In contrast to conventional wisdom, stirring a mix of granular
ingredients faster or longer in the manufacturing of
pharmaceuticals is not the key to getting a smooth blend.
Curvaceous Software will showcase its recently launched process
analytical technology (PAT) package at next week's World Pharma IT
congress in London, UK.
An experimental drug that block signals promoting uncontrolled
growth of blood cells, characteristic of Myeloproliferative Disease
(MPD) reported improvement in a sufferer's symptoms raising the
possibility of an effective cancer...
Solvay subsidiary Peptisyntha is boosting its capacity to make
peptides at its facilities in California, US, in anticipation of
increasing numbers of drugs in this class coming through to market.
Kyowa Hakko Kogyo has developed a new process for manufacturing
amino acid dimers - also known as di-peptides - that could increase
their use as components in infusions and enteral nutrition
products.
Freeman Technology is gearing up to launch the first in a new range
of accessories for its FT4 powder rheometer that are designed to
bring it into the age of industrial automation.
Drug major Roche has licensed a technology developed by Glycart
Biotechnology that makes antibody-based drugs more effective by
making them resemble natural human antibodies more closely.
Rhodia Pharma Solutions is reducing the workforce at its Dudley
site in the UK by up to 85 jobs in a continuing shake-up of the
company's custom manufacturing and intermediates business.
Hoerbiger-Origa of Germany, which specialises in automation systems
of industrial applications, has launched a new modular belt-driven
linear actuator for heavy-duty applications that will compete with
rack and pinion drives.
Agilent has released a new module for its ChemStation Plus CDS
(chromatography data plus) software that falls into compliance with
internationally agreed guidelines on short- and long-term stability
studies.
The first molecular-scale images of DNA binding to an adenovirus
enzyme, a crucial step for a virus to cause infection, have been
produced, which shows how binding to DNA may stimulate the enzyme,
aiding to the design of new antiviral...
Japan's Showa Denko says it has developed a new catalyst for
synthesising alpha-tetralone, an important intermediate in the
production of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals, which could reduce
wastage.
Researchers in the UK and US have made a breakthrough by using
supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) as a reaction medium for the
preparation of molecules of interest to the pharmaceutical
industry. The result could be cleaner, greener...
Analytical instruments company Thermo Electron has completed the
acquisition of InnaPhase, a supplier of Laboratory Information
Management Systems (LIMS) for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology
markets, for approximately $65 million...
A newly-organised conference on building sustainability into
processing industries - focusing on improving environmental
performance without raising costs - will take place next year in
Delft, the Netherlands.
Proliant Biologicals has launched a new cell culture medium that
can be used for the production of monoclonal antibodies and other
proteins but is claimed to be more economical than a rival product.
Lloyd's Register Serentec has formed a new practice group to
provide process analytical technology (PAT) services to
pharmaceutical manufacturing clients worldwide.
Separation and filtration specialist Millipore has launched an
automated system for the rapid detection, response and resolution
of microbial contamination in manufacturing processes.
ELGA Process Water has announced a new addition to its ORION range
of packaged water purification systems for pharmaceutical and
cosmetics manufacturing, healthcare and biotechnology
Purification and filtration systems manufacturer Pall has reported
flat fiscal fourth-quarter earnings that missed analysts'
expectations, although group sales grew by 7 per cent to $504.5
million (€418m).
Scientists behind a three-year EU-funded project to create a remote
monitoring system for production machinery claims that the
technology is ready to be put into practice.
BASF says it has entered into a multi-million pound management
buyout deal for its specialist pharmaceutical ingredients
manufacturing business at Cramlington in Northumberland, UK.
BiODE has launched a new viscometer that can carry out
instantaneous sample and/or continuous in-process viscosity
measurements - all in real time - for process control in the
pharmaceutical and other industries.
Unichem Laboratories of India, a major supplier of active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished pharmaceuticals in
the country, has entered into an alliance that could see it
supplying generics into the US market.
As of next year, electronics manufacturers in Europe will be
required to take back and partially recycle old equipment.
Beginning in 2006, electronics must be completely lead-free. An
industry conference starting in Berlin, Germany...
Affymetrix, a specialist in chip-based laboratory tools, has
launched what it claims is the world's first microarray instrument
system for clinical diagnostics.
Germany's Vivascience has expanded its product range for
researchers working in the area of proteomics. In addition to its
existing products for 2D-PAGE (two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis) sample preparation,...
Niro Pharma Systems is launching a new tablet coating system that
promises to achieve a step forward in the evenness of tablet
coating and make the production of small batches for R&D more
cost effective.
A subsidiary of Switzerland's Serono has filed a lawsuit alleging
that gene activation technology used in the production of
Transkaryotic Therapies' biological drugs contravenes a US patent.
Rhodia Pharma Solutions' Chambers Works facility in New Jersey is
now up and running. The company supplies preclinical and clinical
trial materials and launch volumes of active pharmaceutical
ingredients (APIs) and intermediates...
Akzo Nobel has unveiled a plan to 'fix' its troubled
pharmaceuticals businesses, hit by patent expirations, safety
concerns with some core product lines and a difficult operating
environment for contract manufacturing of...
Labtronics has launched the latest addition to its Nexxis LAB suite
of products, promising complete automation to a whole host of
manual procedures as well as security features that make it ideally
suited to the controlled pharmaceutical...
Waters has started shipping its new 'ultra performance liquid
chromatography' (UPLC) system AcQuity, first introduced to the
laboratory sector at the Pittcon exhibition earlier this year and
the winner of the gold award...
A new unit operating at Clariant Pharmaceuticals in Germany will
boost the company's activities in the emerging field of
microreactor technology for the production of pharmaceutical
intermediates and active pharmaceutical ingredients...
Netherlands firm Pharming has acquired the patent portfolio of
former transgenic protein production specialist PPL Therapeutics,
at a stroke enhancing its proprietary position in this emerging
market.
New legislation handed down by the European Union is having an
impact on suppliers of laboratory equipment that includes
electrical or electronic components, reports Phil Taylor.
The taxane class of cancer drugs has established itself as a
mainstay in the treatment of a range of solid tumours, but to date
there are still only two of these compounds on the market.
WR Grace subsidiary The Separations Group has acquired Alltech
International in a move that raises its standing in the manufacture
and supply of chromatography products even further.
Canada's Chromos Molecular Systems has entered into a collaborative
agreement with Centocor, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Johnson &
Johnson, to develop cell lines for the manufacture of biological
drugs.
Catalyst company Chiral Quest has launched a new product,
C3-TunePhos, designed for use in the synthesis of a range of drugs,
including the cholesterol-lowering statin class.
Elchrom Scientific introduces a novel purification technology
enabling a greater yield of ultra pure siRNA synthetic
oligonucleotides at a faster turn around rate, rapidly increasing
siRNA oligonucleotides (oligos) quantity required...
Mettler Toledo, the world's largest manufacturer of weighing
instruments, has reported a healthy 8 per cent hike in sales for
the first half of 2004, helped by favourable currency factors.
In the wake of the divestment of its Dynamit Nobel chemicals
businesses, mg technologies of Germany has reported a modest
increase in sales for the first half of the year, helped by a good
performance from its GEA subsidiary.
Calling the next six months 'a critical period', the US Food and
Drug Administration's Acting Commissioner Lester Crawford has
unveiled a lengthy list of agency priorities, including continued
work on Good Manufacturing...
Cobra Biomanufacturing has received approval from the UK regulatory
authorities for its new clinical trial manufacturing facilities in
Oxford as well as its established unit in Keele.
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.
US company STERIS has achieved a significant breakthrough in
aseptic processing with the development of a method for
inactivating prions, the tiny, protein particles that cause
diseases such as CJD disease in humans.
Sensitech of the US has made another foray into the European market
for cold chain monitoring technologies with the acquisition of
Netherlands-based Temperature Data Systems.
