Crestor (rosuvastatin), the 'superstatin' developed by AstraZeneca,
has been recommended for approval by a US Food and Drug
Administration advisory panel.
A technique known as electron momentum spectroscopy may provide a
means of improving rational drug design by allowing direct
measurement of the wavefunction of large molecules.
Chiron's has completed its acquisition of UK vaccine and drug
delivery specialist PowderJect, making it the second-largest
manufacturer of flu vaccines worldwide.
BASF has put forwards environmental and safety standards that will
see it comfortably meet and exceed the pledges for greenhouse gas
emissions laid down by the Kyoto Protocol. The firm stresses the
need for a voluntary system of control,...
In the second piece of news today on RNAi, Qiagen is to collaborate
with Intradigm on RNAi compounds for use as drug discovery tools
and potential therapeutics.
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals of the USA has linked up with Germany's
Ribopharma to create what it claims is a world leading company in
the development of RNAi-based therapeutics. First drug may be in
trials this year.
Roche has licensed exclusive marketing rights outside the USA to
Avastin (bevacizumab), a drug for colorectal cancer, from
Genentech. The latter company will retain all rights to the drug in
its home market.
Schering has been granted approval throughout the European Union
for Angeliq (oestradiol and drospirenone), its new low-dose hormone
replacement therapy.
The number of UK cancer patients taking part in clinical trials has
risen over 70 per cent in recent years, but this trend will be
threatened if the EU adopts its proposals on GCP
Exiqon has signed up a new distribution partner, Link Technologies,
for its locked nucleic acid (LNA) phosphoramidate reagents, used in
genomics research.
Whatman has decided to wind down the operations of its German
subsidiary Biometra, taking a £10.1 million charge in the process.
The move fends off a patent infringement challenge from Applied
Biosystems.
Australia's Biotechnology Frontiers is awarded a A$780,000 grant to
develop a microbiological quality control tool that can be used in
the pharma and food industries.
Caliper Technologies has been given the go-ahead by the US federal
Trade Commission for its $71 million cash and stock acquisition of
Zymark, a specialist in laboratory automation and robotics
equipment.
Akzo Nobel received a knock-back from the US Food and Drug
Administration after the agency asked for more information before
approving a ready-to-use version of the firm's fertility drug
Follistim.
DSM has taken a 25 per cent interest in Nijmegen, Netherlands-based
Chiralix in move which both expands DSM's capabilities in
early-stage drug development and Chiralix' position in
stereochemistry
The shift towards full automation with ready-to-use separation
devices is the first step on the path to a completely disposable
manufacturing process, says Millipore
Ultrasound monitoring of process column chromatography can lead to
significant improvements in productivity, lower costs and greater
drug purity, says study
Microbiology specialist Biotrace has continued its expansion into
the healthcare sector with the acquisition of Denmark's Maltec,
helping it to target Scandinavia's strong pharma sector
A UK Phase I trial has been initiated for XR5944 (also known as
MLN944), a DNA targeting agent under evaluation for the treatment
of advanced cancers. The product is under development by USA-based
firm Millennium Pharmaceuticals and...
Finland's Jurilab has developed a new microarray product designed
for use in DME (drug metabolism enzyme) testing, and also signed up
its first customer for the technology.
The UK biotechnology industry is gearing up for yet another bout of
consolidation with the news that British Biotech has made a £48
million (€73m) offer for Vernalis.
Pfizer is considering the sale of its Pharmacia Diagnostics
business, acquired alongside the rest of Pharmacia in a $60 billion
deal that concluded in April.
The European Commission has issued its long-awaited response to the
G10 Medicines Report, intended as a blueprint for improving the
European pharmaceutical industry's competitiveness while ensuring
high levels of public health...
Switzerland's Tecan has introduced a range of laboratory automation
workstations, under the Freedom EVO banner, which are designed to
provide fluid handling applications in genomics, proteomics, drug
discovery and clinical diagnostics.
The market for antibacterial drugs is becoming increasingly
unattractive to major pharmaceutical companies, despite continued
strong worldwide demand for these products and the growing threat
of bacterial resistance, according to...
Former Yugoslav prime minister Milan Panic, who until recently had
been at the helm of ICN Pharmaceuticals for 42 years, has bought
the ICN Biomedicals division for $15 million.
Invitrogen has made a cash offer for fellow US company Molecular
Probes in a deal which would give the firm a very strong presence
in fluorescence reagents for use in labelling molecules for
biological research and drug discovery.
Syrrx has determined the atomic structure of c-Kit kinase, a
receptor-associated tyrosine kinase which has been associated with
a number of malignant cancers.
Argonaut Technologies has introduced a new resin-bound reagent,
MP-TsO-TEMPO that enables medicinal chemists to introduce diversity
into chemical libraries with high purity and yields.
Iceland's deCODE genetics has initiated high-throughput screening
on its Neuregulin 1 pathway targets in schizophrenia in
collaboration with partner Roche.
GlaxoSmithKline has opened an ultra-high-throughput screening
facility at its site in Tres Cantos, Spain, marking a significant
milestone in the company's bid to develop a more industrialised
approach to the process of drug discovery.
Novo Nordisk has sent out the first batch of bulk insulin from a
new facility at its site in Kalundborg, Denmark, that is producing
more than a third of the world's supply.
A new formulation of GlaxoSmithKline's Parkinson's disease drug
Requip (ropinirole), developed with UK drug delivery specialist
SkyePharma, has entered Phase III testing.
Italian drug delivery specialist Eurand has made a foray into the
market for fast-melt oral tablets that dissolve quickly in the
mouth without chewing or the need for water.
A closed system that prevents the exposure of healthcare workers to
hazardous anticancer drugs, developed by Sweden's Carmel Pharma,
has been introduced in the USA by Baxa.
For the first time, German chemicals and pharmaceuticals major
Bayer is offering a range of products and services from its
biotechnology division to third-party customers
The resurgence of merger and acquisition activity in the biotech
industry shows little sign of letting up, with US companies IDEC
Pharmaceuticals and Biogen the latest to step up to the altar
Brookfield has introduced the YR-1 Rheometer, designed to provide a
simple to operate, low-cost alternative to full-featured laboratory
rheometers for quality control applications
The market for cell culture products is getting a lift from
stringent regulations from the US FDA and Department of
Agriculture, restricting the importation and usage of foetal bovine
serum
Centocor forged a deal with Biolex in which the latter firm will
examine the feasibility of producing three therapeutic proteins
using a proprietary plant-based expression system
There is a growing trend towards patients self-medicating with
over-the-counter products rather than asking their doctors for a
prescription medication, and this promises to benefit companies
involved in pharmaceutical packaging,...
A conference on 1 July will provide an update on the UK Medicines
and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Best Practice Guidance on
the Labelling and Packaging of Medicines
US company Nashai Biotech has developed a new process that
preserves and protects theaflavins, compounds found in tea, when
they are formulated into powders or liquids
