Two days after it filed for approval of Hecerptin for the treatment
of early-stage HER2-positive breast cancer in the US through its
majority-own biotechnology firm Genentech, Swiss drugmaker Roche
has followed suit in the EU, looking...
Baxa Corporation has launched the first cap specifically designed
to fit sterile water bottles, which provide drip-free filling of
Exacta-Med Oral Dispensers simplifying weight specific dosing and
oral liquid medications.
Researchers are to develop new computational diagnostic methods for
key viral pathogens, which are set to make the storage, retrieval,
and exchange of molecular and diagnostic data on viral pathogens
more efficient and effective.
Chemical company BASF has developed a process for the production of
new chiral intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry on a
commercial scale, further raising the product efficiency of drugs
and reducing undesirable effects.
Warwick Effect Polymers (WEP) have chosen R&D outsourcing
specialist Avantium to jointly develop their polyethylene glycol
PolyPEG technology for biopharmaceutical compounds, enhancing their
bioavailability and pharmacokinetics.
German chemicals company, Degussa, said that its management board
supported a full takeover by mining company RAG and urged
shareholders to accept an offer price of €42 per share.
The insulin delivery devices thriving in today's market will slowly
be replaced as new and better technologies continue to rise from
the R&D pipeline. For current market leader, Novo Nordisk, this
threat is particularly dangerous.
Capgemini announces a £30 million outsourcing contract to support
and transform the IT infrastructure at pharmaceutical giants Eli
Lilly, reinforcing an emerging trend that has seen companies
outsource IT resources as a means of slashing...
Pharsight, a provider of software and strategic services for
clinical drug development, has seen its revenues dip for the second
quarter in a row due to lower-than-expected business from a top
client in its strategic consulting services...
Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Averion, and the SIPLAS
Research Organisation has signed an agreement to provide promotion
and support of clinical trials in a move that that reinforces Latin
America as an emerging hub of clinical...
Honeywell launches a new formulation of BMI activator, which is
used to synthesise DNA and RNA oligonucleotides for therapeutic and
medical diagnostic applications. The formulation aims to result in
higher yields and lower overall...
Ventiv, which conducts clinical, sales, marketing and
communications services for the pharma industry, has added a new
arm to its business after agreeing to buy Adheris, a leading
provider of patient adherence programs.
Scientists exploring inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis have made
an unexpected discovery that may lead to new drug treatments to
ease the pain and discomfort endured by 66 million (nearly 1 in 3
adults) US citizens in 2005.
A collaboration between Anachem and chemists within the
pharmaceutical industry has resulted in the launch of the new
ReactArray Solo, which is designed to provide faster, more
efficient polymorph screening to aid drug patent protection...
Singapore's commitment to pharmaceutical research and development
goes from strength to strength after its government granted S$7.5bn
(€3.9bn) to sustain the innovation-driven growth the country has
experienced as Asia's...
According to a new report, the market for needle-free injection
devices and safety syringes will exceed $2.49bn (€2.1bn) by 2009,
buoyed on by the increase of incidences in needlestick injuries and
high consumer demand for syringe...
A new easy-to-use laser microdissection system from Olympus is set
to shake up the isolation technology market by reducing sample
handling and contamination when isolating cells for downstream
analysis and making the process routine.
Biotechnology firm Nastech has chosen Procter & Gamble to
develop and commercialise its osteoporosis nasal spray worldwide,
in a lucrative deal that could reach $577m (€480m) over the life of
the project and give both companies...
New data that shows the effectiveness of TTP LabTech's Acumen
Explorer for high content screening at high throughput reveals the
advances high content screening has made in applications such as
protein kinase activation, cell...
US pharmaceuticals and skin care specialist SkinMedica has
developed a timed release delivery system for the active
ingredients of an acne treatment that is said to up efficacy and
lower the chances of skin irritation.
British biotechnology firm Angel has won a manufacturing contract
from stem cell therapeutics expert ReNeuron Group to produce a
master cell bank for Huntington's disease, as the company's demand
for stem cells increases.
As China improves its resources and regulatory processes it will
soon become a hotbed of clinical drug research activity, and
position itself as one of the world's most important countries in
this field, according to a new report...
Sigma-Aldrich has strengthened its position in the RNAi and
cell-based assay market by signing a series of agreements in which
the life science company has acquired a minority equity stake in
Genospectra and is granted access to various...
Oral drug development company, Phoqus, has announced that it has
completed Phase I of its clinical study on Chronocort, the first
circadian endocrine treatment for adrenal insufficiency that
current steroid therapies for this condition...
Waters Corporation has introduced new capabilities for proteomic
research by enhancing its bioanalysis software, which will allow
researchers to identify and quantify proteins and biomarkers more
efficiently.
Biotechnology company, Amgen, and Biovitrum have expanded its
existing license agreement for its treatment of metabolic
disorders, focusing on type 2 diabetes, which currently afflicts
over 160 million people worldwide.
Arpida has announced it has successfully completed a Phase I
clinical trial with oral iclaprim in a capsule formulation. This
broad-spectrum antibiotic targets infections requiring hospital
treatment, including those caused by methicillin-resistant...
Dragon Pharmaceutical has bowed out of a development and
manufacturing contract with Austria's Polymun Scientific, selling
it instead to Swiss company AS Biotech for $1m.
Johnson Matthey, a British catalyst, precious metals and chemicals
firm with a division that provides contract manufacturing services
of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to pharmaceutical
companies, has bought chemical technology...
Dermisonics have come up with the first working model of an
antiseptic delivery system, which the company hope to provide the
US army with a battlefield version, reducing the severity of
infection providing a much needed tool for...
Responding to growing demand, Biotechnology giant Amgen has
announced an expansion of its manufacturing facilities in Puerto
Rico, investing $1 billion (€835 million) in the project over the
next four years.
Recently approved, Exubera is the first in a line up of needle-free
insulins promising to win the hearts of diabetics. Amidst all the
hype, some market analysts predict it will be a blockbuster, while
others believe it has been overvalued....
UK scientists think that diabetes patients could be able to receive
insulin via a nasal spray using yeast, which would open up the way
for a spray to be developed to replace injections.
Specialty pharmaceutical firm Shire has filed for approval to
European Regulatory Agencies of SPD476, an ulcerative colitis drug
which uses Cosmo's cutting-edge MMX multi matrix system, promising
to give the company the upper...
SAFC, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group, has launched a supply
solutions business, which aims to combine its Specialties business
with the manufacturing site that was acquired from Degussa last
year. The move is the latest step...
Nanotechnology company Nanotrope has been awarded a $600,000
(€500,000) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 grant
from NASA for its research in nanoscale droplet technology, which,
apart from the agency's deep space...
According to a new report RFID production is to increase 25-fold in
four years, buoyed on by the scramble by pharmaceutical
manufacturers to comply with the new RFID Certification program,
which aims to synchronise the industry's...
Outsourcing specialist Celsis Laboratory Group will provide
contract testing services for drug firms Mutual and Procter &
Gamble, advancing the company's status in this market.
A new laboratory test, which enables the rapid diagnosis of urinary
tract infections with novel biosensor technology, has proved so
successful that it may replace antiquated testing methods, saving
health care costs and valuable diagnosis...
NovaScreen BioSciences introduces a new side effect panel, which
aims to improve procedures in identifying potential risk factors of
drug candidates, by incorporating a broader range of receptor
subtype assays, which target a broader...
Scientists have re-engineered a well-known antibiotic to counter
drug resistance forming a new molecule in the process that could
assist in treating hospital infections, which were previously
resistant to common antibiotics putting...
Outsourcing-Pharma: Focus on Phase IIIB-IV research
A new book is available to help those involved in designing and
conducting Phase IIIB and IV research gain maximum return on
investment and deal effectively with post-marketing safety issues.
Asia is emerging as a hot spot for low-cost medical device
manufacturing as European drug companies pursue outsourcing options
or relocate production to cut costs. This increasing Asian
competition is alarming for European medical...
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) publishes its fourth quarter earnings, which
indicate a significant profit rise well ahead of industry
predictions, with momentum building in its product pipeline of new
drugs giving the company the go-ahead...
Supelco, a division of Sigma-Aldrich, introduces its HPLC Column,
which offers improved retention power and resolution for
difficult-to-separate analytes. The column becomes the latest in
the Ascentis' family range, adding to...
The industry trend in outsourcing opportunities shows no sign of
weakening as contract researchers, easyRegDocs, introduced a new
service that aims to simplify the process of completing clinical
trial documentation, saving time and...
A hiatus in leadership, changes in accounting rules and a
restructure in manufacturing have taken their toll on separations
specialist Whatman, whose sales growth for last year appears
stagnant, just 1 per cent up when adjusting for...
Packaging specialist Autopak has launched a new tablet/capsule dust
removal equipment which promises to meet the strictest of FDA
cleaning requirements at a competitive price.
The Food and Drug Administration has announced the approval of a
new laboratory test that provides preliminary results within four
hours on suspected H5 influenza samples that previous technology
required at least two to three days...
