Switzerland-based BioPartners has submitted a second Marketing
Authorisation Application in Europe for a generic copy of a
biologic drug under the recently agreed European Union framework
for so-called 'biosimilar' drugs.
Germany's Christ Water Technology has developed a ready-to-connect
water filtration plant that is specifically designed for use in the
pharmaceutical, chemical and cosmetics industries.
Japan's Ajinomoto has developed a revolutionary enzymatic method to
manufacture peptides that could dramatically cut the cost of
producing this growing class of therapeutic agents.
Affymetrix has extended the range of custom microarrays by
launching a host of prokaryotic array designs, which offer
scientists an affordable tool to conduct whole-genome expression
studies on a wide range of pathogenic organisms.
Astrazeneca and Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT) have entered
into an alliance to jointly discover and develop human monoclonal
antibody therapeutics, principally in the field of inflammatory
disorders, including respiratory diseases....
Flint Ink North America has announced a price increase for
packaging ink products ranging from 5 to 7 per cent depending on
ink type. The increase, effective 1 December 2004, comes in
response to the rising costs of transportation,...
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...
German chemical and pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA has sold off
a manufacturing facility in France in a move aimed at consolidating
its global production infrastructure.
The UK Packaging and Industrial Films Association (PIFA) is warning
buyers of plastic film products to expect further price increases
as producers and converters are forced to look for recovery of
exceptional rising raw material costs....
Overcapacity remains the main issue affecting the European market
for active pharmaceutical ingredients, with lack of capability
differentiation and competition from low-cost manufacturers also
holding back growth in the sector.
Biotechnology company Proteus has been issued with a new US patent
that details the functional screening of candidate active compounds
using in vitro protein expression. The granting of the patent
corresponds to the company's...
Millipore Corporation and Caliper Life Sciences announced the
availability of three new validated protocols developed for
hands-free operation and maximum productivity for drug discovery.
Bioengineers at the University of Oxford have developed a solution
to the problem of toxicity testing for new drugs, which can prove
to be ineffective or at worst dangerous to humans.
A technique that uses crystals to map 'invisible' parts of
molecules is set to revolutionise drug discovery by allowing the
molecular structures of proteins to be studied in greater detail
advancing on the technique of protein...
German chemical giant BASF is to shed about 3,600 jobs at its main
Ludwigshafen plant over the next three years as part of efforts
ensure the site's competitiveness.
The European Commission has launched an €11.4 million project to
identify ways of improving the production of biologic drugs and
cutting the cost of treatment.
Wyatt Technology, a specialist in macromolecular characterisation
instrumentation and software, has completed the acquisition of
Proterion Corp, a US firm making dynamic light scattering
instruments.
Qiagen has launched an automated viral DNA and RNA purification
solution that provides improved sensitivity in purification and
detection of viral DNA and RNA from serum, plasma, and cell-free
body fluids.
The first in a completely new class of drug for multiple sclerosis
has been approved in the US, opening up a new avenue of treatment
for sufferers of the debilitating diseases and potential
blockbuster revenues for developers Elan...
After a successful trial period, Syrris has supplied one of its
recently-launched AFRICA microreactor systems to Professor Steven
Ley at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge,
UK. His group will use the system...
The Lab Automation Europe show at London's Kensington Olympia
showcased the latest laboratory equipment and technological
developments which are featured in a round-up of new apparatus that
could prove useful in drug discovery.
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.
Parexel and Sartorius have been awarded a contract to supply,
validate and help operate a biologic manufacturing facility in
South Korea, said to be the first of its kind in the country.
Dutch chemicals and ingredients company DSM is to purchase a stake
in North China Pharmaceutical Group in a move that boosts its
presence in the country, writes Phil Taylor.
High throughput protein (HTP) crystallography is set to undergo key
technical developments in which the development of automation in
protein expression, protein engineering and crystallisation will
provide the accurate screening data...
German microfluidics company ThinXXS is to exhibit its novel
modular design system, the microfluidic construction kit, a
lab-on-a-chip (LOC) device that enables researchers to configure
required chip functions. The feature is sure...
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...
Avery Dennison, one of the world's largest suppliers of pressure
sensitive adhesive labels, is expecting to be fined by the European
Commission for what it describes as 'instances of improper conduct'
by workers in...
Freeman Technology has launched the first in its range of 'plug and
play' accessories that will automate powder flow testing on the
company's FT4 Powder Rheometer, after adding in a shear test
function earlier this...
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has inked a deal with a
US medical device manufacturer that will extend the use of insulin
cartridges from autoinjectors to external insulin pumps.
As the pharmaceutical industry gears up to use radiofrequency
identification for supply chain management, medical suppliers in
Germany have already adopted the technology to track blood products
and no plan to use it safeguard quality.
UCB subsidiary Celltech has joined forces with the University of
Durham and another UK-based company to develop an unusual approach
to treating cancer using magnetic fields.
A team of researchers in the US has developed a new way of using
laser spectroscopy to detect the energy level of atoms in a gas,
which could have applications in the analysis and synthesis of
chemicals.
Applying automation to tissue culture techniques can improve the
development, maintenance and expansion of mammalian cells,
increasing the efficiency of drug discovery efforts, reports Wai
Lang Chu.
France's drug industry has started filling in the detail of its
strategic plan to boost the standing of the biotechnology sector,
first unveiled at the end of last month. At the heart of the plans
is a quadrupling of the production...
RTS life science has developed a high throughput tube picking
system that the company claims is able to pick and place multiple
tubes faster than current methods. The equipment becomes the first
system to incorporate 384-tube technology...
Mocon has introduced a new system that automates the classic
methylene blue dye test (MDT) for assessing the integrity of
blister packs, as well as providing comprehensive documentation for
auditing.
An online LIMS database module for the Affymetrix expression
Genechip array that allows for the downloading and tracking of
samples in the lab has proved so successful it intends to expand
the service to enable processing of samples...
Bayer stockholders have cleared the way for the spin-off of
chemical unit Lanxess, with voters holding 99.66 per cent of the
company's capital stock supporting the split.
FMC BioPolymer is making progress in its collaboration with
BioProgress and Harro Hoefliger on a machine to produce its
recently-acquired NROBE tablet coating technology.
In-Pharmatechnologist.com's periodic round-up of manufacturing
developments from around the world sees Fujisawa expanding in
Ireland, Solvay partnering in Russia, Vietnam's machinery firms
undercutting competitors and...
US drug company VIVUS as been granted a US patent relating to a new
drug delivery technology that makes it possible to spray drugs onto
the skin and have them taken up into the blood.
German, US and Canadian researchers have discovered a gene and six
mutations that cause symptoms associated with Parkinson's disease
and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Italian firm Chemi is moving production of the nutraceutical
ingredient phosphatidylserine to its pharmaceutical actives plant
in Brazil, allowing it to increase capacity and become more
competitive on price.
Caliper Life Sciences has launched a new automated electrophoresis
system that offers researchers a viable alternative to slab gel
electrophoresis on a small microfluidic chip that is set to greatly
increase sample throughput leading...
Nanotechnology for molecular targeting and drug delivery is set to
become a trillion-dollar industry with the drug sector's economic
and technological leadership key to the growth of the technology.
