Manufacturing problems hindering production of MedImmune's
intranasal flu vaccine FluMist have finally been resolved at the
company's Liverpool, UK facility, with doses on track to be
available for this year's flu season.
Hope may be on the horizon in the quest for a preventative
hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine after scientists said they have
been able to identify and characterise the antibody responses to
the virus.
Shire and Noven Pharmaceuticals have announced the voluntary
withdrawal of a limited amount of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD) transdermal patches following reports of a
mechanical problem when applying the patch.
Britain's Eden Biodesign has been selected by Cancer Research UK as
the beneficiary of two new biomanufacturing contracts as its
biomanufacturing business continues to grow.
The end of the tunnel seems to be getting closer for South
African manufacturer Enaleni as the firm confirmed it will resume
production in its recently closed Durban facility in the next ten
days.
Boehringer Ingelheim is voluntarily recalling all worldwide
products containing clobutinol hydrochloride, which has been on the
market for 46 years, following a report questioning the drug's
safety.
Merck Serono's new and improved version of its blockbuster multiple
sclerosis (MS) drug Rebif (interferon beta-1a) has been approved in
the EU, providing a little added protection to the company's MS
franchise.
New research has shown that silica nanowires can be used to deliver toxic agents into both human and bovine epithelial cell lines, opening up new options for drug targeting and delivery.
In the latest phase of growth at chemical firm SAFC's flagship high
potency active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) facility in
Madison, Wisconsin, the site will be treated to another
multi-million dollar expansion and new...
Results from a Phase II study of a prolonged release formulation of
octreotide look encouraging for the treatment of acromegaly,
according to Ambrilia Biopharma.
24 hours after announcing EU approval of its hypertension drug
Rasilez (aliskiren), Novartis has unveiled plans for a major
expansion to production facilities in Switzerland.
Pfizer announced today it is breaking ground on a $50m expansion of
its biologics pilot plant in Chesterfield in a move that comes at
time when the drug giant is cutting back in other business
areas.
Swiss firm Novartis has gained US approval of its once-yearly
treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis, with EU approval
expected to follow hot on its heels.
An award-winning therapeutic protein technology, touted as superior
to antibodies, has attracted venture capitalist investment for its
owners, the Swiss biotech Molecular Partners.
The US launch of the hotly touted, next-generation mouthwash,
Decapinol, has stalled following the decision to reformulate the US
product as a "precautionary measure".
Scottish company ProStrakan has landed a South Korean partner for
its novel transdermal patch for chemotherapy-induced nausea, the
firm's first patch product with ambitions to steal a sizeable chunk
of a €2bn market.
PerkinElmer has launched an 'introductory configuration' of its
Opera system to lower the upfront cost of adding high content
screening (HCS) to drug discovery and systems biology programmes.
US pharma firm Vivus is the happy recipient of a $140m milestone
payment following last month's decision by US regulators to approve
a novel spray-on estrogen treatment for menopausal women.
Following Archemix' initial public offering (IPO) filing the
company has announced two high profile strategic alliances aimed at
leveraging its aptamer technology to a wider audience.
An improved inhalable insulin product developed by collaborating UK
and US firms has just completed a glucose clamp study in the US,
with results suggesting that the product could pose a significant
threat to Pfizer's Exubera...
Japan's Chugai Pharmaceuticals is voluntarily recalling almost 2000
bottles of Vesanoid capsules (tretinoin) after the drug was found
to contain unapproved bovine-derived material from Canada.
German pharma firm Stada has acquired Russian pharmaceuticals group
Makiz in a deal worth up to €135m, giving the company a sturdy
foothold in the growing Russian market and enhanced in-house
production capacity.
A statin-based drug candidate is being touted as a potential rival
to Roche's flu vaccine Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate) after its
developers revealed yesterday that it showed "superiority"
in the preclinic.
Irish researchers have developed a technique that could be used to
deliver controlled amounts of drugs to diseased tissues while
minimising side effects simply by shining light on the target.
Solid-dose specialist Colorcon has hooked up with materials science
firm DataLase to develop a new no-touch on-tablet marking technique
specifically for film-coated tablets, helping to defend branded
tabs from counterfeiting attempts...
GPC Biotech has withdrawn its hotly touted satraplatin New Drug
Application (NDA) for accelerated approval following last week's
less than glowing recommendation to hold off on its approval.
The concept of a "Super Combination Traveler's Vaccine" has come
one step closer to reality with the initiation of a Phase II study
on a single dose, oral typhoid fever vaccine.
A novel drug delivery technology capable of delivering large
molecules in oral tablet form is set to gain patent protection in a
number of countries through an international patent treaty.
Biovail has this week sought to reassure its investors after the
news that US regulators issued the company with a Non Approval
letter for its new bupropion salt anti-depressant.
Lab equipment specialist Sotax has announced the creation of a new contract research organisation (CRO) focused exclusively on dissolution testing services.
Applied Biosystems (ABI) has launched its TaqMan microRNA (miRNA)
assays in array format to help researchers search for miRNA
biomarkers more efficiently from smaller samples.
Australian drug delivery specialist Acrux has reported positive
results in Phase II trials of its innovative under-arm lotion
formulation for testosterone replacement therapy.
Canadians finally have access to the controlled-release formulation
of naproxen sodium, which has been on the US market for more than
10 years for the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid
arthritis.
Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) has launched a new kit for
cloning libraries of small RNAs from any primary RNA source to
enable the discovery of new small RNA molecules.
Research being carried out at the University of Utrecht in the
Netherlands to replace standard vaccination schedules with a
single-shot alternative could do away with the need for repeated
jabs.
Biopol Laboratory is acting to meet the demand of sneezes, itchy
eyes and running noses as it consolidates its five allergen
production facilities into one main building in Idaho.
A new needle-free delivery system is taking a stab at the
traditional needle and syringe after winning an award at the 2007
Medical Futures Innovation Awards.
