantage over its rivals, and established a presence in the US to target small to mid-sized companies.
US contract research organisation (CRO) Advion BioServices has expanded its biomarker business in an effort to meet growing industry demand for pharmacological analysis.
The outsourcing “market is poised to return to healthier growth rates in 2010”, according to the president of MDS Pharma Services who also told Outsourcing-Pharma that CROs will play an increasingly important role in drug development.
Struggling biotech Targeted Genetics (TG) has sold certain patents and AAV manufacturing technology to fellow US group Genzyme in a $7m deal that “shifts the firm out of crisis mode,” according to CEO Susan Robinson.
Aushon BioSystems has added laboratory and manufacturing capacity to its corporate headquarters to meet rising demand from clinical trials for some of its protein biomarker services.
Covance says its new clinical development offices in Brazil and Mexico will increase access to treatment-naïve patients and, ultimately, save pharmaceutical sponsors money.
More than 50 per cent of executives believe their company fails to respond quickly enough to pandemics because of lapses in the supply chain, according to an IBM survey.
With Lonza and JLL competing over Patheon Outsourcing-Pharma looks at what the CMO offers to a prospective buyer, analysing its global manufacturing capacity and backlog using interactive maps and graphs.
Encorium has outlined plans to specialise in vaccines, which it believes is an area it can be more flexible than big CROs, and inked a swine flu deal as part of $8.7m (€6m) of new contracts.
UK API maker and contract manufacturing organization (CMO) Aesica Pharmaceutical has landed a multi-year deal to produce and package drugs on behalf of Amdipharm.
US discovery chemistry contractor ChemBridge has made some of its most popular small molecule libraries available on-line through a partnership with preclinical data specialist Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD).
Dutch authorities have completed validation of Solvay Biologicals cell-based production facility which the company will use to meet growing worldwide demand for influenza vaccines.
