US-based researchers have stepped up anticancer drug usage as
dendrimer-encapsulated technology improves camptothecin solubility
10 times and accelerates drug accumulation 16 times in cell culture
studies.
Drug manufacturers have moved towards centralised data and
information management, following a trend to prevent human errors
and time-consuming tasks in response to increasing regulatory
requirements.
A new report out this week suggests the pharma industry is losing
the trust of its key stakeholders. The report, compiled by
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), concludes that the growing decline in
the pharmaceutical industry's reputation...
Cellexus has introduced a technology - CellMaker Lite - that
satisfies the appetite for disposable bioreactors, grows bacterial
and mammalian cells efficiently and cuts production costs.
Helix BioPharma and BioVectra have signed a deal for the
manufacture of Helix's new lung cancer drug for clinical trials - a
move that strengthens the already existing relationship between the
two Canadian firms.
Caliper Life Sciences is making the most of its recent acquisitions
by launching a new drug discovery and development services business
- created from the integration of two companies it recently bought
- in a bid to offer a "in...
Several discontinued drug candidates that target the central
nervous system (CNS) have been given a second chance for success
after Synosis Therapeutics bought them off Roche.
Millipore has introduced a new disposable product - NovaSeal - that
ties in with a shift in the bioprocess manufacturing market to the
use of disposable assemblies to shorten production cycles for
drugs.
Genentech has shown their faith in a blood cancer drug development
programme by licensing just one compound for up $800m (€615m),
highlighting the willingness of large pharmaceutical companies to
pay large sums for even a single drug...
Researchers at the University of Rochester and StemCapture have
unveiled a new device technology that makes it possible to harvest
stem cells from the blood, bypassing the controversial use of stem
cells sourced from embryos.
Radiofrequency identification (RFID) tag adoption will be hampered
by a lack of a skilled labour force that is adequately trained to
handle this new technology, research reveals.
Despite the many challenges facing the pharma industry, drug
developers should be optimistic, and one of the reasons is the
increasing reliance on global outsourcing to speed development and
reduce costs, says new report.
The use of virtual patients to simulate clinical trials on
computers can forecast their results, potentially optimising drug
development and saving the pharmaceutical industry billions.
BN ImmunoTherapeutics, the US subsidiary of Denmark's Bavarian
Nordic, has started clinical trials of MVA-BN-HER2, a new vaccine
targeting breast cancer.
Although US spending on healthcare rose by 6.9 per cent in 2005,
taking it to almost $2 trillion (€1.5 trillion), it's the smallest
increase since 1999, down from 7.2 per cent in 2004 and 8.1 per
cent in 2003.
DSM Pharmaceuticals is showing no sign of slowing down as it
continues to invest in the expansion of its pharmaceutical
production capabilities - the latest being the completion of a
revamped sterile parenteral manufacturing plant...
Encorium Group has bagged a $12.4m multi-year contract from a
mystery biopharma firm to conduct a Phase III drug trial for
prostate cancer - the most common cancer in men.
Eli Lilly has signed a new agreement with drug delivery specialist
Alkermes for the manufacture of its new inhaled insulin drug - AIR
- in advance of the product's market launch.
A new anti-cancer drug delivery system which allows more targeted
treatment and helps avoid the unsafe and unpleasant side effects of
chemotherapy is due to enter clinical trials in Europe and the US
for use with anti-cancer drug...
MedImmune's latest version of their inhalable flu vaccine, FluMist,
has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The
new formulation can now be stored in a refrigerator rather than
frozen, which proved a major...
India's drug manufacturing industry is tipped to grow 10 per cent
over the next three years as more pharma firms shift operations
there to cut costs, says a research report.
New US legislation governing the security of chemical production
plants will come into force on 4 April 2007, with non-compliers
risking daily fines or plant shutdown.
Merck KGaA last week confirmed that it is considering selling off
its generics division, prompting mass speculation over potential
buyers within the industry.
US researchers have been awarded a patent for their new
manufacturing technology which enables the quick and cheap
production of nanoparticles used to formulate and deliver drugs -
good news for NanoMed who has an exclusive licence...
Drug maker Merck & Co has entered an expansion phase, to boost
global manufacturing capacity for vaccines, adding $100 million to
its facilities in Durham.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Janssen's
new drug Invega (paliperidone); the first new prescription drug for
the treatment of schizophrenia since 2003.
Despite the many challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry,
drug developers should be optimistic, according to a report from
the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD).
Melbourn Scientific has invested in a light obscuration particle
counter to size and count particles in liquid samples using light
microscopy, to expand the company's capacity in stability testing
and to increase throughput and...
Caprion and Ecopia have agreed to merge as equals to form an as yet
unnamed public entity with three programs in cancer and infectious
diseases in clinical development.
Scientists have discovered stem cells in the amniotic fluid that
surrounds the foetus in pregnant women, bypassing ethical concerns
over the source of the versatile cells.
Thanks to a small boy who couldn't feel pain, scientists have
discovered a gene mutation that opens the door to developing
powerful new drugs that could elimate all pain.
Pfizer has entered into a collaborative research and licensing
agreement with Elusys worth up to $200m (€152m) for new antibody
therapies, including an MRSA candidate
Forbes has highlighted the important role of nanotechnology in
driving forward the pharmaceutical industry with three of their top
five nanotech breakthroughs in 2006 having biological applications.
German packaging firm Gerresheimer has acquired Wilden, the
European market leader for medical drug-delivery plastic systems,
in a move that will show worldwide presence through targeted
acquisitions.
US researchers have combined cancer drug-carrying liposomes and
heat, which accelerates drug release and delivers 30 times more
drug to tumours, as visualised in vivo using magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI)
Solid oral dose product specialist Almac Pharma has announced it
has expanded its formulation facilities located at its UK
headquarters to provide a wider range of services to pharma and
biotech companies.
India's Dishman Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals is planning to snap
up biotech and nanotech contract research organisation (CRO)
companies in Europe and in the US within drug conjugates to expand
their biologics capability.