Preclinical data from Vical's avian flu DNA vaccine program has
resulted in the company coming one step closer to $2.6m (€2m) in
funding for further development of the vaccine under a grant
awarded by the US government.
In the company's largest investment of its kind in Asia,
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has decided to build a new vaccine
manufacturing plant in Singapore, as several products in its
pipeline approach commercialisation.
Biotechnology firm Gilead has acquired Raylo Chemicals, a Canadian
production unit of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and
advanced intermediates, from Degussa for €115m, seeking to bring
more manufacturing capacity and expertise...
PowerMed has demonstrated the immunogenicity of an influenza DNA
vaccine for the first time in humans using a new drug delivery
system and claims it may serve as a cost-effective weapon against
bird flu.
Under pressure to ensure cheap supplies of its flu drug in Africa
in preparation for a possible avian influenza, Roche has asked
contract manufacturer Aspen Pharmacare to produce finished doses of
Tamiflu (oseltamivir) in Africa.
A new vaccine, which can be distributed without refrigeration and
is stable at room temperature for prolonged periods, could ease the
threat of supply problems with pandemic influenza vaccines by
allowing safe stockpiling of the treatment.
A large-scale process, which focuses on highly purified and high
viral titer vectors, may facilitate the fast track development of
Adenovirus and AAV-based recombinant DNA vaccines for diseases such
as the Avian Flu.
As the threat of new viruses like avian influenza have heightened
the need for greater speed and safety in vaccine production, single
use technologies are proving far more safe and economic than
traditional cleaning techniques, according...
Nastech Pharmaceuticals presents data demonstrating the
effectiveness of its small interfering RNA (siRNA) therapeutics to
target and inhibit influenza viral production, which is certain to
have useful applications against current...
Responding to surging demand for its flu drug Tamiflu, Roche has
announced it is expanding its external contractors to fifteen in
nine different countries, as its needs for intermediates and
finished product increase.
Nastech Pharmaceutical Company, announced today the expansion of
its RNAi therapeutics pipeline by initiating an RNAi therapeutics
program targeting influenza and respiratory diseases.
Britain's Department of Health has awarded healthcare company
Baxter and biotech firm Chiron two contracts worth £33m (€48m) in
total for the production of around 3.5m doses of H5N1 influenza
vaccine, underlying how worldwide...
Swiss pharma giants, Novartis has formed a collaboration with
Alnylam, which aims to develop an RNAi-based therapeutic for
pandemic flu. The deal is in response to analysts who believe that
current vaccines and existing anti-viral...
The Food and Drug Administration has announced the approval of a
new laboratory test that provides preliminary results within four
hours on suspected H5 influenza samples that previous technology
required at least two to three days...
As worldwide fears of a bird flu pandemic escalates, US border control are fighting an influx of fake Tamiflu products being imported into the country. Such products have been surfacing across the country as the global Tamiflu shortage has led to a scramble...
MedImmune will soon ramp up production of its intranasal flu
vaccine after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved
its new and larger flu vaccine manufacturing facility in Speke,
England.
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.
Roche has responded to recent criticism that it was protecting its
avian-flu formula too closely by identifying 12 prospective
partners to increase the global production of Tamiflu.
The surge in vaccines against influenza has surprised Governments
across the world, with the stark admission that demand was
unforeseen. Avian flu, which has emerged as a real threat to
humans, has not only have added to the danger...
Pall Corporation has revealed a unique approach for speeding
vaccine production, which could provide a solution to the
potentially huge demand for vaccines by governments and
pharmaceutical manufacturers in response to the avian flu...
With the aim of meeting government's needs for pandemic planning,
Roche has announced it is on track to produce 300 million Tamiflu
treatments annually from 2007, after stepping up its production
capacity.
After positive trial results in Europe, Chiron has initiated a US
Phase I/II study of a new flu vaccine offering faster production in
the event of an vaccine supply shortfall or an avian flu pandemic.
Clinical trials for what may be the first effective culture-based
vaccine against the highly-pathogenic avian influenza viruses will
begin in Norway in Spring 2006.
DelSite Biotechnologies has filed a Drug Master File (DMF) with the
US Food and Drug Administration for an excipient used for drug
delivery - called GelSite - used to formulate vaccines, proteins
and peptide drugs that are delivered...
Novavax and Wave Biotech are to collaborate on the development of a
commercial scale production process for the former's pandemic
influenza virus vaccine and other biological products.
GlaxoSmithKline has acquired a manufacturing facility in the USA
from Wyeth, and will invest at least $100 million (€80m) to develop
and produce flu vaccines at the site using new tissue culture
technology.
Britiain's largest drugsmaker, GlaxoSmithKline, announced it is to
expand its ability to increase vaccines supplies by acquiring a
vaccine research and production facility from rivals Wyeth.
The world's second largest pharmaceutical company, GlaxoSmithKline,
is investing close to €100 million in a new manufacturing facility
in Dresden, Germany, for flu vaccines.
Chiron says it will be unable to supply any Begrivac influenza
vaccine to markets outside the US during the 2005/6 flu season,
just days after admitting it has sterility problems at a
manufacturing plant.
Sanofi Pasteur is to increase US influenza vaccine capacity as
plans to construct a new plant get underway. The new facility is
expected to be up and running in time for the 2009 influenza season
creating more than 100 new production...
US drugmaker Chiron is facing a significant shortfall in the volume
of influenza vaccine it will be able to ship to markets outside the
US as a result of sterility problems uncovered at another of its
manufacturing plants, reports...
Concern over the threat of a new flu pandemic is hiking demand for
Roche's Tamiflu >(oseltamivir phosphate) product to the extent
that the firm needs to build another production plant, reports
Phil Taylor.
Able Laboratories has announced sweeping job cuts across its
manufacturing division in the wake of the quality control problems
emerging at its plant in the US, reports Phil Taylor.
Sanofi-Aventis subsidiary Sanofi Pasteur, has been awarded a $97m
(€75m) contract to accelerate the production process for new cell
culture influenza vaccines in the US and the design of a US-based
cell-culture vaccine manufacturing...
The UK regulatory authorities have cleared Chiron to resume
production of its influenza vaccine Fluvirin at its facility in
Liverpool, lifting a ban imposed in October because of
contamination problems at the plant.
The UK government intends to purchase a stockpile of anti-flu drugs
to treat 14.6 million people over the next two years as part of the
UK's preparedness for an influenza pandemic.
The latest case of the bird flu passing from human-to-human is
likely to be the first of many after researchers concluded a victim
of the virus may have contracted the disease from her daughter.
Chiron said yesterday that the UK and US regulatory authorities are
expected to conduct a series of inspections of its manufacturing
facility in Liverpool, which was forced to cease production of
influenza vaccines last year, leading...
News that the outbreak of avian flu in Asia today claimed its
twelfth victim - and unconfirmed suggestions that it may be spread
from human to human - has lent additional urgency to efforts to
develop a vaccine against the virus.
Dutch biotechnology company Crucell has appointed a new chief
execvutive as it continues its transition from a company
specialising in enabling technologies to one focuused on product
development.
Akzo Nobel opened a new biotech vaccines production facility in
Boxmeer, the Netherlands, yesterday, that signposts a new ambition
in human vaccines for the group.
Like many life sciences companies before it, Crucell of the
Netherlands has started a major shift in strategy from a technology
platform company to one involved in in-house product development.
Could this put pressure on its well-established...
Belgian pharmaceutical and chemicals firm Solvay expects to launch
a new version of its Influvac brand flu vaccine, based on a novel
cell-based production process, in 2005. The speed of the new
process means that a vaccine can be...