For the first time in its 30-year history, the biotechnology
industry in 2005 surpassed $60bn (€49bn) in revenues according to
Ernst & Young's 2006 Global Biotechnology Report, an astounding
growth considering that in 1996...
inVentiv Health (Formerly Ventiv Health) saw its fourth quarter
profits dive in 2005 by 37 per cent after being hit by higher
interest expenses and an income tax provision, however, the company
managed to increase its sales for the...
AstraZeneca has pulled the plug on a long-running service contract
with PDI, adding another blow to the company who last week reported
a dive from profit to loss in 2005, with a net loss of nearly $20m
(€16m), versus net income of...
Pharsight, a provider of software and strategic services for
clinical drug development, has seen its revenues dip for the second
quarter in a row due to lower-than-expected business from a top
client in its strategic consulting services...
A hiatus in leadership, changes in accounting rules and a
restructure in manufacturing have taken their toll on separations
specialist Whatman, whose sales growth for last year appears
stagnant, just 1 per cent up when adjusting for...
Laboratory equipment maker Thermo Electron saw its Q4 net income
fall 53 per cent to $56.5 (€47.2) m from $121.1 m a year ago due to
one-time tax charges, but new acquisitions and a surge in demand
for its instruments, particularly...
Quest Diagnostics, the US's leading provider of diagnostic testing,
information and services announced better than expected fourth
quarter results after increased clinical testing activity helped to
offset a weakness in its test...
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...
Millipore, manufacturers of purification systems used in drug
manufacture, posted lower forth-quarter profits, carrying over the
company's previous quarter's performance, after being hit by a
hefty one-off earnings charge.
Drug packaging maker West Pharmaceutical Services release its 3Q
results, which indicate a rise in profits but fell short of analyst
estimates, due to slow sales in some segments and high raw material
and energy costs.
Cardinal Health reported a mixed bag of results in its fourth
quarter, with revenues rising well on the back of rising demand for
its pharmaceutical distribution services, although operating profit
fell 9 per cent, in line with forecasts,...
Charles River Laboratories saw a double digit boost in fiscal
second quarter revenues with a leap in operating earnings, helped
by its acquisition of Inveresk Research Group, and also to
continuing strong demand for research models...
Dutch pharmaceuticals and chemicals giant Akzo Nobel reported
second-quarter sales of €3.34 billion, up 6 per cent from the
comparable period in 2004, thanks to price increases that overcame
flat volumes.
Charles River Laboratories saw a double-digit boost in fiscal first
quarter revenues reflecting a jump in operating earnings, helped by
its acquisition of Inveresk Research Group and the emerging trend
in outsourcing preclinical services.
Israeli drug and active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) company
Teva has reported a sharp increase in sales in 2004, helped in part
by last year's $3.4bn (€2.6bn) acquisition of Sicor.
The major laboratory supply companies in the US have a mixed bag of
results in the third quarter of 2004, with exceptional items eating
into profits as a consequence of M&A activity and
restructuring, reports Phil Taylor.
US life science company Serologicals' decision to enter into a
€167.6 million merger with cell signalling specialist Upstate looks
to have been the right one as its third quarter performance
indicates its increasing presence...
Building on a stronger start to the year, Germany's third largest
chemicals group reports continued growth into the second quarter
with an increase in demand pushing up sales and earnings.
Despite Thermo Electron reporting a Q2 revenue growth of 12 per
cent, organic revenue growth declined from 5 per cent in 1Q04 to 3
per cent in the second quarter, due in part to the company's sale
of its Optical Technologies...
US biotechnology company Invitrogen reported record second-quarter
revenue but warned that top-line growth for the rest of 2004 would
be less than expected, citing an increasingly competitive business
environment.
Dutch pharmaceuticals and chemicals group Akzo Nobel has reported a
small decline in sales in the first half of the year, although the
cost of ongoing restructuring caused net earnings to slump by
nearly a quarter to €245 million.
Charles River Laboratories has made a $1.5 billion (€1.2bn) bid to
acquire Inveresk Research in a deal that will create a contract
research powerhouse with nearly $1 billion in annual revenues,
writes Phil Taylor.
Yesterday, German chemicals group Degussa said that it had got off
to a good start financially in 2004. Today, the company provided a
more detailed breakdown of the first-quarter results which shows
the fine chemicals division still...
Two leading central and eastern European pharma firms - both
producing both generic and branded drugs and active pharmaceuticals
- post results this week. Their results suggest CEE firms should
focus on foreign markets as pricing...
The raft of US laboratory equipment and consumables companies
reporting results for the first quarter of 2004 this week provides
convincing evidence that demand for these products has returned
among the pharmaceutical and biotechnology...
Nucleic acid specialist Qiagen has reported a strong growth in
sales and profits for the fourth quarter of 2003, providing another
indication that the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry's
investment in R&D may be recovering.
Fisher Scientific, the US-based science and laboratory products
group, hinted earlier this week that it may be looking to make
another acquisition, despite its prediction of a period of
consolidation in the wake of its $714 million...
US packaging giant MeadWestvaco has reported a 38 per cent increase
in fourth-quarter profits, helped by cost-cutting, cash from the
sale of forest land and strong sales of consumer packaging
materials.
Filtration specialist Millipore has reported strong growth in sales
in the fourth quarter of 2003, suggesting that the fortunes of the
biopharmaceutical industry - Millipore's primary customer - may be
on the up.
Tecan's third-quarter results reveal a mixed picture across the
group, with proteomics/genomics put in a good good performance but
drug discovery sales fell by a quarter.
PerkinElmer sees the benefit of a cost-cutting effort in its
third-quarter results as net income rises 45 per cent, but
biopharma puts in a lacklustre performance.
Dutch pharmaceuticals, chemicals and coatings group Akzo Nobel has
reported a 23 per cent decline in third-quarter earnings, roughly
in line with expectations, on the back of continued pressure on its
pharmaceuticals division.
Gradipore has reported a 65 per cent increase in sales for the year
ended 30 June, but said that it was disappointed by the figures,
which did not meet its expectations.
Degussa follows its peers in the speciality chemicals industry by
posting weak interim results held back by currency factors, raw
material costs and lower demand.
Balchem reported a small rise in net sales, up 3 per cent overall
during the first quarter of 2003, but said it was pleased with
results in light of the continued difficult economic environment.
Net earnings at the New York-based...
Millipore, which specialises in providing technologies, tools and
services for the discovery, development and production of new
therapeutic drugs, has reported first-quarter 2003 sales of $187
million (€173 million), up 13 per cent...