Scandinavian biopharmaceutical company deCode Genetics intends to
initiate a Phase I clinical trial of the first-in-class treatment
of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) which represents a
promising therapeutic approach...
A new European project on the emerging discipline of
nanobiotechnology aims to tackle the thorny issue of safety as well
as develop new materials for drug delivery and other medical uses,
reports Phil Taylor.
Researchers have uncovered a novel treatment that could prove to be
effective against tuberculosis (TB), a disease that has made a
comeback due to the emergence of resistant strains of the offending
bacterium and the spread of AIDS.
Scottish drug delivery and encapsulation specialist Encap has
invested approximately £1.2 million (€1.7m)in new premises in order
to boost its manufacturing capacity by 50 per cent.
US sweetener company zuChem will launch its initial mannitol
product in the first quarter of 2005 on the back of the FDA's
recent amendment to its legislation governing the sweetener,
reports Philippa Nuttall.
A widely used drug to treat breast cancer has been significantly
improved by the use of a new technology that binds it to albumin, a
common constituent of human blood.
Ireland's Elan has altered its licensing agreement with Roche to
give the Swiss firm expanded access to a technology designed to
improve the performance of drugs.
The first new leukaemia treatment approved specifically for
children in more than a decade was approved as Ash Stevens are to
manufacture Clofarabine, the active ingredient in Clolar, used to
treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).
TransPharma Medical has entered into collaboration with Teva
Pharmaceutical to develop transdermal drug delivery systems. The
deal aims to research and develop transdermal delivery of
therapeutic drugs such as high molecular weight...
The withdrawal of Merck & Co's COX-2 inhibitor Vioxx
(rofecoxib) because of cardiovascular safety issues - and concerns
about the safety of other drugs in the class - have left doctors
with some difficult prescribing decisions...
In keeping with the current trend among contract manufacturing
organisations to tap into niche markets, SAFC has started
construction of a new facility aimed at meeting the demand for
manufacturing of highly potent active pharmaceutical...
Using naturally occurring mutant mice with a defective collagen
gene, scientists at Harvard have identified a signalling molecule
involved in osteoarthritis, one of the most common causes of
disability among the elderly.
West Pharmaceutical Services is to sell a substantial part of its
drug delivery business to a newly formed company in return for $7.1
million (€5.3m) in cash and a 14 per cent stake in the new firm.
The first study to confirm the potential of a new class of drug for
neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's could herald a
breakthrough in drug treatment for a disease that affects up to 4
million adults in the United...
Irish biopharma firm Alltracel Pharmaceuticals has reinforced its
position in the dissolvable film market with a reverse takeover of
London firm Westone Products.
Norwegian drug delivery specialist OptiNose has raised €4.5 million
in a new financing that will support the development of its nasal
delivery system, designed to hike efficiency over current devices.
A new approach to prevent infection of West Nile and dengue fever
may be on the horizon after a US team identified interactions
involving the alfalfa mosaic virus (AMV). The virus is a close
relative of the flaviviruses that cause...
France's Flamel Technologies has enrolled the first patient in a
clinical trial of its Medusa drug delivery technology, used to
develop sustained-release formulations of therapeutic proteins.
Researchers at AstraZeneca in Sweden have been granted a US patent
on a new film coating for tablets that can be carried out in
water-based conditions, doing away with the need for use of organic
solvent-based systems.
Cerestar has responded to the rising demand for starch-based
excipients by extending its range of Sorbitol products, two
non-animal and non-synthetic based formulations that offers a
carrier platform for active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Flarer, a Swiss company specialising in methods of drug delivery,
has developed a new chewing gum production technology that extends
the range of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) that can be
delivered via this route.
The European Chemical Industry Council (CEFIC) has set up a new
umbrella group to represent the fine chemicals industry and provide
forum to tackle the volatile environment facing the sector.
Clariant's pharmaceutical fine chemicals business announced a
series of upgrades to its manufacturing facilities around the
world, headed by a new push into contract manufacture of controlled
substances.
A non-animal alternative to gelatin capsules made its European
entry as Capsugel used the CpHi show to launch the latest addition
to its range of two-piece capsules. The product claims to offer
customers better control with no slow...
The Ministry of Commerce in China has that it plans to review the
five-year programme of anti-dumping duties it set on catechol
imports from the European Union.
German chemicals group BASF has launched two new pharmaceutical
film-coating products, cementing its position in a market estimated
to be worth about €200 million and growing at 5 to 6 per cent a
year.
Bentley Pharmaceuticals has successfully delivered insulin to type
1 diabetics using its novel intranasal formulation, throwing its
hat into the ring of companies seeking to replace insulin
injections with more patient-friendly options.
Tea polyphenols are more bioavailable when delivered as
encapsulated green tea extract than when taken as a traditional
beverage, according to a small trial.
US drug delivery company Endo Pharmaceuticals has launched a novel
formulation of the opioid analgesic morphine sulphate that can
provide 48 hours of pain relief in a single dose.
The challenging environment for companies supplying chemicals into
the pharmaceutical sector, with a relentless increase in
competition, has prompted German company Merck KGaA to start a new
service aimed at reducing the workload...
A potential new drug target for malaria was revealed this week
after scientists discovered the structure and function of the
malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, for the first time. The
findings represent a breakthrough for future...
Scientists have found a molecular weakness in the organism that
causes pneumonia, providing a target for the development of a new
class of antibiotics that could eventually eradicate the disease.
Italy's Chiesi Farmaceutici has signed a deal with Ontario,
Canada-headquartered Trudell Medical International for the latter's
MDI actuation indicator, designed to make it easuer for asthmatics
to see when their inhaler...
In-Pharmatechnologist.com will be reporting this week from the
Conference on Pharmaceutical Ingredients (CPhI) and in Brussels,
Belgium, now in its 15th year and widely regarded as the premier
event for the ingredient industry in...
Novartis has paid a US drug delivery company $10 million for an
option to an oral formulation of an injectable drug used to treat
osteoporosis that is currently the subject of litigation with Eli
Lilly.
A naturally occurring protein, which promotes the ability to repair
heart muscle after a myocardial infarction, significantly reducing
cardiac damage, may have drug applications as a wound healing
treatment for the heart.
Structural GenomiX (SGX) and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, have
made a breakthrough in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) research by identifying
the three-dimensional crystal structure of a protein that has been
implicated in the onset of the...
Pharmaceutical giants Johnson and Johnson announced today it is to
discontinue its current clinical development program for its
controlled release formulation of topiramate in obesity after
studies revealed the formulation did not...
Dutch drug company, Organon, has initiated further studies to
develop a specific class of non-hormonal drugs to treat the hot
flushes associated with menopause. The new drug, currently in
development, is set to be amongst the first...
German chemical company H&R Wasag was hit once again by the
tough market environment in the third quarter of the year, but
offset some of the impact by buying up businesses insulated from
rises in raw material prices.
Inhaled drug delivery company Inyx has reported positive results
from a two-year stability study of a non-ozone-depleting,
hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propelled salbutamol metered dose inhaler
(MDI) for treating asthma and other respiratory...
Research that could eventually lead to gene therapy treatment
options for patients with Parkinson's disease has been published
this week, which could bring hope to more than 1 million Americans
each year who suffer from this...
Scientists have identified a new, longer species of the amyloid
b-peptide that has the potential to be a new target for the
treatment of Alzheimer's disease The discovery serves as a basis
for treating one of the characteristic...
Contract pharmaceutical manufacturer Patheon is to buy Puerto Rican
rival Mova Pharmaceuticals in a transaction that could be valued as
high as $350 million in cash, stock and assumed debt.
Charles River Laboratories of the US and France's genOway have
formed a collaboration to market genetically modified research
models to research customers in Europe.
Denmark's Chr Hansen is considering breaking up into two separate
entities, one focused on food and pharmaceutical ingredients and
the other a pharmaceutical pure-play making allergy vaccines and
asthma treatments, activities...
