A new UK-listed company that has developed a way of producing high
purity calcium carbonate is targeting the pharmaceutical industry
concerned by growing regulatory pressure on heavy metal
contamination.
Benetic has announced the signing of two major agreements, one that
grants Sigma-Aldrich license for the use of Benitec's RNAi
technology. Sigma's acquisition of an equity stake in Benitec also
signals its intentions regarding...
The interest in Syntonix' SynFusion and Transceptor technologies
intensified as Boehringer Ingelheim became the second
pharmaceutical company to use this technology to optimise its
therapeutic peptides for inhalation.
The chemicals industry could be revolutionalised by a new class of
environmentally friendly chemicals with the potential to replace
the use of hazardous, petroleum-based solvents in laboratories and
industrial plants.
New Life Scientific and CureLab have identified an anti fungal
compound that represents a significant breakthrough as part of a
joint collaboration, which has demonstrated immunostimulating and
antibacterial properties.
Procyon has announced preclinical results for its lead HIV protease
inhibitor that has demonstrated cross-resistance profile and
multi-drug resistant strains of HIV-1 compared to other HIV
protease inhibitors, which are fast becoming...
The first non-injectable insulin treatment in Europe may soon
become available after a panel of experts recommended it for
regulatory approval on Thursday.
European Authorities recommended the first needle-free system for
acute postoperative pain for approval this week, which allows
patient-controlled delivery of fentanyl in post-operative pain
control.
Clinical trials for what may be the first effective culture-based
vaccine against the highly-pathogenic avian influenza viruses will
begin in Norway in Spring 2006.
Dendritic Nanotechnologies (DNT) has signed a collaboration
agreement with Nanotechnology Characterisation Laboratory (NCL),
which is focused on the discovery and development of dendrimer
technologies.
A new antibiotic that not only acts as a traditional antibiotic but
also acts on bacterial infections that have developed resistance to
existing types of antibiotic could herald the emergence of a new
tool to fight infections.
Drugs, which stick to a key protein in the bloodstream, could help
to create drugs that are delivered more effectively to organs in
the body. The latest research, which points to a more effective
delivery of therapy, could improve...
Materials company, Micromuscle, has developed an electro-active
polymer technology that allows the controlled release of liquid
medications that reflect an emerging class of advanced materials
with new revolutionary properties.
Dynatek dalta Scientific Instruments are to introduce its
drug-eluting stent tester to audiences throughout the US and
Europe, signifying the first time a coating durability tester for
medical devices has been commercially available.
Cargill-Cerestar is to unveil a new excipient developed on the back
of a directly compressible excipient platform that allows tablets
to be produced using lower compression forces.
Freeman Technology introduces its new aeration control unit for its
FT4 Powder Rheometer, which allows airflow control through a powder
under test, enabling the automated measurement of the powder's flow
properties.
A new technique that adds to the effectiveness of gene therapy has
made a breakthrough after it was revealed that the method had cured
phenylketonuria (PKU) in mice.
Enzo Biochem, announced that pre-clinical experiments with its
small molecule candidate suggests it would have applications in
strengthening bones weakened by age or as a consequence of certain
medications.
With recent waste and packaging directives proposed by the EU,
Catchpoint have responded by trialling a backless label, which
renders the backing on labels obsolete, reducing approximately
100,000 tons of waste produced per year attributed...
FMC BioPolymer said today that effective 15 October, it will
increase prices for its pharmaceutical and food brand products by 5
to 10 per cent on average, blaming increases in its own costs.
A healthcare facility the US has been cleared by the Food and Drug
Administration to manufacture high-strength fludeoxyglucose F 18, a
drug used for diagnostic imaging with positron emission tomography
(PET).
Sun Pharma of India has provided additional details of its plans
for its new facility in Hungary, purchased in August and intended
as a springboard to launch the company's ambitions in Europe and
around the world, and its recently-acquired...
Avecia spin-out Reaxa has launched a new peptide coupling
technology based on 2-mercaptobenzothiazole (2-MBT), which it
claims offers major operational and cost benefits in both small and
large scale solid-phase peptide synthesis.
Australian drug delivery company pSivida has inked a deal valued at
$104 million (€87m) to buy Control Delivery Systems of the US,
allowing it tap into the biotechnology hub around Boston on the US
east coast.
German chemical company BASF has completed its acquisition of
Orgamol, a transaction designed to boost its service offering to
the pharmaceutical sector.
According to new study, the virus that causes AIDS is becoming more
sensitive to drug treatments, contradicting a wealth of research
that demonstrates the emergence of drug resistant viral strains.
US scientists have designed a new receptor and enhanced bioassay
that is set to advance the drug discovery process for diseases such
as cystic fibrosis and Bartter's syndrome, tracking a drug's
activity inside the cell.
UK drug delivery company Phoqus has said it plans to list on the
Alternative Investment Market (AIM) via an institutional placing
that should raise proceeds of £10-£12 million.
India's Matrix Laboratories has made two acquisitions that will
enhance its presence in the European and Asian markets for
pharmaceutical intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients
(APIs).
UK drug delivery company Skyepharma has been forced to raise funds
to carry out trials of its combination drug for asthma and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) after failing to find a
partner for the project.
Celtic Pharma has announced the acquisition of a stake in IDEA - a
biopharma company, which is developing targeted therapeutics based
on novel, Transfersome carriers that can increase drug potency and
diminish harmful side effects.
A patent covering a simple design for a safety syringe, which uses
a vacuum rather than a spring to retract the needle after use and
should be cheaper to manufacture than current products, has been
filed in the US by Maxxon Inc.
Croatian pharmaceutical company Pliva has signed a new three-year
agreement with Pfizer for the bulk supply of azithromycin, the
active ingredient in the antibacterial drug Zithromax.
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has filed a lawsuit
against France's Sanofi-Aventis, alleging that the latter has
infringed patent protection for an insulin injection system for
diabetes patients.
Researchers in the US have uncovered a contributing factor in
interferon resistance of malignant melanoma cells. The finding
represents a step forward in understanding of this type of cancer
and the changes in gene and cellular signalling...
Genentech has announced that studies of Avastin in
platinum-refractory ovarian cancer patients have been discontinued
due to patients developing a serious bowel problem.
A US researcher has provided one possible molecular explanation of
how IGF-1 receptor and the IRS-1 protein act as a key growth factor
that regulates cell and body size. The discovery has revealed
details as to how tumour cells proliferate...
PerkinElmer and Invitrogen enter into a strategic agreement to
streamline drug development in which the collaboration will combine
PerkinElmer's technology for ion channel drug discovery and
Invitrogen's voltage sensor probe...
Foamix, an Israeli company specialising in the development of
topical drug delivery systems, has entered into an agreement with
drugmaker Stiefel Laboratories for the development of a foam-based
treatment for scabies.
UK microencapsulation specialist Micap has seen the departure of
both chief executive Michael Brennand and non-executive chairman
Ian Gowrie Smith in a bid to cut the executive payroll.
US scientists have claimed to have developed the next generation of
effective viral-based therapies for cancer in which 'terminator'
viruses are deployed to destroy primary tumours.
French drug delivery company Novagali Pharma has completed
early-stage clinical testing of an oral formulation of paclitaxel,
a widely used cancer drug usually delivered by intravenous
infusion.
KemFine, the fine chemicals business created via a management
buyout from chemicals group Kemira last year, has acquired Avecia
Fine Chemicals' business based in Grangemouth, Scotland.
GlaxoSmithKline has halted clinical trials of its first-in-class
HIV drug after cases of hepatotoxicity was discovered in
treatment-naïve patients. The setback does not mean the end of
development for this drug candidate but suggests...
A new drug candidate, which targets the protein that protects
cancer cells from dying, has been shown to exhibit increased
anti-tumour activity when combined with an existing cancer
treatments. The data gives hope to those who have...
Applied Pharma Research, a Swiss R&D firm specialising in drug
delivery, has granted an exclusive license to US drugmaker ProEthic
Pharmaceuticals to develop and market two fast-acting formulations
of the painkiller diclofenac...
UK-based Stanelco says it has developed a starch-based alternative
to gelatine hardshell capsules that could also offer cost benefits
for dietary supplement makers.
BioSante Pharmaceuticals has licensed its calcium phosphate (CaP)
nanotechnology - used for drug delivery and as an adjuvant for
vaccines - to an unnamed European pharmaceutical company.
DelSite Biotechnologies has filed a Drug Master File (DMF) with the
US Food and Drug Administration for an excipient used for drug
delivery - called GelSite - used to formulate vaccines, proteins
and peptide drugs that are delivered...