As contract research organisations (CROs) continue to search for
cost-effective countries in which to operate, the clinical trials
market is increasingly expanding into emerging economies. Central
and Eastern Europe are continuing...
Covance closed 2005 on a high after net revenues climbed 16.9 per
cent from 2004 to reach $1.19 bn (€1 bn). The current trend towards
outsourcing R&D, coupled with increased productivity and repeat
business has fuelled the company's...
Drug companies are leaning more heavily on contract research
organisations (CROs) to save costs in getting new drugs to market.
And it is paying off, with added benefits. Companies who rely on
CROs are also completing clinical trials...
Covalent Group has signed a new contract worth $2.3 m (€1.9 m) to
conduct a global Phase 2 clinical trial of a new antithrombotic
agent in the US, Europe, and South America.
DataLabs has launched the first software to combine paper data
entry (PDE) and electronic data capture (EDC) in the one program to
accelerate the clinical trials process.
Asia and India are continuing to attract a wave of foreign
outsourcing contracts in the pharma industry, as companies are
lured by productivity-and cost savings. However, these countries
are not yet reaching their potential, as fears...
The FDA has cut red tape and modernised its guidance on
experimental clinical studies to help improve and accelerate the
R&D process of new compounds and ultimately get new drugs to
market faster.
Phase IV clinical trials are becoming key activities for
cardiovascular marketing teams who are increasingly using them to
rejuvenate ageing medications and improve marketing campaigns.
VirtualScopics reported a breakthrough year in 2005, doubling its
customer base to 26 and reaping in more than $5 m (€4.1 m) worth of
business, an increase from the previous year of over 100 per cent.
Hill Top Research, one of the leading clinical research services
companies in the US, has positioned itself for growth after last
week's acquisition by Utah's DW Healthcare Partners, a private
equity firm focused on the...
UK's In2Focus Healthcare Technologies has formed a strategic
alliance with Canadian based IsaiX Technologies, to co-promote each
other's IT technology services for the pharma industry in Europe
and North America.
Indian IT company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has scored a
contract from Danish pharma company Novo Nordisk for the data
management of its clinical trials run in India.
A new study is underway in the US to define the technical knowledge
and expertise required by professionals involved in drug product
development and manufacturing. The results will form a basis for a
new global credentialing program...
According to a new report, the costs of clinical development are
rising more rapidly in relation to the other parts of the R&D
process, placing greater emphasis on the recruitment of test
subjects, as clinical trial service...
Leading contract research organisation, Covance, has upgraded its
software to streamline the laboratory testing aspect of its
clinical trials and allow sponsoring drug companies greater
involvement in the overall process.
Ventiv's Clinical Services division has joined with India's largest
domestic contract research organization (CRO), SIRO Clinpharm, to
provide India-based clinical data management services, offering
pharma and biotech companies...
Near-infrared (NIR) chemical imaging is emerging as the analytical
tool of choice for drug formulation development, analysis and
process monitoring of the increasing number of advanced drug
delivery systems.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
SRA International has received a $15 million outsourcing contract
from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to provide enterprise
messaging and IT infrastructure support services over the next 6
years.
Drug production company Patheon has released its fourth-quarter
results, which has revealed that profit has jumped 180 per cent
despite a recent production halt at a Puerto Rican subsidiary. This
bodes well for the recent manufacturing...
Shanghai-based biotech company WuXi PharmaTech has grown more than
100 times in the last 5 years after operating successfully in
China's infant biotech industry by providing variety of outsourcing
services in drug R&D.
Ventiv health reported a strong performance across all its business
units in the third quarter, with total revenues increasing by 44
per cent to $128.4 million (€107.6 million) compared to the third
quarter of 2004.
SR Pharma, specializing in RNAi therapeutics, will be the first
company to use the new UK National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC),
operated by contract manufacturing organization (CMO) Eden
Biodesign, when it opens on schedule early...
Contract research organisations (CROs) are responding to the
looming threat of competition from India and China by moving
outside their traditional role of simply providing contract
services to drug companies.
Covalent Group has improved its financial position on last year,
reporting a net revenue increase of 45 per cent for the third
quarter of 2005 with sales of $2.7 million, (€2.3 million) compared
to $1.9 million one year ago.
Innovata has entered into a second agreement in which the
development of a combination asthma therapy could generate in
excess of £25 million (€37 million) in milestones and development
funding.
Invitrogen has created three new business divisions in a move to
strengthen its position in the growing biotechnology industry and
drive growth through improving links between its product
development cycle and customer base.
Accelovance has broadened its presence in China and expanded its
capacity for conducting Phase I-IV clinical trials for Western
pharmaceutical and biotech firms seeking to enter the Chinese
market, by opening a new office in Shanghai.
Escalating drug costs could be driven down by up to $20 billion a
year and dwindling drug pipelines improved if a newly-formed US
research group is successful.
A Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) was launched last week in a move
to bolster the chemistry and biotechnology industry's contribution
to European growth and competitiveness.
Private equity firm, Direct Capital has acquired a shareholding of
51 per cent in New Zealand Pharmaceuticals (NZP). The investment by
Direct Capital aims to tap into the growing potential of
glycotherapeutics drugs.
Patheon has received the 2005 Contract Manufacturing Company of the
Year Award from consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan, in
recognition of its customer service and innovative market growth
strategies.
The Pharmaceutical Fine Chemicals Business of Clariant took the
opportunity to review new developments at the CPhI Expo in Madrid,
Spain, making announcements on new investments in facilities in
Europe and the US as well as new business...
Pliva released its financial results for the first nine months of
2005, which revealed a net loss of $34 million, as the drug maker
tries to recover from its loss-making drug launch in the US. This
is despite posting higher revenues...
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (DRL) has signed a definitive agreement to
acquire Roche's Mexican API business, in a move to drive the next
wave of growth in its custom pharmaceutical services (CPS)
business.
Cook Pharmica will be the first contract manufacturer to offer live
webcam services, an innovation that will enable both customers and
regulatory agencies to view production as it occurs.
Lanxess has said it will spin-off its Fine Chemicals operations
into a separate business unit that is expected to become
independent as of the second quarter next year.
New findings may have significant implications for the growing
generics drugs industry, by challenging previous assumptions that
all formulations of the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)
are therapeutically equivalent.
Fisher Scientific International reported it's third quarter
performance for 2005, which revealed profit had more than doubled
as a result of improved sales and fewer acquisition related
charges.
AssurX have launched a software process for document control, which
will enable pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to streamline
their approach to monitoring safety issues and overall quality
control efforts.
pSivida has signed a licensing agreement with Beijing's Med-Pharm,
in a move that will facilitate distribution of BrachySil in China -
the world's fastest growing market for pharmaceuticals.
Troubled firm Flamel reported a sharp decrease in total third
quarter revenues - $3.1 million (€2.6 million), compared to $13.3
million this time last year - resulting in a net loss $11.9
million.
