India-based HCL Technologies has entered into a five-year, $500m (€380m) agreement with Merck & Co to provide the big pharma with business and technology services.
Covance has cut its full-year guidance despite an increase in Q1 revenue, citing delayed late-stage trials, lower demand for chemistry services and costs associated with facility closures as the reason for the adjustment.
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has expressed particular concern about the proliferation of counterfeit drugs in countries including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Russia.
The WHO has called for recall and destruction of all batches of Indian drugmaker Shantha Biotechnics’ Shan5 vaccine after the discovery of “white sediment” in some vials.
Norwich Pharmaceuticals is expanding beyond its traditional manufacturing focus by launching a CRO in India to provide clients, and its parent company Alvogen, with clinical research services.
Pfizer will lose patent protection for Viagra in Brazil on June 20 after the Supreme Court (STJ) accepted recommendations by national intellectual property watchdog, the INPI.
US firm SAFC plans to turn its dry powder culture media manufacturing plant in Lenexa, Kansas into a “centre of excellence” with $6.3m (€4.7m) capacity expansion.
The USP and FDA must work to identify counterfeited or intentionally adulterated products before they enter the healthcare system by collaborating on the modification of monographs, according to Margaret Hamburg.
Integration expenses, lower revenues, higher R&D spending and rising corporate costs impact PPD in Q1, but cancellations back to normal levels and requests for proposals increase.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) has admitted that areas of overlap created by the WuXi acquisition will lead to a “refinement of certain operating units” but is yet to disclose details.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is to acquire WuXi PharmaTech for $1.6bn (€1.2bn), creating a global CRO capable of offering fully integrated services from molecule creation to first-in-human testing.
KryoTrans International claims its developmental KT1500 reusable container for drug shipments will be first passive temperature-controlled unit capable of accepting pallets and a boon for CROs in the globalised trial sector.
Indian CRO Siro Clinpharm says partnering with Taiwanese counterpart Virginia Contract Research Organisation (VCRO) furthers its geographical reach and access to patients.
Capacity at Blu Pharmaceutical’s recently acquired solid dosage production plant in Puerto Rico is set to expand considerable over the next three years according to company president Bill Luster.
eBizNET has entered into a strategic relationship with CDC Software, which is expected to accelerate the deployment of its SaaS supply chain systems in emerging, high growth markets.
Demand in “Pharmerging” markets will offset declining revenues from off-patent blockbusters and drive prescription drug sales to $1.1tr (€819bn) by 2014, according to IMS Health.
PRA has expanded into New Zealand, complementing its Asia-Pacific network and establishing a point of contact for pharmas interested in benefiting from the county’s high recruitment rates.
IT giant Oracle will pay $685m (€507m) for eClinical solutions firm Phase Forward, significantly expanding its presence in the billion dollar contract clinical research sector.
The EFPIA has hailed its 2-D data matrix anti-counterfeiting pilot scheme as a success and hopes to convince governments and supply chain actors of benefits of the approach.
in-PharmaTechnologist presents exclusive interactive maps of pharma manufacturing facilities in India, detailing the number of bulk drug and formulation facilities in each region of the country.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued Apotex with another warning letter about cGMP violations at two plants explaining the firm’s response to previous warnings “is inadequate and lacks sufficient corrective actions.”
“Good business development” in the pharma and “slow spending” in the cyclical cosmetics and life sciences sectors dominated Gerreshimer’s performance in the first quarter of 2010.
Hong Kong, China-based drug wholesaler Julius Chen & Co has been ordered to recall 300mg/tablet formulation of a gout treatment name Puricos (allopurinol) after DoH officials discovered the firm packaged it without a license to do so.
Rising use of biologics and a tax initiative will drive the streamlining of Indian supply chains, helping companies to deliver drugs at affordable prices, according to PwC.
Russia, the Ukraine and Belarus have emerged as destinations for clinical studies and now offer “enormous” potential according to US-based CRO ClinStar.
US delivery specialist Penwest is to apply its Timerx tech to “complex” generic pharmaceuticals in a development and commercialisation pact with non-branded drugmaker Alvogen.
US biotechnology company Genentech presents new $400m pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution facility in Hillsboro, Oregon and says construction is nearly complete.
Contract research organisation (CRO) Ricerca Biosciences has entered into a business development deal with Japan-based Life Science Partner (LSP) to help penetrate the Asian market.
Almac has launched an online tool that allows trial sponsors to view, trace and amend trial material labels from anywhere in the world which, it claims, will improve and accelerate the approval process.
Sanofi-Aventis says French manufacturing operations will focus on vaccine and biotech drugs, unveiling €150m ($202m) plan to shift emphasis away from synthetic chemistry-based production.
Hyde Engineering + Consulting has opened an office in Dublin, Ireland, enhancing its ability to provide Europe-based biopharm with compliance, qualification and automation services.
A new nano-based coating that is claimed to reduce packaging waste is initially being targeted at the pharmaceutical sector but could be used in chocolate packaging as well, claims the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
The Klockner Pentaplast Group has invested $37m (€27m) to expand PVC production capacity and add shrink-label film capabilities at its facilities in Thailand and the US.
The market for “nano-enabled” pharmaceutical packaging is growing 16.5 per cent a year and will be worth $8.1bn (€6bn) by 2014 according to new research by iRAP.
The WHO has published its views on the production of starting materials in draft guidance which details recommendations to ensure product quality while keeping costs down.