A drug already used to stem bleeding in haemophiliacs cannot be
used to the same effect to treat brain haemorrhages that can cause
strokes, according to its developer Novo Nordisk.
Adept Technology has introduced a ceiling-mounted version of its
s800 series Cobra robot. The inverted robot offers high-speed
packaging and assembly with a wider reach, while leaving a much
clearer working area.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Baxter
Healthcare the go ahead for a modified version of the company's
Colleague volumetric infusion pump that was the subject of FDA
recalls and seizures in 2005 following...
UK firms Melbourn Scientific and Copley Scientific have agreed to
collaborate on developing novel methods of testing the force of
nasal sprays and metered-dose inhalers (MDIs).
India's budget finance minister has today announced a tax exemption
on all services carried out by its contract research and clinical
trials industry – a saving of 12.24 per cent.
The burgeoning Japanese pharmaceutical market is set to boost the
third party logistics (3PL) sector as drug makers are expected to
increase their reliance on outsourcing for this type of services in
the future, a new report said.
Eli Lilly has come up with a new insulin pen with a digital display
that allows patients to record and review the time, date and dose
of the last 16 insulin shots.
Shire Pharmaceuticals' plans to buy New River Pharmaceuticals will
eventually affect a contract manufacturing arrangement with Albany
Molecular Research (AMR).
Alpha Packaging has bought fellow US company Quality Container, a
specialist in plastic bottles for pharmaceutical and dietary
supplement products, for an undisclosed sum.
Ranbaxy has been granted an EU manufacturing and import license for
its Romania-based Terapia Ranbaxy subsidiary, and says it will make
the company a strategic regional hub for its operations in Europe.
A host of budding drug discovery firms were bestowed with
recognition for their performances during a recently-held 2006
Frost & Sullivan European Healthcare awards ceremony.
German firm Sartorius has merged its biotech unit with
biopharmaceutical supplier Stedim Biosystems, forming a company
anticipated to generate sales of €400-420m during 2007.
Using contractors to fulfil packaging needs can significantly
reduce the time new products take to hit the market, claimed Gareth
Lewis of Cardinal Health, speaking at SMi's Pharmaceutical
Packaging and Labelling conference in...
Scientists have used a biochemical chip to explain the important
role a certain protein plays in the mating habits of yeast cells.
The finding could lead to new cancer drugs with fewer side effects.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has acquired licensing rights outside the US
to the over the counter (OTC) weight-loss medication orlistat,
previously marketed by Roche.
AstraZeneca has this week announced 700 job losses the firm's
Macclesfield site in the UK. Representing over a quarter of the
site's workforce, the cuts come as part of the rationalisation plan
announced by the firm at the...
Indian chemical firm Syschem is planning to splash out up to $15m
(€11.4m) over two years to expand its manufacturing capacity – a
move the company said will facilitate its smooth entry into the
pharma industry and help cope with...
Johnson Matthey's metal scavenging system, Smopex, is designed to
remove precious metals at high speed from solutions and active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Dyax announced that it has reached a mutual agreement with Genzyme
to terminate their joint venture for the development and
commercialization of DX-88 for hereditary angioedema (HAE).
As much of the pharma industry looks to refocus its research and
development, speciality companies can take advantage of compounds
dropped in the reshuffle.
Preclinical and early-phase drug discovery will be the next service
area to take off in India, Dr. Reddy's CEO GV Prasa predicted at a
conference yesterday.
The Ketek saga continues as a former employee of Pharmaceutical
Product Development (PPD) has claimed that Aventis and PPD – the
contract research organisation (CRO) hired by the firm – were both
aware of fraudulent data in a clinical...
Movianto has more than doubled its pharmaceutical storage capacity
at two of its European sites with the construction of two new
warehouses, in answer to increased demand.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have high hopes for the
fourth revision of the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA),
which has proved its worth by cutting review times by up to 24
months since its introduction in 1992.
US firm Abraxis BioScience has been issued a firm warning by the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) following concerns about
contamination of drug products and marketing violations for several
drugs.
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has spent $3.65m (€2.78m) on an 89-acre
plot of land to build a new bulk biologics manufacturing facility
in Devens, Massachusetts.
Biotechnology firm Codexis has launched its Codex biocatalyst
panels, which promise to increase R&D and manufacturing
productivity while reducing cost.
The French Parliament has adopted legislation which prevents
biosimilar medicinal products from being classed as generics and
bans the automatic substitution of one biological medicine for
another.
Northern Ireland-based Almac Services has recently been awarded a
potent compound safety certification by SafeBridge, confirming that
Almac is capable of handling potent compounds safely and is able to
limit exposure using closed...
The collaboration between DSM Pharmaceutical Products and
biotechnology firm Crucell has raised the bar for antibody
production, whilst decreasing manufacturing costs.
Scientists at Pharmacopeia have stitched together the active parts
of two molecules to form a single drug, which it claims could treat
several cardiovascular diseases more effectively, including kidney
disease caused by diabetes.
Up to 95 clinical trials testing experimental anticancer drugs may
have to be delayed or closed altogether because of federal funding
cuts, according to the Cancer Cooperative Groups.
Invitrogen has decided to sell BioReliance, the 'beleaguered'
pharmaceutical services arm of its business, for less than half the
price they paid for it just three years ago.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has decided to consolidate all its human
resources business process outsourcing (BPO) services under the one
umbrella in a contract valued at $171m (€131m).
Actavis has waded further into India and picked up new contract
manufacturing capabilities along the way with the purchase of a
division of Sanmar Specialty Chemicals (SSCL).
Australian contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) Eastland
Medical Systems has bagged a manufacturing and distribution
contract with UK's Proto-Pharma for its anti-malaria treatment.
A bill unveiled by US senators yesterday would clear the way for
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve low cost, generic
versions of biotech medicines. There is currently no statutory
pathway allowing such generic copies...
A Japanese firm announced this week that it has developed a
biodegradable polymer based drug delivery system that could
significantly improve the efficacy of chemotherapy drugs and reduce
drug development costs.
Materia's metathesis platform continues to excite the
pharmaceutical industry as they follow their recent license to
Merck with a license to Aileron Therapeutics.
Scientists have shown it is possible to mimic the complex stable
structure of natural proteins using a different type of amino acid
building block, potentially opening the door to more effective,
longer-lasting biologic drugs.