Worldwide demand for packaging equipment for the pharmaceutical and
personal care products sector is forecast to post the strongest
gains of any market through 2008, reaching $4.4 billion in that
year.
US company Codexis has acquired Germany's Juelich Fine Chemicals,
one of Europe's leading producers of specialty enzymes or
biocatalysts for the production of chiral pharmaceutical
intermediates.
Japanese company GSI Creos has unveiled the first prototype of a
new cell culture reactor that uses nanotechnology to support the
growth of more cells than conventional reactors. The bioreactor
could potentially boost the yield of...
BioPartners, currently leading the line amongst companies trying to
bring copies of off-patent biologic drugs to the European market,
has licensed a needle-free delivery technology for its human growth
hormone (hGH) product.
According to a recent report, projected sales for the worldwide DNA
sequencing and proteomics markets are expected to rise at an
average annual growth rate of 17.6 per cent from $7.8 billion (€5.9
billion) in 2004 to $17.5 billion...
UK speciality oils supplier Croda International said sales to
cosmetics and supplement customers rose 8 per cent last year,
helped by expanded capacity in fish oil concentrates and new
product launches.
Unisys has signed an agreement with Boston, US-based GenuOne to
provide product tracking and authentication software to the
healthcare and life sciences industries.
According to a latest study, only half of all patients receive
appropriately administered antimicrobial infection medication
within one hour of major surgery. The figure emphasises just how
much patients are at risk from surgical...
Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceutical giant has acquired two companies
as it aims to expand its generics drug portfolio and increase its
presence in the generics sector. The strategic move is expected to
make Novartis the world's...
Researchers in the US have shed light on how tumours acquire
resistance to kinase inhibitors. The discovery may help explain the
acquired resistance observed in chemotherapy, which currently
blights existing cancer treatments.
Serologicals has continued its acquisitive streak, buying the cell
culture business Specialty Media from Sentigen Holding Corp, for
$6.5m (€4.9m) in cash. The unit will be integrated into
Serologicals' Chemicon subsidiary.
A pilot project aimed at combating pharmaceutical fraud using a
combination of radiofrequency identification (RFID) tagging and bar
coding, set up by UK firm Aegate last November, has come to a close
and the results should be made...
Malvern Instruments of the UK has launched a new viscometer
accessory for its Zetasizer Nano particle characterisation system
that should improve the ability of the instrument to study
emulsions and dispersions.
A rooster has been genetically modified to make an antibody to
treat skin cancer in its blood, the first stage in a project that
aims to use birds as biological factories to make protein drugs.
Rumours abound that Sankyo, Japan's second largest pharmaceutical
company, is in late-stage discussions with sixth-ranked Daiichi
Pharmaceuticals over a merger.
UK processing and packaging machinery specialist Isopak has added
to its product range with a spiral jet mill - intended for
pharmaceutical laboratories and R&D departments - that can
micronise very small batches of powder.
Croatia's Pliva, the largest pharmaceutical company in Eastern
Europe, has teamed up with Australia's Mayne Pharma to hasten the
development of two 'generic' biologic drugs.
Cerestar Food & Pharma Specialties Europe has launched an
excipient that it claims allows tablets to be produced using lower
compression force, which should result in reduced wear and tear on
tabletting machinery and operational...
Spectrum Pharmaceuticals has licensed a new technology that could
enhance the delivery of drugs to tumours, improving the treatment
of solid cancers while also reducing side effects.
A crystallised form of a new molecular machine may lead to new
drugs to combat human diseases by using a technique that removes
any malfunctioning genes. The thinking is that normal genes can
take over without actually changing the...
Cyclacel researchers and collaborators have solved the 3-D atomic
structure of human Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), a
protein involved in cancer. The discovery should prove crucial in
designing and developing drugs that...
Millenium Pharmaceuticals has announced final results from a
clinical trial of MLN2704, a novel antibody intended for the
chemotherapeutic treatment of advanced hormone-refractory prostate
cancer.
The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries in the 'new' EU
countries are rapidly expanding, presenting considerable potential,
although parallel imports remain a challenge.
The consolidation of the generic drugs industry continues, with
Novartis' unit Sandoz merging with two companies that will bring it
back into the number one position in the sector.
A report into the therapeutics market for diabetics has identified
the need for new drug therapies. In addition the report identified
significant interest in Amylin's/Lilly's Exenatide and the
Thiazolidinedione (TZD) therapeutic...
In-PharmaTechnologist.com presents a round up of personnel moves in
the pharmaceutical sector, including the executive line-up at
soon-to-be number one generics company Sandoz.
Integra Biosciences has launched the CELLine disposable flask,
which harnesses membrane technology that is suitable for
recombinant protein expression and high yield monoclonal antibody
production.
Bioquell UK has developed the Clarus range of patent protected
biodecontamination technology, designed to generate hydrogen
peroxide vapour for the surface biodeactivation of micro-organisms
such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Researchers have presented findings, which go some way in
understanding a communication pathway inside of cells that
contributes to development of brain and prostate cancers. The
discovery may present drug makers with a significant...
The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) has praised the Food
and Drug Administration for validating the science of generic
biopharmaceuticals and making significant progress in establishing
requirements to approve these medicines.
DOR BioPharma has announced the initiation of drug design program
to identify oral, small molecule drugs to counter the effects of
botulinum toxin exposure. Currently, there are no clinically
acceptable drugs that either slow or reverse...
Researchers have built and demonstrated a prototype for a new class
of miniature devices to study synthetic cell membranes in an effort
to speed the discovery of new drugs for a variety of diseases,
including cancer.
Affinium Pharmaceuticals announced today it has selected a drug
candidate, which may represent a potential breakthrough as the
first antibiotic to a newly targeted bacterial pathway in 40 years.
Boehringer Ingelheim Austria has been selected to win a Technology
Leadership award by Frost & Sullivan for its activities in the
contract manufacture of biotherapeutic proteins, and particularly
plasmid DNA.
West Pharmaceutical Services, fresh from the disposal of its drug
delivery business, is to acquire Monarch Analytical Laboratories in
exchange for cash, assumed liabilities and shares totalling $5.6
million (€4.3m).
Canada's Chromos Molecular Systems and AppTec Laboratory Services
have teamed up to provide the biopharmaceutical industry with a
broader range of cell line engineering and contract manufacturing
services.
Degussa has agreed to sell its nucleic acid unit Proligo to
Sigma-Aldrich for an undisclosed purchase price, on the grounds
that it does not have the resources in-house to grow Proligo from
its current sixth place ranking in the sector.
The top pharmaceutical companies are investing less money and
people in nanotechnology than other industries, despite pressure to
replace fading blockbuster drugs as fewer drugs come out of the
sector's R&D pipeline, according...
US officials attempted to restore the reputation of the
pharmaceutical industry by announcing plans to introduce an
independent board, which aims to monitor the safety of drugs on the
market.
Recently-formed cell culture specialist Celliance has introduced a
new supplement designed to boost the growth of cells used in
research and bioprocessing, that does not contain fetal bovine
serum.
A new report reveals that large pharmaceutical companies are
investing in less money and people in nanotech than other
industries, despite pressure to replace fading blockbuster drugs.
A new high throughput ion channel screening service has been
launched by BioFocus, which will allow pharmaceutical companies to
pre-screen libraries against defined cell lines, identifying target
compounds and limiting the use of...
UK laser marking specialist Sherwood Technology now has two
pharmaceutical companies evaluating its DataLase technology, an
additive that can be used to mark tablets.
Researchers in the US have identified several promising drug
compounds, which when combined, show the potential to treat
Huntingdon's and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Sigma-Aldrich introduces the TargeTron gene knockout system, a tool
that is set to feature prominently in functional genomics and
systems biology. It incorporates technology that exploits the
retrohoming ability of group II introns,...
UK company Biocompatibles has teamed up with a microfluidics
specialist Q Chip to develop a system to improve the manufacture of
microspheres used in drug delivery and medical devices.
Israeli drug and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) company
Teva has reported a sharp increase in sales in 2004, helped in part
by last year's $3.4bn (€2.6bn) acquisition of Sicor.
The first documented case of drug resistant HIV has prompted calls
to step up HIV drug research after the victim developed full-blown
AIDS in just three months.
