The long-awaited break-up of Germany's Bayer has finally come to
pass with the decision to float the group's chemicals business on
the stock exchange within the next 18 months. But will this be the
end of the story for the...
Particle testing specialist Malvern Instruments has acquired
Bohlin, which focuses on the development and manufacture of
rheology systems; also sells PharmaVision 380 system to Altana.
The global market for bioprocessing is mirroring the phenomenal
growth of the biotechnology industry around the world, says a
recently-published report from D&MD Reports.
Degussa sees no signs of any let-up in the difficulties facing the
chemicals industry in the third quarter, with both sales and pretax
earnings continuing to slide.
Bespak of the UK, a specialist in inhalation devices for drug
delivery, has opened a new £10 million (€15m) facility at its
King's Lynn site for the manufacture of pMDIs.
Franco-German drugmaker Aventis has confirmed that it is seeking to
delay the divestment of its stake in the loss-making chemicals
major Rhodia, on the grounds that this willwreak havoc on the
latter's restructuring drive.
The completion of Degussa's reorganisation of its fine chemicals
activities into two separate business units heralds a raft of new
projects at the company.
Instruments specialist Mettler Toledo reports flat sales in a
difficult operating environment for the sector, but says that
investments in R&D should pay off going forward.
Bayer Chemicals became a separate legal entity from the rest of the
Bayer group just over one month ago, having operated as a virtual
company since the middle of 2002. The company gave its first press
conference at the CPhI meeting...
Flamel Technologies dips back into loss in the third quarter but
expects to be cash-flow positive for the year as a whole. License
and research revenues rise to $4.2m.
Israel's Teva plans to buy Sicor in a €2.9bn deal that will create
a powerhouse in generic pharmaceuticals and active pharmaceutical
ingredient manufacturing.
Scottish start-up PharmaImaging will begin providing gamma
scintigraphy imaging services to companies involved in Phase I drug
development in early 2004, with PET facilities coming on-line later
that year.
Cardinal Health has entered into a $400 million deal to acquire
Intercare Group of the UK that would provide it with a
significantly-expanded presence in the European market.
After a difficult period which has seen the departure of its chief
executive and first-half loss of €150 million, Rhodia took the
opportunity presented by the CphI meeting in Frankfurt, Germany, to
reassert its commitment to the pharmaceutical...
Canada-headquartered contract manufacturing company Patheon is now
offering the largest capacity in Europe for lyophilisation,
following the completion of a €60 million investment programme at
its facilities in Monza and Ferentino...
Danish chemical group Novo Nordisk will likely deliver a
'lacklustre' set of results for the first nine months of the year
but strong enough to put the company on track to deliver its
guidance of 'low single-digit EBIT...
Germany's Merck KGaA has almost completed the construction of a
€200 million plant that will provide a significant increase in the
company's organic synthesis business.
The market for protein and DNA purification kits is maturing, and
the pace of technological innovation has slowed, leaving dozens of
companies jostling for market share.
Cardinal Health posted higher earnings in the first quarter of
fiscal 2004, on the back of increased demand in its prescription
drug wholesale business but also some impressive gains at its
pharmaceutical technologies activities....
October has seen a rush by US biotechnology companies to list on
the stock markets, bringing to an end an Initial Public Offering
(IPO) drought lasting more than 18 months. Is Europe destined to
follow?
Biotechnology company Biovitrum has established a new business
unit, Biovitrum Biopharmaceuticals, to strengthen its position as a
supplier of process development and contract manufacture of
recombinant proteins. The move follows...
EaglePicher Pharmaceutical Services (EPPS) of the USA says it has
received $1.8 million (€1.5m) in late-stage development contracts
for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
Japan's Takeda is to invest Y15.0 billion (€117m) in its plant at
Hikari City, in anticipation of the closure of its Shonan facility
in at the end of March 2006.
Emerson Process Management has won a contract from Celltrion to
automate the first large scale biopharmaceuticals manufacturing
facility in South Korea.
Klöckner Pentaplast says it is currently installing rigid vinyl
film production capacity at its subsidiary, Pentaplast do Brasil,
with production set to start in the New Year.
US life science chemicals company Cambrex has altered the terms of
its agreement to sell Rutherford Chemicals and will make a slightly
higher loss on the new transaction.
Sartorius North America and KMI/Parexel International have formed
an alliance that will improve the geographic reach of their
biopharmaceutical production and consultancy services.
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.
Millipore has reported a hike in third quarter sales and profits on
the back of a revival in the biotechnology industry's fortunes, but
said this may not last to the end of the year.
Escalating inflation rates and price pressures are hitting the
profit margins of positive displacement pump manufacturers and
inhibiting R&D, says new study.
The market for retractable syringes designed to prevent needlestick
injuries is set for explosive growth and could expand nearly
seven-fold by 2006, according to a new report.
Switzerland's Roche is subject to a fresh legal challenge over its
patent position in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, this
time from Applera unit Applied Biosystems.
Chugai says it is building facilities that will give it the largest
bioreactor capacity for biologicals production - at 85,000L - of
any company in the world by 2007.
Sweden's Pyrosequencing has entered into an agreement to buy
prification and separation specialist Biotage, a subsidiary of Dyax
of the USA, for $35 million.
DPS Engineering, an Irish engineering firm which specialises in
providing services to the pharmaceutical sector says it is planning
to create 250 jobs over the next five years as it continues a major
growth phase in its business in...
Process manufacturing industries are not responding to a clear need
to improve the information flow between the different parts of
their businesses leading to costly plant shutdowns, says a new
survey commissioned by BASF IT Services.
After Amersham confirmed yesterday that it had received a bid from
an unnamed suitor wishing to buy the entire company, its shares
rose more than 16 per cent; both J&J and Roche are in the
rumour mill.
Troubled chemicals group Rhodia sees its CEO depart as the company
announces another restructuring round that will see €600m in
divestments by end-2004.
