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Headlines > March 2008

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30-Mar-2008

SGS launches supply chain safety services

SGS has officially launched a new auditing service designed to alleviate the quality, regulatory and safety issues in pharmaceutical supply chains, which are increasingly extending across the globe.

China watchdog responds to heparin scare; AZ now affected

China's drug regulatory authority is finally responding to curb its damaged reputation by urging its local authorities to take a more proactive role in stemming what is fast becoming a global heparin contamination, sparked by material sourced in the country.

DSM now offering commercial cytotoxic services

DSM Pharmaceuticals now has its new commercial scale cytotoxic contract manufacturing facility up and running, and is only the second company in the US to offer such a service on this scale.

California gives industry a two-year reprieve on ePedigree

Pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors and retailers alike have welcomed a unanimous vote by the California State Board of Pharmacy to delay for another two years the implementation of electronic pedigree requirements for tracking drugs from the manufacturer through to the pharmacy.

Wyeth cuts 1200 sales reps

1200 sales representatives are the latest casualties of Wyeth's recently announced cost cutting drive, which strives to eliminate 10 per cent of the work force - 5,000 jobs - over the next three years.

27-Mar-2008

Heparin scare spreads in Europe

France, Italy, and Denmark are the latest countries to recall heparin products as the contamination scare spreads over materials linked to China.

Heparin scare spreads in Europe

France, Italy, and Denmark are the latest countries to recall heparin products as the contamination scare spreads over materials linked to China.

No joy for MHRA but tighter rules for pharma following Seroxat probe

The pharmaceutical industry in the UK faces tougher legislation on the disclosure of adverse events in clinical trials following the MHRA's thwarted attempt to prosecute GlaxoSmithKline for allegedly withholding information about risks of suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents taking its antidepressant Seroxat (paroxetine).

BioReliance establishes in Asia Pacific

BioReliance has established itself in the Asia Pacific with the opening of its first office in the region, in Tokyo, Japan.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

Eden Biodesign, Archimica and Hikal have all recently announced new contract manufacturing news.

Lilly forges multi million dollar supply chain deal

BioConvergence has forged a 'significant' supply chain partnership with Eli Lilly, worth millions of dollars over ten years.

26-Mar-2008

Independant safety monitoring 'lacking' in child trials

International drug trials on children are monitoring safety at levels that are "unacceptable," according to a new analysis.

Clinical contract news in brief

Outsourcing-Pharma.com compiles the news that has featured in the clinical contract community of late, involving PRA International and Premier Research.

NPIL making business moves

India's Nicholas Piramal has announced several business moves of late, designed to enhance its position on the world stage.

UK pharma industry set to lose business offshore

The pharmaceutical industry has lost confidence in the UK as a place to do business to an "alarming degree" and the situation is only set to deteriorate, reveals new research.

25-Mar-2008

Customer recalls product using Cambrex API

Cambrex Corp, the US-based manufacturer of small-molecule active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates for the drug industry, has announced that one of its customers is recalling a product for which Cambrex currently supplies the API.

Heparin recall widens in US

The heparin recall has widened after a lot of heparin sodium USP active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) produced by Scientific Protein Laboratories (SPL) was found to contain a heparin-like contaminant.

Pharmaceutical contract services round-up

Outsourcing-Pharma compiles the latest in motley pharma services news, including PRA International, Odyssey Logistics and Kuehne+Nagel.

Expression Analysis buys novel DNA sequencing technology

Genomic services firm Expression Analysis has purchased the first-ever commercially-available technology to allow the sequencing of a single molecule of DNA, without amplification.

Pfizer planning to increase Indian activity

Pfizer has indicated that it is planning to increase its activity in India as it searches for new revenue streams and operating efficiencies.

20-Mar-2008

FDA identifies heparin contaminant; confirms China link

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has now identified the contaminant found in samples of Baxter's recalled heparin and confirmed that it is indeed linked to a Chinese manufacturing plant.

Affymetrix to outsource jobs to Singapore

Microarray expert Affymetrix has started outsourcing some of its jobs in the US to Singapore.

Generic drag cant hold back Siegfried's API momentum

Switzerland's Siegfried Holding says that a significant jump in 2007 net profit, up 54 per cent to CHF 49.7m ($50m), vindicates its decision to refocus on the active pharmaceutical ingredients and generics sector.

Nycomed takes bulk of API production offshore

Mid-sized European pharma company Nycomed has struck a deal to offshore the vast majority of its raw materials sourcing to India, in a move which could affect around 200 jobs.

inVentiv Clinical the latest CRO to go Latin

inVentiv Clinical has become the latest contract research organisation (CRO) to open up shop in blossoming Latin America in a bid to gain more of a global reach.

Clinical contract news in brief

Outsourcing-Pharma.com compiles the news that has featured in the clinical contract community of late, involving Phlexglobal, The Smithers Group, Veeda Clinical Research and Trial Care International.

18-Mar-2008

Applied Bio sequences a human genome for $60,000

Applied Biosystems has sequenced a human genome for just $60,000 in a project that significantly undercuts the $100,000 milestone achieved by the industry and setting the scene for a price war between DNA sequencing tool specialists.

FDA makes progress in plans for China presence

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alerted the media that it has taken a significant step forward in its plans to establish a presence on the ground in China.

Teva to invest $100m in Hungary

Israeli generics maker Teva will spend $100m to double its manufacturing capacity in Hungary, as the pharma global spread continues.

Emerging market challenges no hindrance to pharma

Despite the challenges that emerging market present, such as intellectual property (IP) exposure and drug pricing controls, the pharma industry is not being deterred.

eClinical news in brief

Outsourcing-Pharma tracks the latest eClinical movements, featuring Medidata Solutions, Phase Forward and Datatrak.

17-Mar-2008

GMP an unnecessary burden for excipients, review concludes

The costs of introducing any formal good manufacturing practice (GMP) requirements for potentially high-risk pharmaceutical excipients in the European Union would far exceed the likely benefits, concludes an impact assessment for the European Commission.

Pharmaceutics International branching out

Pharmaceutics International has been branching out of late, with an expansion, an acquisition and a new partnership.

Pharma: why the wandering eye towards emerging markets?

Outsourcing-Pharma explores the driving force behind the pharma industry's escalating wandering eye towards emerging markets.

Alloga expands logistics territory

European healthcare logistics provider Alloga has expanded its territory into Greece and Cyprus.

Preclinical services news in brief

In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving Evotec, Dr Reddy's and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

13-Mar-2008

Jaycare rises from the ashes of administration

Jaycare has risen from the ashes of administration after being bought by a competitor, Cope Allman Plastic Packaging.

Eli Lilly seeks out Indian firm for second CNS partnership

Eli Lilly has again teamed up with Indian research firm Suven Life Sciences in a deal that will focus on preclinical research of molecules in the therapeutic area of central nervous system (CNS) disorders.

Cognizant inks $95m AstraZeneca data deal

Cognizant is gaining ground in the life sciences arena, this week inking a $95m data management deal with AstraZeneca, just three months after sealing another multi-million dollar deal with Merck & Co.

Clinical contract news in brief

Outsourcing-Pharma.com compiles the news that has featured in the clinical contract community of late, involving Quintiles, AbCRO, China Gate and Micro Therapeutic Research Labs.

12-Mar-2008

Merck KGaA still has an eye to buy in pharma

Germany's Merck KGaA is still on the lookout for acquisitions or in-licensing deals to fill out its pharmaceutical business following the purchase and integration of Swiss biotech Serono.

11-Mar-2008

China-made heparin scare spreads beyond US

The made-in-China heparin scare has now spread beyond the US, with Germany and Japan both recalling the drug.

Contract manufacturing news in brief

Cobra Biomanufacturing, Crucell, Vetter, Arch Pharmalabs and Lonza have all recently announced new contract manufacturing news.

Patheon's Q1 profits drop as it continues to address Puerto Rico

Patheon's first quarter results have continued to be impacted by its underperforming Puerto Rico operations, although restructuring plans to remedy the situation are in full swing.

GATC opens up shop in Sweden

DNA sequencing services provider GATC Biotech has announced the opening of a new subsidiary in Stockholm, Sweden, as it widens the net in Europe.

Nektar optimistic despite Exubera fallout

The CEO of Californian company Nektar Therapeutics says that 2007 has been key in transforming the company into a fully integrated drug development organisation, despite the setback with Pfizer's inhaled insulin product Exubera.

Lilly declines to inhale with AIR Insulin programme

The prospects for a viable market in inhaled insulin therapies were looking markedly thinner this week after Eli Lilly pulled the plug on its joint development programme with drug delivery specialist Alkermes for AIR Insulin.

10-Mar-2008

Galapagos loss widens in '07 as R&D escalates

Galapagos has watched its loss widen over the past year as it stepped up its internal research and development activities.

Hovione makes latest investment in China

Portugal's Hovione has become the latest in a spate of pharma industry players to invest further in China.

US pharma RFID market set for 60 per cent growth

The promise of genuine returns on investment, facilitated by plummeting hardware costs, will fuel a dramatic growth surge in the US market for radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution over the next five years, a new report predicts.

Pharmaceutical outsourcing: people on the move

Patheon, Keller Crescent, Bilcare and Molecular Profiles have all had people on the move in the world of pharmaceutical outsourcing.

07-Mar-2008

Heparin contamination emerges after FDA China investigation

A US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation into the recent Baxter heparin scare has uncovered a contaminant in the product that was sourcing the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) from a Chinese manufacturer.

06-Mar-2008

Preclinical services news in brief

In this week's review of activity within the preclinical research services arena, news has emerged involving Althea Technologies, Tepnel and BioFocus DPI.

AstraZeneca inks 25m communications deal

UK-based AstraZeneca has recently given the region's dominant telecommunications provider, British Telecom (BT) a greater role in its business, to the tune of £25m.

Pharmanet profits drop

Pharmanet watched its profits drop in the fourth quarter of 2007 after being hurt by higher costs.

Pfizer eyeing emerging markets in growth plan

Pfizer has outlined a number of strategies for growing its fledgling pipeline and lowering its cost base and is planning to increase globalisation and accelerate growth in emerging markets as part of this.

04-Mar-2008

FDA 'concerned' after inspection of China heparin plant

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alerted the media to the preliminary findings of its inspection of the Chinese facility that supplied the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for Baxter's heparin - now recalled from the market after a safety scare.

Supply chain globalisation weighs heavily on FDA

The globalisation of the supply chain increasingly challenges the US Food and Drug Administration's ability to ensure the quality of pharmaceuticals on the US market, acknowledges the acting director of the agency's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Asia glitters gold for pharma

Asia has been dubbed the "land of golden opportunities" by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), who says it is poised to become the largest pharmaceutical consumer and producer in the world.

Pharma should innovate through pharmacogenomics

Innovative pharma firms should take a closer look at pharmacogenomics in order to move away from the current 'one-size-fits-all approach' to drug development, according to an industry expert.

Clinical contract news in brief

Outsourcing-Pharma.com compiles the news that has featured in the clinical contract community of late, involving Pharmatech, Entelos, Kendle and ClinfoSource.

03-Mar-2008

Weekly comment

Big pharma to persist with external reliance

Big pharma's thirst for external innovation is set to persist amidst the blockbuster drought.

Kendle makes a Q4 profit

Kendle has reported a profit for the fourth quarter of 2007, a turn around from the situation this time last year when the company was losing money.

GSK's UK plant to lose out to outsourcing

A UK chemicals plant has become the latest casualty of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK's) pledge to make the business leaner with the help of outsourcing and offshoring.

Pharma industry to drive next IT outsourcing wave

2008 will be a year for both challenges and opportunities in outsourcing, according to Indian IT and business process outsourcing (BPO) services advisory firm Tholons.

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