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?
Biotechnology company Biovitrum has established a new business
unit, Biovitrum Biopharmaceuticals, to strengthen its position as a
supplier of process development and contract manufacture of
recombinant proteins. The move follows...
Switzerland's Integra Biosciences extends its CELLine range of
disposable bioreactor vessels with a new version intended for use
with adherent cell lines.
PerkinElmer sees the benefit of a cost-cutting effort in its
third-quarter results as net income rises 45 per cent, but
biopharma puts in a lacklustre performance.
BioProgress has started legal proceedings against Stanelco Fibre
Optics claiming ownership of several patents related to processes
used in gelatine-free encapsulation. Stanelco recently unveiled its
own ambitions in this area after...
The first grants have been awarded in the ENCODE program,an
extension of the Human Genome Project which is hoping to develop an
encyclopedia of function for all the sequences in the human genetic
map. A $35m pilot project aimed at...
Guava technologies has developed a new assay system for counting
and viability testing of non-mammalian cells, including insect
cells used in vaccine research.
EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services (EPPS) of the USA says it has
received $1.8 million (€1.5m) in late-stage development contracts
for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
Japan's Takeda is to invest Y15.0 billion (€117m) in its plant at
Hikari City, in anticipation of the closure of its Shonan facility
in at the end of March 2006.
GSK has opened a new high-throughput chemistry facility at its
Harlow research centre in Essex, UK, that it hopes will allow it to
cut down its drug development time by around two years. This and
other automation projects at the company...
Emerson Process Management has won a contract from Celltrion to
automate the first large scale biopharmaceuticals manufacturing
facility in South Korea.
An escalation in drug discovery activities in the Asia Pacific
region is likely to cause significant growth there for technologies
used in high-throughput screening, according to a new report.
Galapagos Genomics has published details of its RNAi-based gene
silencing technology, based on adenovirus vectors, that is
effective in a range of cell types.
Klöckner Pentaplast says it is currently installing rigid vinyl
film production capacity at its subsidiary, Pentaplast do Brasil,
with production set to start in the New Year.
Meridica has licensed its newly-designed Xcelovair dry powder
inhaler (DPI) to Pfizer in what amounts to something of a coup for
the small UK start-up.
French researchers have used a molecular scale imaging tool to
track for the first time the movements of individual receptors
within the membranes of cells over several minutes.
UK-based BioProgress has elected to sell the rights to one of its
NROBE non-gelatine film technologies to FMC BioPolymer after
deciding that the program would benefit from being in the hands of
a bigger partner.
US life science chemicals company Cambrex has altered the terms of
its agreement to sell Rutherford Chemicals and will make a slightly
higher loss on the new transaction.
Advanced Labelling Systems (ALS) has launched the T-series tube
labeller, which is claimed to offer a cost effective alternative to
direct tube printing for pharmaceutical applications.
Sartorius North America and KMI/Parexel International have formed
an alliance that will improve the geographic reach of their
biopharmaceutical production and consultancy services.
Medarex of the USA, a specialist in producing fully-human
antibodies, has entered into two new agreements aimed at improving
the properties of its drug candidates.
Researchers have established the cause of the leukaemia which
developed in two young patients taking part in a pioneering gene
therapy trial to treat the fatal 'baby-in-a-bubble' syndrome.
Ambion has developed technique that allows easier monitoring of
short RNA sequences in a variety of sample types and is 100-500
more sensitive than Northern blot analysis.
Dutch pharmaceuticals, chemicals and coatings group Akzo Nobel has
reported a 23 per cent decline in third-quarter earnings, roughly
in line with expectations, on the back of continued pressure on its
pharmaceuticals division.
An alliance between two German companies - 4SC and SWITCH Biotech -
has been set up to focus on the discovery of small-molecule
compounds for the treatment of psoriasis.
Researchers have discovered the first gene that may play a direct
role in longevity by protecting against some of the most important
diseases of ageing, such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.
Millipore has reported a hike in third quarter sales and profits on
the back of a revival in the biotechnology industry's fortunes, but
said this may not last to the end of the year.
Packaging is one of the last remaining unclaimed frontiers for
manufacturing companies and improving this function could save
millions of dollars a year, says 3M
A new product in BASF's Lµtrol range of poloxamer excipients,
designed to improve the solubility of poorly-soluble actives, will
be introduced at the CPhI exhibition.
The UK High Court has issued injunctions against a number of
individuals found to be involved in the harassment of staff working
for UK-based Japanese pharmaceutical companies.
Speedel reports progress in the development of potent,
orally-active renin inhibitors, a class which have yet to be
commercialised despite two decades of research.
Two UK companies have launched new products to seal the tops of
plates used in laboratories and prevent evaporation and
contamination of their contents.
Escalating inflation rates and price pressures are hitting the
profit margins of positive displacement pump manufacturers and
inhibiting R&D, says new study.
Ireland's Elan Corp has signed up another heavyweight partner -
Janssen - for its NanoCrystals technology, designed to improve the
solubility of drug compounds.
