PPD ends 2008 on a high

20-Jan-2009 -  Pharmaceutical Product Development of the US is expecting to post a 12 per cent hike in revenues in 2009, helped by the recent opening of offices in Ireland and Singapore and new deals with Merck & Co. 

Kendle targets Asia with further Indian expansion

19-Jan-2009 -  Kendle is continuing its efforts to increase its presence outside the US with the establishment of a second office in Ahmedabad in Western India.

FDA launches global supply chain pilot scheme

15-Jan-2009 -   In the latest part of its “beyond our borders” scheme, the US FDA is asking drugmakers to volunteer supply chain information for drugs and APIs sourced outside the USA.

CRO partners to crack South America

14-Jan-2009 -  Switzerland-based CRO PFC Pharma Focus is entering the South American market through a partnership with Argentinean company Blanchard y Asociados.

Interview with IPEC China chairman Nevin Cheng

12-Jan-2009 - Since its inauguration last year, IPEC China has been working to improve the quality of excipient manufacturing in the country. in-PharmaTechnologist spoke with organisation president Nevin Cheng about the steps the body has taken so far and what it will be doing in 2009, including its plans for a new SFDA approved Drug Master File (DMF) scheme.

Akron selects Austin to expand client base

08-Jan-2009 -  Drug raw materials maker Akron Biotechnology has selected Austin Chemical Company to help expand its client-base in the global biotech, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic industries.

FDA enters Costa Rica on global safety mission

08-Jan-2009 -  The FDA has established its first permanent presence in Latin America by opening an office in Costa Rica as part of “Beyond Our Borders Initiative”, which has also seen the agency set up three sites in China.

Another corporate outsourcing deal from AZ

15-Dec-2008 -  AstraZeneca has signed a five year deal with Infosys Technologies for “end-to-end” application maintenance services in areas such as manufacturing, supply chain, finance, human resources and other corporate functions.

MHRA OK for Almac’s Durham distribution center.

11-Dec-2008 -  The MHRA has renewed its approval of Almac’s facility in North Carolina, bringing an end to a busy and successful four months of inspections at the clinical services group’s facilities. 

Pharmaceutical package: no repackaging ban, but shift towards DTC

11-Dec-2008 -  The European Union’s long-awaited reform of pharmaceutical regulations known as the ‘pharmaceutical package’ was unveiled yesterday after months of consultation and debate. 

Bilcare boosts clinical trial supply business in India

08-Dec-2008 -  India’s Bilcare has expanded its clinical trial materials business in its own market with the opening of new packaging and storage capacity at its facilities in Pune, India. 

Call for probe into US job “outsourcing” via recruitment of overseas staff

08-Dec-2008 -  US Congressman Joe Courtney (Democrat, Connecticut) has called for an investigation of current visa laws that he says may have allowed global drugs giant Pfizer to “outsource” R&D positions at its facilities in the state. 

Frontage deal bolsters PRA’s lab services business

08-Dec-2008 -  Contract research organisation PRA International has signed an agreement with fellow US firm Frontage Laboratories to expand the range of laboratory services it can offer to its clients. 

PharmEng cuts cash burn once again

04-Dec-2008 -  Canadian contract manufacturer PharmEng International has managed to trim down its costs once again, but is still feeling the pain associated with the opening of its new facility in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and posted a loss of over C$8m (€5m).

Mumbai attacks could hurt India’s outsourcing sector

01-Dec-2008 -  Postponement of this year’s CPhI and P-MEC India events for “security reasons” may be only the first impact of last week’s Mumbai terror attacks on the country’s outsourcing industry, according to PwC’s life sciences head Sujay Shetty.  

FDA officially opens its doors in China

27-Nov-2008 -  The US Food and Drug Administration has opened offices in three Chinese cities – Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou – to help improve the safety of medicines and ingredients imported into the US.

Tigermed, OCT and LSK to set up global trials network

25-Nov-2008 -  Chinese CRO Tigermed Consulting has teamed up with Russian and South Korean counterparts OCT and LSK to establish a global clinical trials network and expand its geographic footprint. 

DPT highlights R&D prowess at AAPS 2008

24-Nov-2008 -  DPT Laboratories chose this year’s AAPS in Atlanta to showcase its research and development capability with a unique poster presentation examining the role of various excipients in nasal drug delivery applications. 

Indian generics firms welcome Obama despite outsourcing comments

06-Nov-2008 - Barrack Obama’s election as US president has been roundly welcomed by India’s generics sector, despite his somewhat contradictory desire to reduce the level of outsourcing but not "shy away" from globalisation. 

Borgas sets out ‘top 8’ pharma industry issues

23-Oct-2008 -  The pharmaceutical industry must adapt its processes and strategies to cope with a new, tougher operating environment, according to Stefan Borgas, CEO of Lonza.

Ethical review firm enters Latin America

03-Oct-2008 -  Canada’s Ethica Clinical Research has expanded into the emerging Latin American market via a joint venture with Argentinean contract research organisation Blanchard y Asociados.

Outsourcing and regulatory pressure drive growth in trial sector, Bilcare GCS

16-Sep-2008 -  Bilcare GCS, the clinical supplies arm of Indian packaging giant Bilcare, has considerably expanded its Phase III trial offering in an effort to provide drugmakers with a complete package.

Comment

Globalisation of advanced R&D services 'on the rise'

17-Jul-2008 - Pharmaceutical companies in the developed world have already shifted substantial manufacturing and clinical trial work to emerging economies such as China and India, but a new study suggest they are increasingly counting on these countries for advanced research and development services as well.

Contract manufacturing market changing shape

08-Jul-2008 - The contract manufacturing sector is likely to enjoy "continued and accelerating growth" in the coming years as big pharma companies continue to increase the level of outsourcing, with firms now viewing outsourcing as the default approach for making new products.