Several companies in the biopharmaceutical technology arena are
championing the concept of disposable manufacturing as a simple,
cost-effective way of making biologic drugs. But data on the actual
cost benefits of adopting this approach...
UK-based Lonza Biologics has extended its agreement with Chromos
Molecular Systems for non-exclusive access to the Canadian firm's
ACE System, technology that speeds up the time researchers need to
isolate cell lines.
A US partnership is hoping that rights to a new gene delivery
system will help it to develop avian transgenic technology as an
efficient and cost-effective biomanufacturing platform for the
production of human therapeutic protein...
Beckman Coulter, the leading manufacturer of instrument systems and
automated laboratory processes, has launched two new laboratory
automation workstations which promise to set new standards in
accuracy and precision of assays.
Biotrove has reported promising data from a study of its Living
Chip microfluidic technology used to generate genotyping data from
human genomic samples. Their high-density array chip promises to
hike the throughout rate for this...
The opening up of the European market for thermal cyclers earlier
this month has been followed swiftly by the launch of a new product
in the category from Germany's MWG Biotech, reports Phil
Taylor.
New filtration products for biopharmaceutical development and
production were unveiled at last week's Interphex 2004 exhibition
in New York by two of the main players in the sector - Pall and
Millipore.
Researchers in Austria have deciphered the first steps involved in
the attachment of sugar groups to proteins - a process known as
glycoslation - which could open the door to making a broad range of
human proteins in bacteria, writes...
A new means of purifying air based on a simple electronic device
could mount a significant challenge to established players such as
ultraviolet light and HEPA filters, according to analysts.
As the Interphex 2004 exhibition in New York, US, comes to a close,
In-Pharmatechnologist.com takes a look at the crop of new
products rolled out in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector.
Microfluidics has launched the first research-scale versions of its
patented High-Pressure Multiple Stream Mixer Reactor (MMR), claimed
to create uniform particles smaller than anything achieved using
current technologies.
Hosokawa Micron has developed a grinding mill for pharmaceutical
applications that ties in with the industry-wide trend towards
using flexible, multipurpose production units.
An analysis technology developed by Viscotek can slice days off the
time it takes to carry out research and quality control into drug
delivery systems based on polymers.
Pall has been granted European Union and US approval for a
purification process used in biopharmaceutical production that can
reduce the batch testing requirements of manufacturers, as well as
reducing the risk of virus contamination.
Amersham Biosciences has launched its AKTAxpress system for
high-throughput protein purification, claiming that it can process
samples at four- to eight-times the rate of any other system on the
market, writes Phil Taylor.
A new flexible coupling promises to make the handling of toxic and
high potency compounds safer, and is a cheaper option than current
rigid containment devices, according to its manufacturer.
US company Waters Corporation will this week unveil its
next-generation liquid chromatograph, said to significantly improve
productivity in the lab by giving scientists chromatographic run
times up to nine times shorter than the fastest...
As the annual Pittcon laboratory analysis showcase gets underway
this week, a string of products with applications in drug discovery
have been introduced, including new tools for proteomics and the
first commercial analysis system...
Switzerland's Buchi has launched a small-scale oven for
freeze-drying samples that puts the technology within reach of
laboratories that might baulk at the cost of investing in a larger
system.
A laboratory-scale capsule filling machine that, for the first
time, allows reproducible scale-up of powder dosing to full size
production models, has been launched in the UK by Sussex &
Berkshire Machinery.
A swallowable remote controlled capsule that can test the
absorption of a drug from different parts of the gastrointestinal
tract could help companies extend the patented lifespan of their
products, according to a new report.
A new range of polyurethane resin-based floor systems that combines
an antimicrobial layer has been launched. Manufacturer John Lord
claims that this new innovation can help manufacturers reduce the
level of bacterial contamination...
Fast-melt tablets are a growing category in oral drug delivery,
driven by their ease of use. To date, products of this type have
needed specialised packaging to ensure they arrive at the consumer
in good condition, but a new technology...
Switzerland's Roche made a piece of medical history on Friday after
receiving the first approval for a drug designed to treat cancer
blocking the growth of blood vessels required to feed a growing
tumour.
Switzerland's Dr Schleuniger Pharmatron has launched a new handling
system for its 8M testing machine that reduces the amount of
operator time to conduct quality control of the weight, thickness,
diameter and hardness of tablets.
Scientists in the US have developed a new software package that can
predict the activity of enzymes, potentially improving the design
of new drugs and industrial reagents.
Dow Chemical has taken a step forward in its plans to build up a
strong franchise in plant-based pharmaceutical production with the
signing of a contract to manufacture a new appetite suppressant.
UK firm Hanovia has developed a way of sterilising the air in
pharmaceutical cleanrooms - which have standards more stringent
than even hospital operating theatres - using ultraviolet light.
UK laboratory equipment specialist Lab-Plant says it can bring
process automation within the reach of the majority of
laboratories, pilot plants and mini-production facilities with the
launch of its Lab Manager process control computer...
Newly formed UK company Structure Vision has launched a software
package designed to analyse the behaviour of particulate material -
including powders and tablets - in enclosed spaces.
UK tablet press and coating machine specialist Manesty will
introduce another product in its Xpress range at the TOTAL 2004
show next month as it navigates the sea-change in its business that
has emerged over the last few years.
Eastman Chemical has extended its agreement with Johnson Matthey
subsidiary Alfa Aesar in a move that will for the first time make
its proprietary BoPhoz catalyst ligands available in research
quantities.
Germany's Azo has developed a new automated system for dosing
additives and minor ingredients in the pharmaceutical production
process that should allow companies to make cost savings.
UK-based Avecia, Europe's largest privately owned chemicals
company, has teamed up with Germany's IEP to develop new synthetic
routes for pharmaceutical intermediates using biocatalysis.
A cell culture vessel designed by Taiwanese company CESCO
Bioengineering can produce the same amount of cells in a single
500ml bottle as would be made in 20 or more conventional roller
bottles, according to the company which is introducing...
Switzerland's Lonza has negotiated exclusive rights to an
expression system, used in the manufacture of therapeutic proteins,
that could be used to shorten the development time for its
customers' biologic products.
Tecan of Switzerland's US subsidiary has launched Cellerity, a new
system designed to produce a ready supply of cells for cell-based
assays, at the LabAutomation 2004 exhibition, which opened its
doors yesterday.
Agilent Technologies has launched a software package to help drug
companies keep a close eye on the quality of chemical compounds.
The firm says the product is the first of its kind, allowing a more
than seven-fold increase in the...
Millipore has teamed up with HyClone Laboratories in an alliance
that brings the concept of disposable factory for
biopharmaceuticals production a step closer.
Eksigent Technologies is launching a new high-pressure liquid
chromatography system in March that can increase throughput
compared to rival HPLC systems as much as six-fold.
Australia's Gradipore has been boosted by news that its Gradiflow
separation technology has been scaled up to produce commercial
quantities of an antibody from source plasma.
BioCatalytics has expanded its product line of enzymes for chemical
synthesis with the addition of new ketoreductases (KRED) enzymes
for the stereoselective reduction of ketones.
Dowpharma has developed new strains of the bacterium Pseudomonas
fluorescens that can be used to improve the yield of
recombinant proteins made in fermentation vats.
Amersham Biosciences has responded to competition in the
marketplace for purifying tagged proteins with the launch of Ni
Sepharose, a new affinity chromatography medium.
Applied Biosystems has launched a new product, based on the
combination of a new set of reagents with a software package, that
promises to speed up genotyping studies carried out on the firm's
3730 and 3730xl analysers, first...
Affymetrix and liquid-handling specialist Caliper Technologies -
now renamed Caliper Life Sciences - are collaborating on ways of
automating genomics research carried out using microarrays.
