Breaking News on Contract Research, Manufacturing & Clinical Trials

Patheon adds development services at Italian plant

Canadian CMO Patheon has set up a pharmaceutical development services (PDS) sterile products suite at its manufacturing facility in Ferentino, Italy.

News in brief

Chiral Technologies opens new separations lab

US based chromatography services provider Chiral Technologies says its new separations laboratory in Illkirch, France is open for business.

FDA issues cancer vaccine trial guidance

Clinical trials of cancer vaccines should enrol patients with no evidence of residual disease, according to FDA guidance, but this will increase development times compared to cytotoxic agents.

Benefits of SMS for trial recruitment are self-evident, says Axiom

Axiom Accelerated Patient Recruitment hopes its new range of SMS, text messaging, services can help CROs and pharma sponsors reach more potential study participants.

ClearTrial software aims to streamline clinical trials

ClearTrial has expanded its eClinical offering to create “the only system in the industry” that can provide fast and accurate project tracking, management of accrued liabilities and midstream study adjustments.

Savvion and Patni to bring BPM to drug development

US companies Savvion and Patni Life Sciences hope their new alliance help pharmas biotechs and CROs meet regulatory challenges “across the drug development cycle.”

News in brief

BioVectra wins contract to make Prolanta for trials

Canadian biologics CMO BioVectra has been contracted to make trial supplies of the candidate cancer treatment Prolanta by US biopharmaceutical firm Oncolix.

Unlikely CEE CROs & CMOs can maintain sustainable growth; report

Fierce competition from India and China means it is unlikely that CROs and CMOs in CEE can generate sustainable growth, according to a report that believes the service model must be a “stepping stone” to creating innovative R&D businesses.

OctoPlus reduces workforce by 25% to boost efficiency

Dutch contract delivery services firm OctoPlus says it will cut 35 jobs as part of ongoing efforts to boost efficiency, improve competitiveness and broaden its client base and revenue streams.

Rise of adaptive trials benefits small labs; PBI

Increased use of adaptive clinical trials and biomarkers will benefit smaller laboratory services companies, according to Pacific Biometrics (PBI) that turned its operating income from loss to profit in fiscal 2009.

People on the move: pharma outsourcing jobs

Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing sector, including appointments at Catalent, MedSource and IGI Laboratories and PHT.

CMIC Raves about top level accreditation for Medidata’s EDC tech

Japanese CRO CMIC says rising demand for Medidata Solutions’ Rave EDC system in Asia drove its decision to seek top-level provider status under the US firm’s accreditation scheme.

News in brief

Richter-Helm adds capacity at biologics plant

Contract manufacturer Richter-Helm BioLogics has completed the modernisation of its GMP standard biologics facility in Hannover, Germany.

West opens its first manufacturing site in China

West has opened its first manufacturing facility in China to meet rising demand but the process has taken since 2006 and been “very tedious”, its president of West Asia Pacific told Outsourcing-Pharma.

Health Decisions hopes Management View will cut monitoring costs

US CRO Health Decision says the new “Monitor View” module for its HD360 trial management system makes assessing study site performance an easier and more cost effective process.

WHO endorses African clinical trial registry

The Pan-African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR) has become the first such database to be endorsed by the WHO, providing the world with access to studies on the continent and improving efficiencies.

Almac unveils Portadown expansion plan

Northern Ireland-based contract services firm Almac has been cleared to expand its HQ in Portadown, creating up to 500 new jobs.

Bankrupt Introgen reborn as CMO

Having filed for bankruptcy in December Introgen Therapeutics has sold its assets, including management and technical team, to Vivante, a company that formed last week as a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO).

News in brief

GSK extends Catalent softgel contract

US CMO Catalent has had its Lovaza softgel manufacturing contract with UK drug major GSK extended.

Quintiles opens Scotland lab

Quintiles has opened its expanded facility near Edinburgh, Scotland, which has doubled its central lab capacity with the intention of improving the CRO’s service offering in Europe.

ethica thinks Matrix' data analysis tool is good eidyia

ethica Clinical has added biomarker data analysis technology to its roster of services in a C$1.25m (€782,899) deal with fellow Canadian CRO Matrix Pharma.

Court orders USDA to disclose HLS investigation files

A US court has ordered the USDA to disclose 1,017 pages of animal testing documents relating to its investigation into HLS, despite testimonies stating that their release could be detrimental to the CRO’s business.

Chao Center donates Seromycin to help fight MDR-TB

The Chao Center for Industrial Pharmacy and contract manufacturing is to donate $360,000 worth of the antibiotic Seromycin to the Global Health Committee’s fight against multidrug rtesistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in Cambodia and Ethiopia.

Aesica cleared to make controlled APIs at Cramlington

UK based contract API maker Aesica Pharmaceuticals has been granted a Home Office license to make controlled substances at its facility in Cramlington, Northumberland.

Azopharma takes equity stake in biotech

In exchange for services Azopharma is set to take almost 100 per cent equity in ImmuneRegen Biosciences, a biotech with products that are approaching Phase I and being eyed by big pharma, according to its CEO.

GenScript to provide assay R&D for Roche China unit

US contract research organisation (CRO) GenScript will provide assay development services for Roche’s drug R&D unit in China.

Kika updates to create “most comprehensive” EDC

Improved access to data and the ability for users to share comments are among the features added to latest version of Veracity, an electronic data capture (EDC) system from Kika Clinical Solutions.

News in brief

Datatrak signs two eClinical deals

Datatrak has signed deals for two worldwide studies that it believes demonstrate the ability of its end-to-end eClinical software to serve both academia and industry.

Parexel looks at US FDA review timelines post FDAAA

US approval for Sanofi-Aventis’ H1N1 vaccine last week is an “example of extremely rapid action by [the] FDA” that should be used more widely, according to Parexel Consulting’s VP of global strategy services Alberto Grignolo.

GATC expands genome sequencing services

GATC Biotech has expanded its human genome sequencing services and, having performed a pilot study, is “amazed” by the potential the techniques have for cancer research and diagnostics.

FDA EOP2A guidance aims to boost trial success

The FDA is hoping to increase the likelihood of a clinical trial being successful by making best use of science and alternative study designs and has issued end-of-Phase IIa (EOP2A) meeting guidance to explain the process.

News in brief

Bachem wins ImmuneRegen’s Homspera API contract

Swiss CMO Bachem has been contracted to make supplies of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for development of ImmuneRegen BioSciences’ candidate anti-infective Homspera.

CROs alter IRB selection policies after GAO sting; VP

The GAO sting operation and subsequent increased scrutiny will “definitely change how pharma and CROs choose IRBs”, according to the VP of NEIRB who spoke to Outsourcing-Pharma after successfully completing a FDA audit.

Florida Biologix wins ASC-101 contract

US CMO Florida Biologix (FB) says its new contract with America Stem Cell (ASC) shows that demand for trial-phase biologics manufacturing is starting to recover.

LGC makes “next logical step” and brings lab services to Russia

LGC Standards has made the “next logical step” in its “concerted effort” to expand internationally by opening an office in St Petersburg, Russia, less than six months after it moved into China.

Hovione to make CyDex’ Captisol through to 2019

Portugese CMO Hovione has had its captisol manufacturing contract extended until 2019 in a new agreement with US specialty drugmaker CyDex Pharmaceuticals.

How much does the boss earn - CEO pay at CROs

Outsourcing-Pharma views the wages of CEOs at six major CROs using interactive charts to explore their basic salary, incentives and how much they get paid compared to company revenues.

People on the move: pharma outsourcing jobs

Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing space, including appointments at IMS Health, CPTC and LAB Research Canada.

News in brief

B-MS calls on Advogent for logistics and sales support

New Jersey-based communications group Advogent has had its sales logistics contract renewed by US drugmaker Bristol-Myers Squibb (B-MS).

Sentinel Initiative will help with postmarketing objectives; PRA

The Sentinel Initiative will help pharma and CROs pinpoint study objectives, according to a director at PRA who told Outsourcing-Pharma about the company’s postmarketing safety surveillance.

TriLink restarts radiolabelling service

San Diego’s TriLink BioTechnologies has restarted its contract oligonuclotide radio-labelling service after receiving “anxious phone calls” from pharma customers, according to CEO Richard Hogrefe.

Dalton adds formulation service to manufacturing offering

Dalton Pharma Services has rolled out a new formulation development service that completes the firm’s contract drug manufacturing offering according to CEO Peter Pekos.

PepCRO peptide design service is industry first, says NEP

US firm New England Peptide (NEP) says its new PepCRO contract peptide design and characterisation service is a first for the drug industry.

News in brief

Symyx adds Safe-BioPharma standards to CRO biz

US CRO Symyx has adopted the Safe-BioPharma Associations digital signature standards for its electronic laboratory notebook to” ensure that sensitive intellectual property is securely captured and managed.”

Quintiles: Africa is the next drug development frontier

Quintiles has targeted Africa as the next non-traditional area to develop new medicines and the opening of its office in Ghana, which is now fully operational, is a major step in this process, Gillian Corken, head of Quintiles in Africa, told Outsourcing-Pharma.

Funding increases failing to boost FDA drug approvals; research

Funding increases have failed to boost pharma drug development productivity and, with budgets tightening, the industry must revise its operations to improve output, according to a research paper.

SCM’s new commercial supply service wins long-term contracts

UK CMO SCM Pharma says its new commercial supply service, due to be officially launched at next month’s ICSE conference in Madrid, has already won two long-term manufacturing contracts.

News in brief

Novasep’s HPAPI plant gets SafeBridge certification

Novasep’s API manufacturing facility in Le Mans, France has been certified under the potent compound safety programme run by occupational health and safety specialist SafeBridge Consultants.

Bill aims to boost recruitment for rare disease clinical trials

Recruiting patients with rare diseases for clinical trials could become easier if the US Congress passes a bill to allow patients on supplemental security income (SSI) benefits to receive compensation.

Lab Research calls in SafeChemicals to grow Korean presence

Lab Research (LRI) aims to boost its Korean presence in a new agency deal with Safe Chemicals that, CEO Luc Mainville says, will meet growing demand for large molecule contract R&D.

Completely outsourcing drug discovery “probably valid”; report

A totally outsourced model of discovery is “probably valid”, according to a report that believes pharma must overhaul its operations because its business model is in danger of becoming “irrelevant”.

IMS expands KPO offering to meet demands of complex drug market

Market intelligence giant IMS Health has extended its KPO market and sales analytics offering and signed a new collaboration deal with Indian IT contracting group Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Phase Forward aims to cut costs with BMC

Phase Forward has adopted technologies from BMC Software to improve its operational efficiency, make “substantial cost savings” and ensure its systems maintain the availability, reliability and compliance demanded by clients.

PI adds Optasia’s KneeAnalyzer to trial imaging service

Perceptive Informatics (PI) has added Optasia’ KneeAnalyzer to its clinical offering, positioning itself for the anticipated surge in number of trials examining musculoskeletal drugs over the next few years

Most biotechs will be virtual in 25 years; preclinical director

In 25 years most biotechs will be virtual, according to a director of preclinical CRO L2D who formed the company with a “completely novel business model” to target this huge growth opportunity.

ReachBio cuts risk of taking TKI’s into Phase I

Pharma companies can cut the risk of taking a TKI into Phase I by using the HemoRANK in vitro test, according to ReachBio that has developed the assay to evaluate a molecules clinical hematotoxicity.

QPS’ Taiwan lab is first to get GLP certification

QPS’ bioanalytical laboratory in Taiwan is the first in the country to be certified as compliant with good laboratory practice (GLP) standards by the Department of health (DoH), according to unit president Vincent Yen.

News in brief

DZS’ CTMS selected for trial by PhotoThera

IT provider DZS Software Solutions’ says its ClinPlus CTMS system has been selected to manage an upcoming trial of PhotoThera’s transcranial laser technology in patients who have suffered acute ischemic stroke.

BioClinica buys Tourtellotte in busy acquisition month

BioClinica is continuing to acquire companies in the wake of the collapse of its etrials bid, buying software and services provider Tourtellotte Solutions just over two weeks after its last takeover.

Orasi service aims to cuts costs in Alzheimer’s trials

Orasi Medical claims CROs and pharmas can cut the cost and length of Alzheimer’s trials, and improve accuracy, by using its brain function measuring service, which is now being promoted in Japan.

CRO reputation vital when selecting outsourcing partner; CEO

Outsourcing to a well known CRO with a good reputation is vital to ensuring that data is well received by regulatory authorities, according to a CEO that just inked a deal for preclinical safety testing.

Quintiles: “something needs to change in the industry”

Quintiles believes there is a “dire need” for trial sites that can raise standards and reduce inefficiencies in the clinical research process and is expanding its Prime Site programme to meet this demand.

Virtify launches on-line data disclosure solution

Virtify says the new online version of its Virtx CTRR system can help drugmakers comply with the increasingly complex disclosure rules that regulators worldwide apply to clinical trials, in an automated approach that saves time and money.

PPD adds new lab in Singapore

US contract research organisation (CRO) PPD has set its sights on the Asian biopharma sector with new a lab at the heart of Singapore’s rapidly expanding drug development and trial industry.

News in brief

Icon labs OKed in Singapore and the UK

Ireland based contract research organization (CRO) Icon has received accreditation for several of its laboratories in Singapore and the UK.

The rise and rise of CRO employment levels

CRO employment levels have soared in recent years, almost doubling at some companies, and this rise, and recent dip, is presented and discussed by Outsourcing-Pharma using an interactive animated chart.

People on the move: pharma outsourcing jobs

Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing sector, including appointments at Hovione, Agilux, McKesson and CIT.

News in brief

Lilly and Suven’s CNS discovery accord identifies 1st candidate

Indian CRAMS firm Suven Life Sciences says its discovery partnership with US drugmaker Eli Lilly is beginning to yield results.

Patheon has “disappointing” Q3 amid problems in Puerto Rico

Patheon has posted “disappointing” Q3 results, with manufacturing difficulties in Puerto Rico, a slowdown in demand for development services and reduced client demand for some products impacting on revenues.

nSpire’s ePRO tech wins $9m trial contracts

Colorado trial support services group nSpire Health says its Koko spirometry and PiKoLogic ePro technologies were crucial factors in winning more than $9m (€6.1m) worth of clinical research contracts.

Xybion and Locus team up on animal and preclinical data management

US firms Xybion Medical Systems and Locus Technology say their new animal management and data analysis partnership will help streamline preclinical development and reduce research costs.

Ghostwriting widespread in 6 of top 10 med journals; study

A significant number of articles in six of the top 10 medical journals in 2008 were ghostwritten, according to study by editors of JAMA that found responding authors reported a 10.9 per cent rate in the NEJM.

Makro’s GCP helpdesk a hit among CROs

Hyderabad, India-based Makro Care says its GCP “helpdesk” website has already proved to be an invaluable information source for contract research organisations (CRO), investigators and pharma trial sponsors.

Dishman targets US & Japan in international expansion

Dishman is pushing ahead with its international expansion, increasing efforts to win contracts in the US and Japan and nearing completion of a facility Shanghai, China, which is the first it has built outside of India.

CL and Gentris team up on clinical sample logistics

Canadian group Clinical Logistics (CL) and US analysis specialist Gentris have teamed up to develop a dedicated low temperature storage service for clinical cell and DNA samples collected during drug trials.

CMO Angel signs stem cell production deal

Angel Biotechnology has inked a deal to manufacture the CTX stem cell line, which can now be frozen and thawed when needed, at its dedicated cell-based therapies plant that is equipped and licensed for the task.

News in brief

Octoplus lands CF drug deal with Axentis

Octoplus has signed a new contract with develop and manufacture Axentis Pharma’s lead product, a candidate cystic fibrosis treatment.

CRO market will have a healthier 2010; MDS

The outsourcing “market is poised to return to healthier growth rates in 2010”, according to the president of MDS Pharma Services who also told Outsourcing-Pharma that CROs will play an increasingly important role in drug development.

Biomarkers big business, Advion expands LC-MS capacity

US contract research organisation (CRO) Advion BioServices has expanded its biomarker business in an effort to meet growing industry demand for pharmacological analysis.

News in brief

Share your thoughts on EDC and eClinical tech

IT group TechTeam Global and the eClinical Forum are asking Outsourcing-Pharma’s readers to take part in an online survey examining the use of eClinical technologies and electronic data capture (EDC).

SynRG makes big time saving by automating; opens US office

Russia-based CRO SynRG has cut the time to prepare a detailed proposal from two weeks to two hours, giving the company a competitive advantage over its rivals, and established a presence in the US to target small to mid-sized companies.

ACR deal will eliminate global comms difficulties, says GPSI

The new partnership with Indian CRO Abridge Clinical Research (ACR) is a unique collaboration offering cost efficient and timely trial solutions according to Global Pharmaceutical Services (GPSI) spokesperson Keith Russell.

More biotechs should outsource to emerging markets; report

Biotechs that partner or outsource in emerging markets are better equipped to innovate and prosper, according to research that warns “if you are not in Shanghai, Mumbai, or Dubai, watch out".

Aesica wins Amdipharm manufacturing contract

UK API maker and contract manufacturing organization (CMO) Aesica Pharmaceutical has landed a multi-year deal to produce and package drugs on behalf of Amdipharm.

Encorium specialises in vaccines to gain competitive edge

Encorium has outlined plans to specialise in vaccines, which it believes is an area it can be more flexible than big CROs, and inked a swine flu deal as part of $8.7m (€6m) of new contracts.

Patheon overview - a look at what Lonza would gain

With Lonza and JLL competing over Patheon Outsourcing-Pharma looks at what the CMO offers to a prospective buyer, analysing its global manufacturing capacity and backlog using interactive maps and graphs.

News in brief

Top 5 CRO licences NewCardio’s QTinno

A top 5 CRO has licensed QTinno from NewCardio, which believes the company will be able to capture additional revenue by providing more accurate and efficient cardiac safety studies.

Covance sets up trial offices Brazil and Mexico

Covance says its new clinical development offices in Brazil and Mexico will increase access to treatment-naïve patients and, ultimately, save pharmaceutical sponsors money.

Aushon expands facility to meet biomarker service demand

Aushon BioSystems has added laboratory and manufacturing capacity to its corporate headquarters to meet rising demand from clinical trials for some of its protein biomarker services.

Warning letters increase as DSI rejigs operations

FDA warning letters to clinical trial investigators have increased by 50 per cent in 2009 as a consequence of improved processes at DSI, a spokesperson told Outsourcing-Pharma.

Lab Research lands new preclinical R&D contracts

New multi-million dollar R&D contracts with top three pharma and biotech players go someway to “alleviating” the negative impact of downturn, according to Lab Research CEO Luc Mainville.

Bangladesh a “huge opportunity” for growth; CEO

Bangladesh represents a “huge opportunity” to pharma, according to the CEO of Amreteck Pharma who believes that CMOs will be attracted by the low costs, which undercut China, and help the industry grow to $10bn (€6.9m) in 10 years.

News in brief

Pharma Gulf growth presents service opportunities

The Gulf presents a number of opportunities in manufacturing and biotech, according to the president of Majestic MRSS that has recently expanded its operations in the region.

Transcrip offers experts to augment in-house drug development

Transcrip Partners’ “augmentation” solution for contract R&D “differs from the normal consultancy alternative by fielding ‘doers’ who can think strategically and ‘thinkers’ who are happy to get their hands dirty” according to senior partner Paul Branthwaite.

ChemBridge adds top libraries to CDD’s discovery database

US discovery chemistry contractor ChemBridge has made some of its most popular small molecule libraries available on-line through a partnership with preclinical data specialist Collaborative Drug Discovery (CDD).

Clinical trials around the globe

Where are more clinical trials being conducted, Italy or Illinois, Macau or Mongolia? Outsourcing-Pharma explores these questions and more using interactive maps displaying trials registered with clinicaltrials.gov.

News in brief

Vivo Bio teams up with Malaysian authorities on Primate lab

Indian contract research organisation (CRO) Vivo Bio Tech will set up a primate laboratory in Malaysia’s Melaka State in a collaborative effort to boost the regions pre-clinical testing capability.

People on the move: pharma outsourcing jobs

Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing sector, including appointments at Cytovance, MPI Research and UBC.

UCB deal shows growing demand for eTMF, says Phlexglobal

Phlexglobal’s new contract with UCB will improve how the Belgian drug firm manages trials and is indicative of a wider industry move towards eTMF, according to CEO Nicola Murgatroyd.

B-MS outsources manufacture of products in 5 year deal

Bristol-Myers Squibb (B-MS) has outsourced the manufacture of some of its products to Sigma Pharmaceuticals, an Australia-based company that also bought a facility from the big pharma for A$60m ($51.7m).

Encap targets growth opportunities in colonic delivery

CMO Encap has expanded its colonic delivery offering and is combining the technology with liquid dosage forms to provide clients with a way to administer a wide range of therapeutics to the region.

ResearchPoint launches ResourcingPoint to meet demand for CRAs

Growing demand for independent research staff and shrinking drug R&D spending were the key motivations behind ResearchPoint’s new staffing affiliate ResourcingPoint, according to spokesman Morgan Seaman.

Avid’s revenues rise 74%; discusses expansion plans

CMO Avid Bioservices’ revenues rose by 74 per cent to $2.1m (€1.5m) in Q2, generating a further $7m from its parent company, and it has plans to boost output and become a leader in mammalian cell culture production.

Pacific Biometrics boosts biomarker biz with $4m loan

US CRO and central laboratory services provider Pacific Biometrics (PBI) has entered into a $4m (€2.7m) loan agreement that it says will help further the development of its contract biomarkers business.

Cloud Packaging meets shorter run trend with Toll takeover

Cloud Packaging Solutions has said the acquisition of Toll Packaging will boost its ability to meet the increased demand for shorter packing runs triggered by the current global economic crisis.

Averion plans going private to cut outgoings

CRO Averion is planning to become a private company to reduce expenditure on auditor fees, which could realise savings of $805,000 (€561,000), and allow management to better focus on long-term goals.

News in brief

CMOs take note: DCGI sole issuer of GMP certs from October

Soon CMOs seeking GMP accreditation in India will need to contact the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), which will be the only body issuing certificates from next month onwards.

AZ cuts Phase I initiation time

AstraZeneca (AZ) has dramatically cut the time taken to initiate a Phase I oncology trial by working with its strategic partner to improve administrative processes and eliminate delays, according to research.

JLL says Lonza’s $460m Patheon bid is “hostile”

US investment group JLL has described Lonza’s rival offer for Patheon as “a hostile attempt to adversely impact [the Canadian contractor’s] competitive position.”

Evotec buys in India to quicken drug development services

By acquiring a stake in India-based RSIPL Evotec believes it can offer clients quicker drug development services, an important aspect of coping with attrition, because larger teams of chemists are available in emerging markets.

Report recommends FDA revises postmarketing processes

Following a review of the backlog of postmarketing studies the FDA has initiated changes to improve its processes, including developing Manuals of Policies and Procedures (MAPP) to track the status of trials.

News in brief

Chiltern signs Western Europe CRA deal with top pharma

Chiltern has become the sole provider of clinical research staff for monitoring clinical trials for all studies conducted in Western Europe by a top pharma company.

PharmaForm streamlined as Akela Pharma restructures

US contract services firm PharmaForm has cut its workforce to 65 employees in a restructuring plan that parent company Akela Pharma said optimises its client support infrastructure.

CROs can make “enormous leap” with adaptive operations

An “enormous leap in productivity” can be achieved by applying the principles of adaptive trials to broader operations, such as recruitment, according to a CEO that thinks CROs have to adopt the method.

Cel-Sci hopes “True Cold” gets warm reception in biologics sector

Biotechnology firm Cel-Sci claims the “True Cold” low-temperature fill and finish service at its new manufacturing facility near Baltimore, Maryland is a first for the global contracting sector.

Indian registered clinical trials soar

Clinical trials registered in India have soared in the past 12 months, as the nation has shifted its policy on recording full study details from voluntary to advisory and in June to mandatory.

MDS trying to sell Pharma Services business

Facing “unparalleled” challenges MDS is seeking a buyer for its Pharma Services division, and claims to have begun discussions with two interested parties, to allow it to focus on its Nordion business.

Cali OKs Stemedica to manufacture stem cells for trials

Stemedica Cell Technologies’ new license to make stem cells for trials positions the firm as a “valuable resource for front line researchers,” according to VP of business development Dave McGuigan.

News in brief

Raland merging and targeting pharma

Raland Technologies is targeting growth in pharma and biotech sectors once its proposed merger with Premier Technical Services is complete.

Californian budget deficit poses “real risk” to biotech investment

The Californian budget deficit presents a “real risk to future biotech investments”, according to the CEO of BayBio who explained to how the industry now has a difficult relationship with the state.

Synexus brings high recruitment rate methods to new sites in Poland

Synexus is meeting the rising demand for its services, which it says can dramatically increase recruitment rates, by acquiring clinical trial sites in Poland and is hoping to expand in India soon.

CRO growth since ‘06 and the impact of the downturn

With the next round of financial results coming up Outsourcing-Pharma takes a look at the growth of seven CROs over the past three years and how the downturn has impacted on them.

PerkinElmer’s radiosynthesis plant to meet demand for ADME

US firm PerkinElmer has opened a second plant to meet growing demand for radiolablled compounds for ADME and, it hopes, ultimately help drugmakers make go/no go development decisions earlier.

News in brief

Clinilabs adds Asian cost efficiencies with H&J deal

US CRO Clinilabs hopes its new link up with Chinese counterpart H&J CRO International will allow it to “manage early phase and specialty studies in the US, while offering our clients the cost efficiencies found in the Asian labour market.”

Summit sells Dextra services division

Summit has sold Dextra, its analytical and manufacturing services division, to NZP but believes operating the contract business has been beneficial to its industry standing and R&D capabilities.

XSpray says particle plant is RightSize for CMO customers

Sweden’s XSpray Microparticles says its new particle plant proves its RightSize tech can be scaled-up for industrial applications and will be a boost for its contract services offering.

Cobra wins Adenovirus contract in buoyant EU biotech sector

Cobra Biomanufacturing’s new Adenovirus manufacturing and process services contract is further evidence of the health of EU biologicals market, according to business development manager Philip Ridley-Smith.

goBalto adds sites in “high growth” Latin American market

Drug development partnering site goBalto’s addition of Latin American clinical sites to its database in a deal with Chilean CRO Clinical Trials Support (CTS) is timely given the pharma and biotech industry’s focus on emerging markets.

People on the move: pharma outsourcing jobs

Outsourcing-Pharma presents its latest round up of movements in the pharma outsourcing sector, including appointments at Laxai, LabConnect, ERT and Avid Bioservices.

News in brief

CMO SynCo enters Japanese market

CMO SynCo Bio Partners has entered the Japanese biologics production market, which it views as a growth opportunity, by signing its first contract with an emerging company based in the country.

Drug and cosmetics CMOs to benefit from Coca-Cola’s India win

Pharmaceutical and cosmetics contract manufacturing organisations (CMOs) in India can now claim tax credit on their advertising spend following a recent appeal court victory for US beverage giant Coca-Cola.