MWG links up with Quanta Biotech to launch a new offensive on the
market for thermal cyclers, often described as a "must-have"
laboratory tool. The deal also marks MWG's first entry into
real-time thermal cyclers.
Instruments specialist Mettler Toledo reports flat sales in a
difficult operating environment for the sector, but says that
investments in R&D should pay off going forward.
BioProgress has signed a formal contract with Harro Hoefliger to
make the latter the exclusive builder, supplier and service
provider for its non-gelatine encapsulation machines.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday issued a new
document that encourages drug and biologic developers to conduct
pharmacogenomic tests during drug development and clarifies how the
agency will evaluate the resulting...
Bayer Chemicals became a separate legal entity from the rest of the
Bayer group just over one month ago, having operated as a virtual
company since the middle of 2002. The company gave its first press
conference at the CPhI meeting...
UK firm Astex Technology says that it has acquired German cancer
specialist metaGen, a spin-out from European drug major Schering
AG, in an all-share transaction.
Dharmacon has entered into a collaboration with fellow US firm
Akceli to explore new ways of conducting high-throughput gene
function analysis, target validation and drug discovery.
Flamel Technologies dips back into loss in the third quarter but
expects to be cash-flow positive for the year as a whole. License
and research revenues rise to $4.2m.
A collaboration between Peakdale Molecular and fellow UK firm De
Novo Pharma has made progress in identifying novel molecules
targeting G protein-coupled receptors.
Millipore yesterday launched a range of accessories designed to
improve the monitoring of the purity and quality of water generated
with its Elix and RiOs systems.
A new formulation technology developed by Rohm and Haas has the
potential to do away with the problem of prescription drug abuse
and make medicines safer in overdose. In-Pharmatechnologist.com
discussed this and other applications...
Israel's Teva plans to buy Sicor in a €2.9bn deal that will create
a powerhouse in generic pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical
ingredient manufacturing.
Merck's Life Sciences division launches a new double-PE sack for
cleanroom use at the CPhI meeting, as well as a new calcium salt
with, it claims, unrivalled bioavailability.
Researchers in the US have published the first raft of data from
the GENSAT project, designed to track the maze of connections
between cells in the CNS.
Scottish start-up PharmaImaging will begin providing gamma
scintigraphy imaging services to companies involved in Phase I drug
development in early 2004, with PET facilities coming on-line later
that year.
Swedish company Pyrosequencing today completed its acquisition of
US company Biotage. A cash payment of SK 235M ($35m) has today
landed Pyrosequencing with 100 per cent of the shares in Biotage.
West Pharmaceutical Services has launched an advanced barrier film
technology - West Fluro Tec - to help maintain seal integrity in
pharmaceutical closures.
Cardinal Health has entered into a $400 million deal to acquire
Intercare Group of the UK that would provide it with a
significantly-expanded presence in the European market.
German instrument, consumable and reagent company Eppendorf has
introduced a new range of low-density DNA microarrays for
differential gene expression analyses.
The healthcare division of UK-based speciality chemicals maker
Croda Chemicals Europe used the CPhI exhibition in Frankfurt this
week as a platform to launch two new excipients for drug delivery.
Danish biotech company T-cellic has just completed its second round
of financing, raising DK 40 million (€5.4m) in a deal that will set
the company up to take its T cell-based technologies, used for both
the localisation and treatment...
Envirotainer unveiled its latest thermostat-controlled freight
container for pharmaceuticals and other temperature-sensitive goods
at the CPhI conference. The product is still awaiting airworthiness
approval but should be available...
San-Diego based FeRx has received a slice of funding to support
research to evaluate the use of its MagneTarg drug delivery system
in the site-specific localisation of gemcitabine, a
chemotherapeutic agent already approved for the...
After a difficult period which has seen the departure of its chief
executive and first-half loss of €150 million, Rhodia took the
opportunity presented by the CphI meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, to
reassert its commitment to the pharmaceutical...
The recently-formed Advanced Biosciences unit of Rohm and Haas has
introduced the first product in a new line of functionalised resin
systems for the immobilisation of biocatalytic enzymes at the CphI
meeting in Frankfurt, Germany.
Canada-headquartered contract manufacturing company Patheon is now
offering the largest capacity in Europe for lyophilisation,
following the completion of a €60 million investment programme at
its facilities in Monza and Ferentino...
Nordic pharmaceutical company Pharmaco forges further into Northern
Europe unveiling new sales activities in Sweden to cut into the
growing generic pharmaceutical market there.
Danish chemical group Novo Nordisk will likely deliver a
'lacklustre' set of results for the first nine months of the year
but strong enough to put the company on track to deliver its
guidance of 'low single-digit EBIT...
Germany's Merck KGaA has almost completed the construction of a
€200 million plant that will provide a significant increase in the
company's organic synthesis business.
Misssouri-based medical genomics company GenoMed will link up with
Malaysian company PhenoMed, encouraged by the Malaysian government
currently keen to push biotechnology advances in the country.
Solutia has launched an offensive on the outsourced peptide
synthesis market with the formation of a new business group in
Switzerland focusing on the sector.
AstraZeneca is roundly rebuked by The Lancet in an editorial that
describes the firm's development of its new cholesterol-lowering
drug Crestor as a "triumph of marketing over science".
The market for protein and DNA purification kits is maturing, and
the pace of technological innovation has slowed, leaving dozens of
companies jostling for market share.
An EU project has launched the first ever European virtual
microencapsulation institute, aimed at turning technologies in this
field into viable business products.
Cardinal Health posted higher earnings in the first quarter of
fiscal 2004, on the back of increased demand in its prescription
drug wholesale business but also some impressive gains at its
pharmaceutical technologies activities....
An Australian company claims to have successfully achieved the
simultaneous disabling of multiple genes through its RNA
interference (RNAi) technology.
Tecan's third-quarter results reveal a mixed picture across the
group, with proteomics/genomics put in a good good performance but
drug discovery sales fell by a quarter.
Schott Nexterion, a supplier of DNA microarrays and the youngest
subsidiary of the Schott Group, has taken over the microarrays
business division of Quantifoil Micro Tools.
October has seen a rush by US biotechnology companies to list on
the stock markets, bringing to an end an Initial Public Offering
(IPO) drought lasting more than 18 months. Is Europe destined to
follow?
