US company DOR BioPharma plans to start clinical trials in the next
few months with what could be the first oral formulation of the
widely used prostate cancer treatment leuprolide.
Pharmatek has moved to a new larger lab and manufacturing facility
while Pace Analytical Life Sciences recently acquired lab testing
firm P3 Scientific.
Octagon has bought an electronic data capture (EDC) company and is
now claiming to be the first company to address the process problem
in clinical R&D by offering "an end-to-end solution that
crosses traditional functional...
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Adolor have halted development of an
innovative drug designed to improve pain relief, amid concerns that
the drug could cause heart problems.
A new range of preparative scale supercritical fluid chromatography
(SFC) and extraction (SFE) products promises cheaper and faster
separations and extractions.
Mar Cor Purification has bought GE Water and Process Technologies'
dialysis water business for $30.6m (€22.8m) to become the largest
provider of dialysis water in the US, and plans to expand their
presence in industrial life...
A new millimetre-sized cantilever biosensor has been developed that
can detect cells and proteins at lower levels than ever before even
under flow conditions, opening the way for new biomarker
applications.
The first radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that
authenticates, encrypts data and monitors product
temperature hit the shelves last week, aimed specifically at
protecting the pharmaceutical supply chain.
In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research
services arena, new deals have emerged involving Argenta Discovery,
SRI International and Discovery Partners International.
Insurance firm Darwin is targeting the booming contract research
organisation (CRO) market by launching its own insurance cover
designed specifically for companies or organisations involved in
clinical research.
IWKA, a German automation specialist that designs and builds
manufacturing and packaging systems, is selling its packaging
division to Berlin-based investment company Odewald & Compagnie
for around €255 million.
Most clinical trial sites are utterly unprepared in the face of a
natural disaster and are paying a heavy price if they are unlucky
enough to be affected, delegates heard at last week's Drug
Information Association (DIA) conference...
Drug delivery technology firm Apogee has signed an exclusive
licence to get its hands on a microneedle-based drug delivery
technology that it hopes will significantly enhance the company's
PyraDerm intradermal drug delivery system.
US firm Fullscope has announced the availability of a new software
and services package to help pharmaceutical and life science
companies achieve and maintain US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) validation.
Akorn, a US pharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and
markets branded and generic diagnostics and therapeutics for niche
segments such as ophthalmology, rheumatology and anaesthesia, has
received a warning letter from...
The first step towards true in-line glucose monitoring for cell
culture bioprocesses has been made that will allow greater control
over the bioprocess manufacturing.
Indian contract research organisation (CRO) Synchron has acquired
local start-up CRO Innovance - a first-of-its-kind buyout in this
booming area of the pharma market.
A new range of software has been launched to provide researchers
with tools to analyse multiple proteomics techniques and yield more
complete data sets.
First its lead product failed a Phase III clinical trial, and now a
different anticancer drug has produced 'lacklustre' results,
leaving Neopharm with an uncertain future, according to some
industry analysts.
Contract logistics provider Kuehne + Nagel (K+N) has announced it
is expanding its capacity in Dubai in a bid to provide a global hub
for pharmaceutical companies.
Pfizer has homed in pSivida's controlled release drug delivery
technology, signing a research and licensing deal worth $165m
(€123.5m) and focusing keenly on the company's Medidur technology
for new ophthalmic applications.
Becton Dickinson (BD) has extended its existing franchise in safety
injection products and insulin delivery technologies into the
safety pen needle market, with the US launch of the BD AutoShield
Pen Needle.
INC Research has become the latest contract research organisation
(CRO) to dive into India, whilst Pharmaceutical Products
Development (PPD) has opened offices in Athens and Seattle.
German contract manufacturer Vetter Pharma-Fertigung has been
bestowed with a "facility of the year award" for the processes
employed at its new injectables plant.
Japan is getting serious about clinical trial reform after years of
lagging behind the rest of the developed world in the availability
of drugs in the country, which ironically is the world's number two
pharma market behind the...
Three doctors from a Russian hospital hired to run clinical trials
for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have now been charged by local
prosecutors over alleged illegal practices during the study on
children.
Swiss packaging-machine manufacturer Alphacos has launched a new
product to help protect healthcare workers using pre-filled
syringes against needlestick injuries.
A report this week suggests that enforced restrictions in pack size
for paracetamol (acetaminophen) in the UK may have had little or no
impact on reducing the number of paracetamol poisonings.
Canadian-based consulting and contract manufacturing company
PharmEng International has built on an existing sourcing
arrangement with Bengbu Bayi Pharmaceuticals to secure exclusive
distribution rights to the Chinese company's...
Medifacts International has sold its contract research organisation
(CRO) unit after a reorganisation sparked by the firm's filing for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February.
A thin-film delivery system that looks like a postage stamp and
dissolves rapidly on the tongue could give new momentum to Adams
Respiratory Therapeutics' portfolio of prescription and
over-the-counter medicines (OTC) for the...
GE Healthcare and the Bio Affinity Company (BAC) have extended
their biopharmaceutical partnership to develop purification media
for Factor VIII (FVIII) for the treatment of haemophilia A.
A drug discovery collaboration between Ranbaxy and GlaxoSmithKline
(GSK) is bearing fruit with the companies stepping up their
respiratory inflammation research.
As Swiss firm Lonza announced last week that it has broken ground
at its second manufacturing site in Singapore, the region looks set
for growth in biologics manufacture with biological products due to
take centre stage in the pharma...
Evotec is willing to accept significant losses, at least in the
short term, as it moves from being solely a service provider, to
having its own drug development programme as well.
Covance is seeing the high potential of the booming market for
biomarkers and has decided to devote an entire expert team to
support clients with biomarker-related services.
An exclusive license to a late stage product has enabled
Sanofi-aventis to up the stakes in a bid to be the first company to
release a dedicated cancer vaccine.
