Millipore has introduced a new 24-well cell culture plate which has
twice the membrane surface area compared with other 24-well plates,
allowing researchers to utilize greater cell mass, which more
closely models cell behaviour.
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...
Adoption of RFID hardware and software throughout the pharma
industry is about to explode, spurred on by the push from industry
organizations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to
implement RFID tags to combat sales...
PDI, who provides sales and marketing services to the
pharmaceutical industry, have received a new sales representative
contract in the US from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), worth $65-70m
(€55-59m).
Oman Pharmaceutical Products (OPP) has entered its first
outsourcing partnership in Europe with Finnish company
Dragenopharm, providing the first step in its strategy to offer
contract manufacturing services globally.
A recent study highlights the importance of a new a target for
taste modulation that could be the key to helping drug
manufacturers mask bitter, unwanted tastes that turn many people
off their medicines.
The threat of antibiotic resistance reared its ugly head again
after US researchers found that the most common antibiotic
treatments do not work in a significant number of cases, leading
for calls to find viable alternatives to ageing,...
A new report warns that as nanotechnology becomes a reality, Europe
must not miss the boat, and raises the alarm that the potential
benefits of nanomedicine in Europe will be lost without major
investment in R&D.
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...
A vibrating disc could have uses in laboratory diagnosis by
identifying and monitoring common types of cancer, providing
specialists with information about the most appropriate therapeutic
strategy.
Crucell and DSM will further expand the development of its PER.C6
protein and monoclonal antibody licensing business by establishing
joint R&D centres on the US East Coast and in the Netherlands.
Fisher Biosciences's HyClone business has partnered with Alfa Laval
to provide disposable bioprocessing systems for Haemacure's new
manufacturing facility for biological adhesives - one of the first
major installations of...
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.
Thermo Electron has unveiled its latest Laboratory Information
Management System (LIMS), its latest evolution in
commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) laboratory information management
systems for pharmaceutical manufacturing R&D...
Medical Services International (MSI) has been contracted by a
Chinese corporation to produce a potentially life-saving diagnostic
test kit for avian flu that will give test results in 30 minutes
instead of the current three days.
UK-based Synexus Clinical Research has formed the first
patient-recruitment site management organisation (SMO) in India to
cash in on India's burgeoning clinical research market.
Premier Research has continued its spate of acquisitions this year,
with the latest addition of clinical research organization (CRO)
Imform, which will aid the company's expansion plans into Eastern
Europe.
Affymetrix has launched its latest microarray sequencer, which
enables researchers to identify genetic variations associated with
diseases, forensics, population studies or stem cells, proving
particularly useful in drug research...
Wyeth are to establish a Bio-therapeutic Drug Discovery Research
Facility in Dublin in a move that adds to Wyeth Grange Castle
Campus in Ireland's capital and reinforces the growth of Ireland's
biotechnology research and...
The breast cancer therapeutics market is expected to show sustained
growth and opportunity for new market participants as greater
efficacy and reduced toxicity of innovative breast cancer therapies
increase their uptake.
BioGenetics Capital announced that it has closed a $5.5 million
financing round with Contract Research Organisation (CRO) Services
Group, Clinquest Group, in a move that gives the company access to
the fast-growing life sciences markets...
In the same week that saw Novartis threaten its planned merger with
Berna Biotech, Dutch biotech company Crucell has signed three new
licensing agreements for its PER.C6 and STAR manufacturing
technologies.
India's clinical research industry is currently valued at $100
million (€83 million) and is almost doubling each year, reflecting
the shifting focus of the pharmaceutical outsourcing industry to
Asia.
Tripos has announced the latest details in its cost cutting
strategy, which is expected to result in job losses, principally in
the UK. The cuts come as Tripo's four-year $90 million file
enrichment project with Pfizer draws...
Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) has cut $400 million in annual expenses
over the last two years in order to boost its R&D pipeline and
achieve sales and earnings growth beginning in 2007.
Actavis Group has announced the company has acquired the human
generics business of Alpharma, making the international generic
pharmaceuticals company one of the five largest companies in
generic pharmaceuticals worldwide in terms...
Cardinal Health, the world's largest supplier of services to the
healthcare industry, is building its first tablet coating facility
to offer its pharmaceutical clients a range of innovative delivery
systems that target the oral...
Cresset Biomolecular Discovery has launched a technology that
identifies the 3-dimensional bound conformation of hits and
potential drugs in a biological target, assisting scientists
involved in ion channel research.
Scientists have described the cellular structure of a protein that
plays a critical role in drug resistance, which may open up new
avenues for laboratory research that may result in the enhancement
of existing therapies for Cancer...
Fine chemical and pharmaceutical intermediate manufacturers may be
affected by supply disruptions due to ongoing UK shortages of
natural gas. Price spikes in gas are becoming both higher and more
frequent in the UK.
Artel, has announced that the International Organisation for
Standardisation (ISO) has approved the use of the photometric
method for liquid delivery performance verification, which
emphasises the role photometry has to play for drug...
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...
The latest research included in the proceedings of the Interscience
Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC) means
that antibiotic treatments and management therapies feature
strongly in DrugResearcher’s round-up...
India's Ranbaxy Laboratories has been granted a US patent on its
controlled-release drug delivery system, which takes the form of a
'floating' tablet that once swallowed, is retained in the upper
gastrointestinal...
Cambridge Biostability Limited (CBL) has commissioned the world's
first commercial sterile spray dryer for childhood vaccines, in
which the £1 million (€1.5 million) facility will produce clinical
trial material providing a precursor...
The European Commission has profiled the top 100 biotech technology
offers in a new brochure, which showcases the offers in such a way
that encourages European researchers to pursue the exploitation of
their own research results.
Budding biotech company Artelis is the first to benefit from
Solvay's new strategy to undertake 50 per cent of its new projects
in partnership with outside start-up companies.
Merck & Co said it would cut an additional $1 billion (€832
million) through 2010 as it struggles to regain R&D momentum
after mounting lawsuits, generic competition and falling revenue
and profit threaten to engulf the company,...
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.
The first single laboratory platform for 3D imaging and metrology
of microfluidic devices has been made available, which allows for
the characterisation of subsurface structure in transparent media
with submicron accuracy.
Patheon has resumed normal production of Omnicef antibiotic powder
after it voluntarily suspended production in September at it
facility in Carolina, Puerto Rico, due to a US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) manufacturing warning.
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.
Degussa is streamlining its organization and decreasing the number
of business units from 20 to 17, in order to compete in the global
markets and be in a better position to exploit growth
opportunities.
Superfos Pharma, one of Europe's leading suppliers of plastic
packaging for the pharma market, has been acquired by Gerresheimer
in a move that should double the group's turnover in plastics to
€50 million.
Omnicare will soon be offering staff that are "eClinical trained"
as a strategic tool to woo clinical trial contracts and compete
with services offered by rival contract research organizations
(CROs) such as Quintiles.
MiraiBio has released software for the statistical analysis of
multiplexed data generated on its liquid array detection system, a
platform that is designed for immunoassay, enzyme function, and
receptor-ligand interaction applications,...
Latest data by La Jolla Pharmaceuticals indicate the potential of
novel, orally active small molecule inhibitors of a central enzyme
may provide clinical benefit for the treatment of stroke,
ulcerative colitis, and other autoimmune...
New insights into the dysregulation of beta cells and their impact
on type 2 diabetes progression is now possible after Roche
announced a partnership, which aims to identify novel pathways and
new biomarkers for drug development.
According to a new report, it will become a necessity to outsource
key activities related to securing and managing of data in the life
sciences industry. This, coupled with the regulatory compliance, is
driving the IT spending amongst...
