One of the most chemically benign separation processes could for
the first time be made available to manufacturers in the
pharmaceutical industry, thanks to pioneering work carried out by
researchers in the US.
There is speculation that the problems at GlaxoSmithKline's
manufacturing facility in Puerto Rico may prove to be more costly
for the company than originally thought.
GE Healthcare has expanded its AKTA range of chromatography amd
filtration systems with the launch of AKTAcrossflow for membrane
selection and process development at the research scale.
Genetically modified (GM) plants are to be used to grow vaccines
for use in the worldwide fight against HIV, tuberculosis, diabetes
and rabies thanks to a grant of €12 million from the European
Union, reports Phil Taylor.
A team of gene researchers has sequenced the entire length of the
X-chromosome, providing a starting point to explore the biological
differences between men and woman and a plethora of genes
implicated in human diseases.
Scientists at US biotechnology company Genentech have developed a
rapid testing method for mycoplasma contamination in Chinese
hamster ovary cells, one of the most common mammalian cell lines
used in biological drug production.
GE Healthcare has launched two new products designed to meet
growing industry needs for the purification of monoclonal
antibodies, one of the fastest growing drug classes in the drug
industry.
Thermo Electron has revamped its Array Automation software for
Raman spectrometers, in a move which it says enables pharmaceutical
companies to reduce the polymorph and crystal analysis workload in
drug discovery laboratories.
GE Healthcare has launched a range of prepacked columns designed to
meet the growing need for pure proteins to use in functional and
structural genomics and proteomics research.
German firm Finzelberg is the first plant extracts producer to gain
GMP certification under new European rules for active agents in
pharmaceuticals, it said this week.
The UK's Environment Agency has reminded all industrial operators
who want to continue to burn waste after the end of this month that
they must apply for a new permit before 31 March.
The International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) has
published a new guide detailing standardized methods for the
containment of powdered materials in the pharmaceutical
manufacturing environment.
A scanning electron microscope with the world's highest resolution
has been launched, which claims previously unobtainable resolutions
of 0.4nm at 30kV and 1.6nm at 1kV. The product is aimed at
researchers in the pharmaceutical...
BioAlliance Pharma, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the
field of drug resistance may have discovered a novel way to
overcome growing HIV resistance. They have developed a new family
of integrase binding inhibitors, which...
A second market research report has found evidence that production
capacity in the market for contract manufacturing of
biopharmaceuticals is now in excess, in contrast to the hitherto
prevailing wisdom that the sector has been suffering...
The Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) in
Singapore has developed a method to cultivate cells
cost-efficiently in a 3-dimensional configuration that mimics the
cell environment in our body, paving the way improved...
Pharmaceutical companies will be able to reduce their polymorph and
crystal analysis workload in their drug discovery laboratories
after Thermo Electron upgraded its array automation software for
Raman spectrometers.
The world's largest drug company, Pfizer, is to make use of a gene
expression system developed at Dowpharma for the production of one
of its therapeutic proteins.
UK company SkyePharma has shrugged off the news that production of
a GlaxoSmithKline drug based on its drug delivery technology, the
antidepressant Paxil CR (paroxetine), had been halted by the US
Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Although US biotechnology company, Chiron, fully intends to be able
to provide its Fluvirin flu vaccine for the 2005/6 flu season, it
says it is difficult to predict the number of doses it will be able
to produce.
The UK regulatory authorities have cleared Chiron to resume
production of its influenza vaccine Fluvirin at its facility in
Liverpool, lifting a ban imposed in October because of
contamination problems at the plant.
Ultrasonic Scientific has released an ultrasonic analyser,
described as the 'first of its kind' as the only ultrasonic
analyser of sedimentation stability. The product brings the
benefits of ultrasound to the pharmaceutical,...
Denmark-headquartered Niro is finalizing a €10 million investment
programme centred on the expansion of its drying test site, located
at its main facility in Copenhagen, that will extend its reach into
the pharmaceutical sector, reports...
JEOL USA has unveiled a new technology for analysing the chemical
composition of solids, gases, and liquids in real time, with
applications across a broad range of industries including the
identification and tracing of pharmaceutical...
In the US, Wave Biotech and ILC Dover have launched a new version
of their disposable mixing device for use in the pharmaceutical,
biotechnology and other industries.
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Sciences have
discovered a way of making membrane proteins in bacterial cells,
opening the door to new and improved treatments for a host of human
diseases.
Thermo Electron has launched an X-ray analyser in response to the
needs of laboratories dealing with unpredictable samples. It
incorporates a non-destructive analysis with sensitivity at
single-digit ppm levels for most elements and...
Polychromix, a company specialising in optical systems, has
branched out into the spectroscopy sector with a new range of near
infrared (NIR) spectrometers that are targeted at users who need a
low-cost, portable system.
UK-based biotechnology firm Biotica Technology and the University
of Cambridge have secured funding for a collaborative research
initiative into new expression systems for the production of
polyketides.
Agilent Technologies has introduced the first high-performance
liquid chromatography (HPLC)-chip/mass spectrometry (MS) system for
protein identification. This breakthrough microfluidics-based LC/MS
technology is expected to significantly...
US company Codexis has acquired Germany's Juelich Fine Chemicals,
one of Europe's leading producers of specialty enzymes or
biocatalysts for the production of chiral pharmaceutical
intermediates.
Japanese company GSI Creos has unveiled the first prototype of a
new cell culture reactor that uses nanotechnology to support the
growth of more cells than conventional reactors. The bioreactor
could potentially boost the yield of...
Malvern Instruments of the UK has launched a new viscometer
accessory for its Zetasizer Nano particle characterisation system
that should improve the ability of the instrument to study
emulsions and dispersions.
A rooster has been genetically modified to make an antibody to
treat skin cancer in its blood, the first stage in a project that
aims to use birds as biological factories to make protein drugs.
UK processing and packaging machinery specialist Isopak has added
to its product range with a spiral jet mill - intended for
pharmaceutical laboratories and R&D departments - that can
micronise very small batches of powder.
Integra Biosciences has launched the CELLine disposable flask,
which harnesses membrane technology that is suitable for
recombinant protein expression and high yield monoclonal antibody
production.
Bioquell UK has developed the Clarus range of patent protected
biodecontamination technology, designed to generate hydrogen
peroxide vapour for the surface biodeactivation of micro-organisms
such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Boehringer Ingelheim Austria has been selected to win a Technology
Leadership award by Frost & Sullivan for its activities in the
contract manufacture of biotherapeutic proteins, and particularly
plasmid DNA.
Canada's Chromos Molecular Systems and AppTec Laboratory Services
have teamed up to provide the biopharmaceutical industry with a
broader range of cell line engineering and contract manufacturing
services.
Recently-formed cell culture specialist Celliance has introduced a
new supplement designed to boost the growth of cells used in
research and bioprocessing, that does not contain fetal bovine
serum.
Researchers have developed a new structural understanding of how
the two key subunits of kinases, one of the most important classes
of enzymes, work together. kinases have increasingly become prime
targets for drugs to treat an array...
Material science company Malvern Instruments has teamed up with
ImageTherm Engineering to develop a new version of an instrument
used to measure the size of droplets in concentrated spray and
aerosols.
Pall is gearing up to launch a new filter technology in Europe that
can remove prions - the infectious agents that cause mad cow
disease and its human form Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) - from
blood and blood products.