US biotech boosts production capacity
US biotechnology company Genentech is planning to build a new large-scale mammalian cell culture manufacturing facility in California which will be the largest of its kind in the world.
Archives for April 5, 2004
UK filter firm expands into US
UK filtration specialist Domnick Hunter has made a foray into the US market with the purchase of a Californian company specialising in filtration for the biopharmaceutical, food and beverage and chemical industries.
Scientists give time and skills for developing world
A non-profit pharmaceutical company has set up a network of volunteer scientists in order to plug a hole in medical research - the development of medicines for diseases that affect some of the poorest people in the world.
Novo adds another new plant
Novo Nordisk has broken ground on a new manufacturing facility in Kalundborg, Denmark, that will produce liraglutide, a potential new product for treating type 2 diabetes.
Study overturns long held cancer theory
A new study has challenged the current thinking that there is a fundamental difference in the way that solid tumours and leukaemias developing, and suggests a new way of tackling cancer, reports Phil Taylor.
Rat genome sequenced
An international consortium of scientists has sequenced the genome of the Brown Norway rat, which many predict will deliver a boost for medical science by alowing the development of better models of human diseases.
Blister packer cuts validation work
IWKA PacSystems of the UK has introduced a new blister packing machine that can dramatically reduce the time it takes to carry out validation and get into production compared to rival systems.
Ireland backs biotech start-ups
The first in a series of government-funded incubation facilities opened in Ireland this week, designed to nurture the development of biotech companies.
Sweeter way to make drug precursor
Scientists have started to develop what could be a biosynthetic route to producing compounds that serve as precursors to a range of industrial chemicals, including pharmaceuticals.
Accession countries fear data exclusivity clause
A number of countries set to join the European Union in May, including Hungary, have signed a petition against new EU legislation that they claim would significantly raise the cost of providing healthcare, reports Phil Taylor.