Werum Software & Systems has updated its manufacturing
execution systems (MES) for the pharmaceutical and
biopharmaceutical industry, enhancing process reliability and cost
effectiveness.
Jacobs Engineering Group has been chosen to upgrade and expand
GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) manufacturing capability at its Irish
plant, as well as develop a new biological manufacturing facility
for US firm Northfield Laboratories.
Biotechnology firm Gilead has acquired Raylo Chemicals, a Canadian
production unit of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and
advanced intermediates, from Degussa for €115m, seeking to bring
more manufacturing capacity and expertise...
Fine chemicals company Hovione has passed an inspection by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at its active pharmaceutical
ingredient (API) manufacturing site in Loures, Portugal, as it
tries to conform with ever-stricter standards.
Bioxel, a company which manufactures and markets taxane active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) used in chemotherapeutic drugs,
has turned to two contract manufacturing companies to scale up
production.
Cangene has been awarded a five-year development and supply
contract by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
for 200,000 doses of heptavalent botulism antitoxin, in a deal
worth up to $596m (€462m).
A new confocal imaging module for applications such as 3D map
microfluidics analysis has been launched, which will aid all phases
of microfluidics development, from understanding physical phenomena
in the lab through developing novel...
As demand for protein-based drugs increases, Pall has introduced a
new type of mixed-mode chromatography sorbents that make protein
purification faster and cheaper.
A new e-learning course promises to cover everything one needs to
know about demanding current good manufacturing practice (cGMP)
topics such as standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Canadian contract manufacturer Patheon saw pre-tax profits remain
idle in the second quarter of 2006, leaving it struggling to find
ways to boost profitability.
MAP Pharmaceuticals has awarded the manufacturing of the
metered-dose components of its new inhaler devices to Xemplar, who
is one of the few contract manufacturers in the world that can take
on such a challenge and is now upping...
In a scathing letter to Wyeth, the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) has vehemently criticised the drugmaker's manufacturing
operations in Puerto Rico, accusing it of failing to report
failures even when it was aware of them.
RSSL Pharma Training has established three new courses to help UK
pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers prepare themselves
for a plant inspection by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA).
Those in the regulatory affairs profession can now breathe a sigh
of relief as the industry-recognised accreditation process just got
a whole lot easier.
Particle Measuring Systems have fitted its portable
airborne-particle counter with what it claims is the longest
lasting laser on the market, as well as new features that allow it
to calculate and create reports for EC GMP Annex #1,...
The University of Kentucky has unveiled the state's largest sterile
pharmaceutical manufacturing site which is unique among others
worldwide as it is the first to produce cytotoxic and non-cytotoxic
drugs in the same room at...
Millipore has made available Protein Blotting Sandwiches that offer
convenience and time savings for high throughput labs using
chemiluminescent or chromogenic detection methods.
UK-based Malvern Instruments has been busy streamlining its
particle characterisation contract testing services at its global
locations, with the latest reshuffle taking place in France.
MFIC Corporation, whose Microfluidics Division manufactures
industrial submicron processing equipment, has returned to
profitability in the first quarter of 2006 after big losses in
first quarter of last year, buoyed by increased...
The Tampa-based formulation development laboratory of MDS Pharma
Services has split from its parent company and formed a new firm
with the technology to get active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs)
directly into capsules.
India's Dishman Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals has snapped up the
Swiss-based pharmaceutical services business, Carbogen and Amcis,
of financially-troubled US chemical firm Solutia for the sum of
$74.5m (€58m).
Registration is now open for the annual "Pharmaceutical Outsourcing
of Discovery Chemistry, Advanced Intermediates and API's"
conference, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary.
Matritech has introduced the first urine test that indicates
whether a bladder malignancy is likely to be dangerous, providing
early identification of high-risk tumours and therefore increasing
the success of subsequent treatment.
Life sciences firm Cambrex has agreed a contract for the production
of clinical trial quantities of Merrimack Pharmaceuticals'
recombinant immunomodulatory serum protein, as its experience in
the downstream purification of proteins...
French separations specialist Novasep has launched two new
chromatography systems, promising new levels of efficency in
preparative high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
Lonza has been authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) to produce Bristol-Myers Squibb's arthritis drug Orencia
(abatacept), in what is shaping up to be a major manufacturing deal
for the Swiss company.
Private US biosciences company Codexis has acquired the assets of
private Dutch company Enzis. Included in the deal are the patents
to several new classes of enzymes that Codexis will use to develop
cheaper and faster drug manufacturing...
The boom in advanced drug delivery devices is creating demand for
specialist manufacturers that can rise to the challenge of making
these complicated devices, although such companies are currently
thin on the ground.
Vandalia Research has launched a new DNA amplification service that
it claims will speed up the mass production of high-quality DNA
sequences with the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), while at the
same time reducing the risk of contamination.
The laboratory identification of promising candidates for new
anti-cancer drugs is to be made significantly easier after
scientists developed a litmus test that determines the bonding
strength of DNA, small molecules and proteins...
A team of drug researchers are exploring the possibility of
extracting chemical compounds from marine organisms that live in
deep-sea reefs, which have the potential to treat human diseases
such as cancer and Alzheimer's.
Biopharmaceutical firm Oragenics has received funding from a US
government agency for a technology which promises cost-effective
production of commercially important bioactive peptides with
unusual structures.
Cardinal Health has taken the contract manufacturing crown after
being honoured with a prestigious award from Frost & Sullivan
in recognition of its ability to provide biopharma firms with a
high quality service, while still remaining...
Scientists seeking new ways to produce Roche's flu drug Tamiflu
(oseltamivir) have published two new syntheses based on cheaper
starting materials than the conventional method.
UK firm Avecia Biotechnology has been given a £1m (€1.5m) grant to
lead a three year project to establish a faster and cheaper
bioprocessing technology for advanced tissue engineering, primarily
to develop new skin to heal burns victims.
Registration is now open for this year's International Society for
Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) European Congress. The topic of
focus is science-based manufacturing for the next decade.
Analytical instrument maker Thermo has announced it will promote
compatibility between its RESULT software and CAMO's Unscrambler
software, bringing together the most powerful near infrared (NIR)
analysers in the industry.
Genentech has entered into a collaboration with biopharmaceutical
firm Immunogen to develop a commercial manufacturing process for
its anticancer drug trastuzumab (Herceptin) using its
tumour-activated prodrug (TAP) technology.
Lab equipment specialists Gilson, were present at Analytica 2006,
with a whole host of products designed for research and analytical
preparations. The company attend the show with a view to strengthen
its foothold in the burgeoning...
Under pressure to ensure cheap supplies of its flu drug in Africa
in preparation for a possible avian influenza, Roche has asked
contract manufacturer Aspen Pharmacare to produce finished doses of
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) in Africa.
The Tech Group has experienced a quarter of explosive growth as it
ramps up production for the launch of Exubera - Pfizer's
newly-approved and much-anticipated needle-free insulin.
Fresh from its recent acquisition, Applied Biosystems (AB) made an
appearance at the recent Analytica show in which the company
demonstrated the capabilities of its products for life science
research in the laboratory.
Abbott Laboratories has reached a settlement with the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after it was found not
complying with leak detection and repair (LDAR) requirements for
hazardous air pollutants at its manufacturing plant...
A new range of liquid pumps, which feature completely inert pumping
heads, are causing waves within the chemical manufacturing
industry, with the ability to mimic full scale production plant
conditions in a laboratory environment.
PerkinElmer were out in force at Analytica 2006, with a wealth of
analytical solutions designed with the laboratory in mind along
with the applications relevant to the environmental,
pharmaceutical, materials and academic research...
Targeting the market for enantiomerically pure drugs, SAFC, a
custom manufacturing group within Sigma-Aldrich, has acquired
Honeywell International's Iropharm unit in Arklow, Ireland.
Biochemical firm Berry & Associates has been awarded $749,000
(€589,079) by the US government to further develop its
oligonucleotide (oligo) purification technique which is
operationally similar to conventional reverse-phase (RP)...
Cardinal Health has implemented a series of business reshuffles and
cost cutting measures in the hope of pulling itself out of poor
profitability after disappointing third quarter results.
The US government has awarded five-year contracts totaling $1bn
(€780m) to five drug companies to develop and produce cell-based
vaccines to fight influenza, in preparation for a possible bird flu
pandemic.