German chemicals major Merck has joined the race to bring
affordable radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to the
market, investing €1 m to establish a research lab at the Technical
University of Darmstadt dedicated to...
Oxford Biomedica and Viragen have announced a breakthrough in
transgenic research in which scientists have successfully achieved
expression of significant quantities of a human protein in hens
that is a key component of the human...
Enanta Pharmaceuticals has announced the initiation of Phase 2
studies investigating a first in class antibiotic candidate that
treats community-acquired respiratory tract infections, which has
become the sixth most common cause of...
As worldwide fears of a bird flu pandemic escalates, US border control are fighting an influx of fake Tamiflu products being imported into the country. Such products have been surfacing across the country as the global Tamiflu shortage has led to a scramble...
Canadian biotech company Generex has begun a study of its flagship
oral insulin spray in patients with Type-1 diabetes. The product,
already available for type 2 diabetes in Ecuador, was the first
non-injectable form of insulin to...
Researchers are looking into the possibility of using a protein
that undesirably shields a skin poxvirus from the immune system as
the key ingredient in a new topical treatment for inflammatory
diseases.
EntreMed have entered into a new agreement with Elan, which allows
the clinical-stage pharmaceutical company to utilise Elan's
NanoCrystal Technology to develop the oncology product candidate,
Panzem NCD.
Nastech have found four new classes of lipids that can be used to
enhance transmucosal drug delivery and open up new opportunities
for non-injectable forms of drugs that would otherwise require
injections.
Buccal drug delivery pioneer, Generex, is expanding its diabetes
treatment pipeline to include a new metformin chewing gum that aims
to avoid the significant adverse gastrointestinal side-effects
often accompanying the use of metformin...
Forest Laboratories, having developed what it believes is the
world's first dry powder inhalation system for antibiotics, is now
conducting phase III trials on a new dry powder antibiotic
formulation which promises to change...
A group of researchers think they have cracked the gene code behind
a key family of fungi, which includes the leading cause of death in
leukaemia and bone marrow transplant patients. The genome discovery
could help combat disease...
US scientists think that enough anthrax vaccine can be produced
cheaply and effectively from tobacco plants, inoculating not only
the whole of the US but answer the worldwide need for a safe and
effective vaccine for this killer toxin.
Silicones are fuelling innovations in topical drug excipients, due
to their unique set of physicochemical properties that improve
active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) delivery and ease of product
application.
DOV Pharmaceutical has announced the initiation of a Phase Ib
clinical trial, which investigates the potential of its triple
reuptake inhibitor candidate for treating depression. The drug's
mechanism of action inhibits three...
Scientists have found a new way to sneak drugs past the blood-brain
barrier by using stem cell derived brain cells to deliver a
critical growth factor that has already shown clinical promise for
treating Parkinson's disease.
Johns Hopkins researchers have devised a self-assembling
cube-shaped perforated container, which may serve as a delivery
system for medications and cell therapy that can easily be tracked
via MRI.
The world's first transdermal patch for the treatment of
Alzheimer's disease (AD) will offer patients an improved treatment
delivery choice and could lead to more patients taking their
medication.
UK's MedPharm has received a Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
grant for Research and Development to produce its new spray
treatment for eczema, expected to be available in the US by 2009.
Innovata has entered into a second agreement in which the
development of a combination asthma therapy could generate in
excess of £25 million (€37 million) in milestones and development
funding.
Phoqus has announced it has commenced Phase I of a clinical study
researching its experimental treatment, which could become the
first Circadian endocrine treatment for adrenal insufficiency.
Domantis has announced an alliance with pharma giants Bristol-Myers
Squibb to develop human Domain Antibody (dAb) products, a novel
approach to address therapeutic targets involved in T-cell
co-stimulation.
Grunenthal has developed a novel method of delivering drugs to
children in the form of a drinking straw, which is set to provide a
solution to administering treatment to patients who cannot tolerate
unpleasant tasting drugs.
Carrington Laboratories has been granted a European patent for its
drug and vaccine delivery technology, representing the first
European Patent issued for the company's GelSite Polymer, designed
for peptide and protein-based...
A novel drug delivery system that allows hospital patients to
self-administer pain relief medication without an intravenous line
could be available in the US within six months, pending final Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) approval.
Bentley has accelerated the path to launching its novel intranasal
spray insulin, signing a license agreement with India's Biocon to
develop and market the product in 85 countries throughout Asia,
Africa, and the Middle East.
Hopax Fine Chemicals is building a new facility in Kaohsiung,
Taiwan, in a move to raise current production capacity by five
folds and become one of the top providers for biological buffers
and specialty chemicals for the pharmaceutical...
Researchers have developed a new catalyst process that offers
faster reaction rates, a substantially higher product yield and a
cleaner production process than is currently available in the
pharmaceutical and chemical industry.
Private equity firm, Direct Capital has acquired a shareholding of
51 per cent in New Zealand Pharmaceuticals (NZP). The investment by
Direct Capital aims to tap into the growing potential of
glycotherapeutics drugs.
BASF launched its new dry binder excipient at CPhI, aimed at
increasing the hardness of pharmaceutical tablets and reducing the
manufacturing costs associated with damaged and broken tablets.
Degussa have discovered a catalyst that improves the efficiency of
reductive carbonylation reactions and will provide greater access
to new active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs).
Researchers have shown how protein synthesis is targeted to certain
regions of a cell, a process crucial for the cellular motility,
which could form a basis for producing a drug that could force
tumour cells to express this protein,...
New legislation has given UK company Accentus the green light to
use its novel predictive crystallisation technology to discover and
market variations of patented drugs without infringing the original
patent.
Scientists have noted that stimulating brain cell receptors for
certain hormone-like chemicals in brain cells can protect them from
a compound linked to brain cell death and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Solvias debuted its new 80-member ligand kit at CPhI 2005, offering
manufacturers increased flexibility in active pharmaceutical
ingredient (API) development and manufacturing.
Degussa used CPhI in Madrid to preview its new flow distributor,
which reduces the time it takes manufacturers to remove unwanted
transition metals from active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), by
eliminating the filtration step.
Generex has escalated manufacturing capabilities to meet expected
demand for the first ever commercially available non-injectable
insulin product, to be launched in Ecuador at the end of the month.
The Pharmaceutical Fine Chemicals Business of Clariant took the
opportunity to review new developments at the CPhI Expo in Madrid,
Spain, making announcements on new investments in facilities in
Europe and the US as well as new business...
Vasogen announced preclinical data this week, demonstrating the
ability of its lead drug candidate to modulate key signalling
pathways associated with inflammation, demonstrating therapeutic
potential in a range of neurological disorders.
TorreyPines Therapeutics has initiated a phase I clinical trial for
its first-in-class compound, which claims to offer a non-opioid,
non-vascular approach to the management of severe pain.
Pain Therapeutics and King Pharmaceuticals have entered into an
alliance to develop and commercialise Remoxy in an alliance worth
at least $400 million (€342 million). The deal positions the
abuse-resistant opioid painkiller as a...
Last month, In-PharmaTechnologist.com reported on
Cargill-Cerestar's plans to unveil a new excipient at CPhI which is
developed on the back of a directly compressible excipient platform
allowing tablets to be produced using lower...
Croda unveiled its new range of Super Refined PEG and Super Refined
Oleic Acid drug delivery excipients, claimed to enhance active
pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and formulation stability.
A simpler and more cost-effective way of obtaining high yields of
antibody fragments, which are used for research, diagnostic and
therapeutic applications may be possible after a deal was agreed to
produce the fragments in research...
Sanofi Pasteur has entered into a license and supply agreement with
Eisai for the use of their novel adjuvant designed to boost the
immune response to a broad range of vaccines.
Ferro introduced its new high-purity, low-endotoxin sucrose,
maltose and trehalose sugars at the recent CPhI in Madrid, designed
to improve product quality and broaden the market for injectable
protein-based APIs.
A Phase I clinical trial, which is investigating the
pharmacological activities of a compound for the treatment of
Alzheimer's disease, has just been completed with results
indicating improved efficacy and pharmacokinetics over...
Scientists have admitted that an unexpected genetic phenomenon in
prostate cancer has changed conventional thinking over approaches
in drug treatment of breast, colon and lung malignancies.
Scientists have discovered how good cholesterol (HDLs) provide
human immunity to certain parasites, which may serve as a platform
for the assembly and delivery of two naturally occurring proteins
that combine to create a super-toxic...
Scientists from the US have discovered that compounds secreted by
frog skin could be used as a successful treatment in the fight
against HIV infection, which if developed further, could form an
effective pharmaceutical treatment.
After positive trial results in Europe, Chiron has initiated a US
Phase I/II study of a new flu vaccine offering faster production in
the event of an vaccine supply shortfall or an avian flu pandemic.
