The latest twists and turns in the Inyx Inc. bankruptcy saga
include an attempted power seize by its creditor, fraud allegations
thrown around courtrooms and in the media, the resignation of Inyx'
accountants, and increasing...
MDS Pharma Services has announced it is expanding its development
and regulatory services (DRS) business in Europe while its
bioanalytical operations are still struggling.
Irish researchers have developed a technique that could be used to
deliver controlled amounts of drugs to diseased tissues while
minimising side effects simply by shining light on the target.
Solid-dose specialist Colorcon has hooked up with materials science
firm DataLase to develop a new no-touch on-tablet marking technique
specifically for film-coated tablets, helping to defend branded
tabs from counterfeiting attempts...
GPC Biotech has withdrawn its hotly touted satraplatin New Drug
Application (NDA) for accelerated approval following last week's
less than glowing recommendation to hold off on its approval.
Abraxis BioScience has snapped up another manufacturing plant in
its drive to expand production capabilities, this time announcing
the purchase of Watson Pharmaceuticals' sterile injectables plant.
Sanofi Pasteur, Point Therapeutics, Amira Pharmaceuticals, Elusys
Therapeutics and Chesapeake Pharmaceutical Packaging have all had
people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Outsourcing Services Group (OSG) has announced it has sold its
contract manufacturing subsidiary OSG Norwich Pharmaceuticals to a
US private equity firm for an undisclosed amount.
The latest in a series of periodic roundups of drugs that have
moved from preclinical research into clinical testing via the
announcement of a Phase I trial or an application for a trial to
industry regulators.
UK-based microdosing specialist Xceleron has announced its
expansion with the takeover of a new facility in the US, two years
after setting up a business base in the region.
Sanofi-Aventis' disposable insulin pen SoloStar has been launched
across the US for use with the company's 24-hour basal insulin
Lantus (insulin glargine), despite patent infringement claims
emanating from fellow insulin...
US-based biopharma company BioWa has found a way of increasing an
antibody's ability to initiate the complement immune system and
blow holes in tumour cells.
The concept of a "Super Combination Traveler's Vaccine" has come
one step closer to reality with the initiation of a Phase II study
on a single dose, oral typhoid fever vaccine.
Nikon have launched a new 'hands off' system that combines an
incubator and inverted microscope to allow automated live-cell
culture studies and time-lapse imaging in a controlled environment.
A novel drug delivery technology capable of delivering large
molecules in oral tablet form is set to gain patent protection in a
number of countries through an international patent treaty.
Indian biotech heavyweight Biocon has today announced that its
joint venture with Abu Dhabi-based Neopharma has spawned new
company NeoBiocon, operating out of one of Dubai's newest
biotechnology parks.
As pharma firms disclose their financial results for the second
quarter of the year, AstraZeneca (AZ) and Bristol-Myers Squibb
(BMS) have announced more job cuts.
Aperio has released a new software tool that not only speeds up the
analysis of tissue microarray (TMA) images but also allows
researchers to access images remotely.
PRA said it signed an agreement with equity firm Genstar Capital to
be bought back by the firm for around $790m (€580m) while the CRO
posted a 90 per cent tumble in profit in Q2 due to heavy
restructuring charges.
The UK government has been ordered to review the assessment system
it uses to classify and grant permission for animal experiments
following a court ruling handed down last week.
The total contract research organisation (CRO) market is expected
to reach $24bn (€18bn) by 2010 as biopharma companies' spending on
outsourcing services continues to soar, new research reveals.
Rentschler Biotechnologie has completed the first phase of a €50m
expansion of its biomanufacturing capacity with the launch of two
new bioreactors aimed at making protein-based drugs for biopharma
clients.
Artel's extreme pipetting expedition team went to Yellowstone
National Park, US, where they found that pipetting hot or cold
liquids can cause delivery volume errors of up to 37 per cent.
A novel spring-powered inhaler system to deliver the blockbuster
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) treatment Spiriva
(tiotropium) has successfully completed the EU approval process,
paving the way for its introduction into...
Australian biotech company, Benitec, is about to start dosing
patients in the first ever human trial of its RNA therapy, which
attacks HIV on three separate fronts.
French firm Vivalis has announced the first data evaluating its
proprietary EBx cell lines for the production of monoclonal
antibodies (MAbs), with initial results suggesting high cytotoxic
properties in the resultant MAbs.
Nabi Biopharmaceuticals has announced the creation of the second of
its two new business units, Nabi Pharmaceuticals, a month after
spinning off its Biologics segment.
Cell Therapeutics has acquired oncology expert Systems Medicine
(SMi) in a deal worth up to $35m (€25.5m) that includes
worldwide rights to brostallicin that belongs to a new class of
cancer drugs.
Biovail has this week sought to reassure its investors after the
news that US regulators issued the company with a Non Approval
letter for its new bupropion salt anti-depressant.
WuXi PharmaTech, the biggest Chinese contract research organisation
(CRO), has put an end to weeks of speculation by officially
announcing it plans an initial public offering (IPO) on the New
York Stock Exchange.
Lab equipment specialist Sotax has announced the creation of a new contract research organisation (CRO) focused exclusively on dissolution testing services.
Ever since Bio-Rad's acquisition of Ciphergen's SELDI MS (surface
enhanced laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry) technology
late last year, it has been fighting against the spectre of
"controversial" research...
Applied Biosystems (ABI) has launched its TaqMan microRNA (miRNA)
assays in array format to help researchers search for miRNA
biomarkers more efficiently from smaller samples.
MedImmune has announced that interim Phase I results for its new
monoclonal antibody (MAb) suggest that it is well tolerated and
shows biological activity in adults with asthma.
Biocatalysis expert Codexis has acquired BioCatalytics for an
undisclosed amount to strengthen its off-the-shelf biocatalyst
portfolio and give itself a larger 'window to the market'.
Despite the hype, countries in emerging markets are still very much
trailing behind the US in the number of Food and Drug
Administration (FDA)-approved studies being conducted, particularly
the Asia-pacific, a survey by Parexel reveals.
The field of oral controlled release drug delivery is constantly
evolving and developing, allowing ever more precise and tailored
delivery profiles for pharmaceutical drugs.
PPD has posted positive financial results for the second quarter of
the year in net contrast to its lacklustre performance in Q1, but
cut its earning outlook for the full year.
German speciality chemicals firm CABB has scooped up Swiss company
SF-Chem in a deal set to create a leading European supplier of
chlorine and speciality intermediates.
Schering-Plough has licensed acadesine (AICA-riboside), a potential
first-in-class drug for the prevention of ischemia-reperfusion
injury from PeriCor Therapeutics to bolster its cardiac
therapeutics pipeline.
Danish firm Novozymes has been honoured by animal rights
organisation PETA for its efforts to provide animal-free
bioprocessing methods aimed at cutting animal testing during drug
development.
UK researchers have shown that high fluid flow rates in
microfluidic devices used for cellular assays can affect cell
signalling channels and potentially interfere with drug screening
results.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a draft
guideline document outlining a model for implementing the
International Conference on Harmonization's (ICH) Q10.
Swedish researchers have solved the crystal structure of the enzyme
that plays a pivotal role in the asthma biocascade, providing
information that could lead to more efficient asthma therapies.
Microscopy expert, Carl Zeiss has shipped the world's first
commercial helium ion microscope that promises to allow researchers
to view objects at higher resolutions than ever before.
