Bayer Biological Products has unveiled a number of new product
developments as part of its major campaign to combat product
tampering and counterfeiting.
An antibody drug candidate to treat autoimmune diseases has been
exclusively in-licensed by KaloBios Pharmaceuticals who hope to
develop this compound into a practicable treatment for rheumatoid
arthritis (RA), which currently...
US researchers have found a delivery method for gene therapy that
reaches all the voluntary muscles of a mouse - including heart,
diaphragm and limbs - and reverses the process of muscle-wasting
found in muscular dystrophy.
A US-based aerosol drug specialist has signed an agreement with
Switzerland's Phares Drug Delivery for use of a technology that can
improve the delivery of inhalation-therapy drugs and overcome
delivery incompatibility in combination...
Avecia has launched a new precious metal scavenging resin, designed
to minimise metal loss and pollution in processing as well as
residual metal contamination of a product or intermediates.
Pharmaceutical instrument supplier Argonaut believes its Isolute
ppt+ protein precipitation plates can overcome two major obstacles
holding back the purity of protein precipitation prior to LC-MS
analysis of drugs and metabolites...
The chief executive of leading pharmaceutical company, Astra
Zeneca, has issued a bleak warning to European governments: improve
the business environment, or we'll take our investment elsewhere.
The battle to gain control of the lucrative cholesterol-lowering
drug market intensified after Merck and Schering-Plough joined
forces to win Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for their
new entrant, Vytorin.
Pharmaceutical instrument supplier Argonaut has introduced the
Isolute PPT+ protein precipitation plates, created with the
intention of accelerating drug research and development.
US biotechnology company Invitrogen reported record second-quarter
revenue but warned that top-line growth for the rest of 2004 would
be less than expected, citing an increasingly competitive business
environment.
A novel approach to traditional drug design has led to a new drug
which prevents eye scarring after glaucoma surgery. The discovery
brings hope to half a million people in the UK who suffer from what
is the most common cause of irreversible...
Ciphergen Biosystems has introduced its next generation ProteinChip
System, Series 4000, primarily designed to enable rapid biomarker
discovery and development of predictive, high throughput
SELDI-based assays.
Pharmaceutical investment in antibiotic research and development
(R&D) must be reinvigorated so doctors have access to medicines
needed to combat the ever-growing threat of antibiotic resistant
infections.
Researchers in the UK are developing an oral tuberculosis vaccine
for badgers based on alginate gel beads, which protect the bacteria
from stomach acid until it reaches the intestine. They say the
technology could also work for human...
Pressure on pharma ingredient supplier Lonza has continued into the
first half of the year, with consistently low use of custom
manufacturing capacity and weak demand for biomanufacturing
contributing to a 37 per cent drop in operating...
Belgian pharmaceutical and chemicals company UCB, fresh from its
€2.25 billion acquisition of UK biotech Celltech, has divested its
films business in a move that takes it another step closer to
becoming a biopharmaceutical pure-play.
Drug discovery company Ablynx is to enter into a partnership with
Proctor and Gamble Pharmaceuticals. The agreement will make use of
Ablynx's Nanobody platform to develop drug candidates against a
G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR)...
Chiral Quest has forged an alliance with DSM to accelerate the
take-up of its catalysis products, used in the synthesis of
chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Tecan has launched the Freedom EVO 96R and EVO 384R, two new
integrated multi-channel pipetting platforms for liquid handling
applications. These systems will be presented at the "Drug
Discovery Technology" exhibition in...
In the first study of its kind, researchers have identified the
genes in non-cancerous supporting cells that can encourage the
growth of breast cancer cells. The findings suggest aiming
chemotherapy at both normal and cancer cells...
Last week's International Conference on AIDS in Thailand was marked
by a report that pointed to a dearth of innovation in HIV vaccine
research, both from the manufacturing perspective and in terms of
the mechanism of action of...
Sartorius, a German manufacturer of laboratory equipment, is
considering a possible initial public offering for its
biotechnology unit Vivascience in the second half of this year,
according to local press reports.
Swiss fine chemicals company Siegfried has been insulated from the
general downturn in the chemicals industry, but has finally
succumbed and been forced to lose staff and cut back production,
writes Phil Taylor.
3M has teamed up with MicroDose Technologies to market a new
metered dose inhaler that should be cheap to produce and deliver a
broad range of compounds.
Drug development company Jerini has transferred its peptide
technologies business unit to a wholly owned subsidiary which will
continue to provide and develop peptide-based services and products
for biomedical research.
Major pharmaceutical and generics players are continuing to invest
in plants for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients,
with Pfizer, Ivax, Berlex and Protein Design Labs all announcing
new ventures in the last few days.
Packaging machinery company Thiele Technologies has launched an
automatic packer system that is specifically designed for use by
the pharmaceutical and food industries.
Dutch pharmaceuticals and chemicals group Akzo Nobel has reported a
small decline in sales in the first half of the year, although the
cost of ongoing restructuring caused net earnings to slump by
nearly a quarter to €245 million.
The drive towards achieving better energy efficiency in UK
manufacturing was given fresh impetus this week following the
latest government spending review, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Researchers have developed the first tool to identify and study
individual neurons activated in a living animal, ultimately leading
to the development of targeted drugs that directly affect neurons
involved in neurological diseases...
Global efforts to develop a vaccine to treat HIV infection could be
derailed because investigators have not considered manufacturing
processes in the design of their candidates.
Aspen Pharmacare, Africa's largest pharmaceutical manufacturer, has
been told that it can retain a recently purchased manufacturing
facility for off-patent active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs),
providing it continues to supply...
ADT Security Services has developed a radiofrequency identification
(RFID) system aimed at providing manufacturers with an upgradeable
solution for meeting the implementation goals set by Wal-Mart and
other leading retailers.
A step forward has been taken in understanding the genetic disorder
Huntingdon's after the discovery of a protein whose mutation causes
it to stop functioning properly and trigger the disease.
The market for the tools and services in combinatorial chemistry
and high-throughput screening approached $3 billion in 2003
(€2.43bn), but a new set of challenges is shifting customers'
focus, according to a new study.
Clinomics Biosciences has signed a collaboration agreement with the
Moffitt Cancer Centre with a primary objective to jointly develop
new technologies for use in cancer research.
US company QuantomiX has introduced its QX capsule technology to
the European research market allowing researchers for the first
time to directly image cells in their native wet environment with a
standard scanning electron microscope...
Global efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent HIV infection and
AIDS have intensified over the past few years, yet they continue to
fall short of what is likely to be needed to achieve success,
reports Phil Taylor.
Viruses are increasingly being used as delivery vectors in the
pharmaceutical industry, for example to deliver genes to cells or
DNA sequences that function as vaccines. But formulating them so
that the virus' activity is retained...
Sun Microsystems has delayed the opening of a centre in Scotland
that will allow European companies interested in exploring the use
of radiofrequency identification technology a base for pilot
projects.
A natural mutation of a gene that helps regulate the reactivity of
the immune system is a major contributor to type 1 diabetes,
researchers have found, writes Wai Lang Chu..
Swiss chemicals group Clariant, currently in the throes of a major
restructuring exercise, has sold off its UK-based Lancaster
Synthesis unit to Johnson Matthey.
Strahman Valves of the US has expanded its product line and
increased its presence in Europe with the acquisition of MG Process
Valves. Both companies market a range of valves for the
pharmaceutical and other process industries.
SkyePharma has completed Phase III testing of a new version of
AstraZeneca's asthma drug Pulmicort (budesonide) that does not use
ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants.
A new Sino-American joint venture for manufacturing
pharmaceuticals, HBBenda, has started operations in Guangshui,
China, after being granted Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
approval.
A case currently going through the European Court of Justice could
have worrying implications for companies that use reformulation and
drug delivery as a way to extend the patented lifespan of their
drugs.
