Bulk ingredients

Lubrizol buys Particle Sciences to build in device and formulations contracting space

09-Sep-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Berkshire Hathaway-owned Lubrizol has bought drug formulation and device contractor Particle Sciences.

AMRI boosts opiate API biz through tech transfer and supply deal with Saneca

01-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

AMRI has inked a deal with Slovakia’s Saneca Pharmaceuticals to bolster its opium-derived API portfolio.

Shire to use new suppliers to up production of HAE drug filtered from US plasma

28-Aug-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Shire will use contractors to increase production of Cinryze, the half billion dollar-a-year Hereditary Angioedema (HAE) drug it bought with ViroPharma in 2014.

Hepalink adding biologics CDMO Cytovance in $200m acquisition

28-Aug-2015 By Dan Stanton

API supplier Hepalink will buy Cytovance for $206m (€183m) in a deal the biologics CDMO says will help expedite its expansion plans.

Merck KGaA closes Indian bio supplies subsidiary

26-Aug-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Merck Millipore says it has closed the Bangalore plant which produced its GeNei brand of biologics manufacturing and R&D supplies.

Hemispherx secures replacement for blood cell supplier BioLife

24-Aug-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Hemispherx has signed supply deals with US blood centres to address supply issues that delayed relaunch of genital wart drug, Alferon.

Pfizer’s $17bn Hospira deal set to close in September after US FTC clearance

24-Aug-2015 By Dan Stanton

Pfizer has received the final regulatory clearances to acquire Hospira but the US FTC says it must divests four sterile injectable products.

Xellia moves US HQ to North Carolina

20-Aug-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Anti-infectives firm Xellia has moved its North American HQ to the lyophilisation plant in Raleigh, North Carolina that it bought from Fresenius Kabi last July.

Pharma plants strike in Pakistan to protest QC rule changes

19-Aug-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Pakistani pharmaceutical manufacturers are today halting production in protest at changes to manufacturing regulations.

Pfenex, Emergent win multi-million dollar US government contracts

18-Aug-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Contract manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions and biosimilar developer Pfenex have both announced in recent days that they’ve won contract manufacturing and development grants with the US government.

Excipient manufacturers raise concerns over stability testing

13-Aug-2015 By Phil Taylor

Manufacturers of excipients are being sent inappropriate requests for stability data by some regulators and pharma companies, threatening to disrupt the supply chain, IPEC claims.

CMO use on the up, low margins ahead

12-Aug-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Contract manufacturing will rise over the next five years as drugmakers feel the pressure to reduce supply chain time, and choose to focus on in-house R&D rather than conduct their own manufacturing.

AMRI acquisitions driving up contract revenue in Q2

05-Aug-2015 By Zachary Brennan

With contract revenue growth of nearly 40%, CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) AMRI is seeing its acquisitions of OsoBio, two Aptuit facilities and a UK aseptic facility pay off.

Patheon sells chemicals sites to focus on pharma ahead of IPO

24-Jul-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Patheon has sold a production plant in Italy to LIVIA and agreed to a management buyout at a site in Austria as it prepares to go public.

Chicago CMO opens potent small molecule site

23-Jul-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Contract manufacturing organisation Regis Technologies has added an HPAPI (highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredient) service.

Lonza: global hedge helped offset currency exposure but Visp still a risk

22-Jul-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Lonza has reported higher revenues and profits for H1 2015, but warned that the strength of the Swiss franc means its Visp facility is still finding it hard to compete.

Gadea's steroid intermediates biz means AMRI not reliant on Asian suppliers say execs

20-Jul-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

AMRI has bought Spanish contractor Gadea Pharmaceutical Group for $174m (€160m) to add muscle to its steroid API business and sign up more customers outside the US.

Green GMP criteria would help responsible API firms compete with polluters says DSM Sinochem

20-Jul-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

API firms that invest in waste management find it hard to compete with those that pollute according to DSM Sinochem, which wants environmental criteria included in GMP standards for environmental and business reasons.

Eisai to transfer RTP manufacturing campus to Biogen, plans 35 layoffs

17-Jul-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Eisai has agreed to transfer ownership of its Research Triangle Park (RTP) manufacturing campus to Biogen, which will continue to manufacture oral solid-dose products and parenteral products at the sites for Eisai.

Nordea mulling holdings in drugmakers that source APIs from water polluters

16-Jul-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Drugmakers risk losing financial backing if they source APIs from Indian suppliers that pollute according to Nordea Asset Management's head of responsible investments, Sasja Beslik.

Environmental group welcomes DSM-Sinochem and GSK efforts to halt spread of antibiotic resistance

13-Jul-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Antibiotic API makers have an obligation to ensure their activities do not spread resistance says a group that welcomed DSM-Sinochem’s commitment to environmentally-friendly production.

ScinoPharm to make API for Chinese drugmaker eyeing US celecoxib market

22-Jun-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Raffles PharmaTech has contracted ScinoPharm to make the API for a generic version of the arthritis pain drug celecoxib being developed for the US market.

Slovenian regulators slam Polydrug API plant in India

17-Jun-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Polydrug Laboratories chose not to log customer complaints about APIs made at its plants in Maharashtra according to Slovenian regulators.

Charles River raises questions about its own supply chain

11-Jun-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Minerals used to manufacture two of Charles River Laboratories’ products may be derived from questionable sources in Africa, though following a review of suppliers, the company has yet to fully understand where exactly they’re coming from, according to...

Patheon looks to go public with $100m IPO

09-Jun-2015 By Zachary Brennan

US-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Patheon has registered with the SEC as part of plans to go public with an IPO that could be worth as much as $100m.

PE group Water Street sets up contract pharma services unit aimed at generic drugmakers

01-Jun-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Water Street Healthcare Partners has set up a contract services firm to make products for an unnamed generic drugmaker.

$100m API investment a boost to Gilead's in-house capacity

28-May-2015 By Dan Stanton

Sovaldi maker Gilead Sciences has opened a new laboratory and is investing a further $100m (€91m) for API manufacturing at its site in Canada.

Grace: silica gel plant certification will cut customer audit burden

26-May-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

WR Grace says certification for its excipient plant in Germany will reduce the audit burden faced by drug industry customers.

Biologics and R&D investment driving freeze-drying demand says Symbiosis

21-May-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Biologics and focused R&D spending are driving the market for lyophilisation according to Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services, which says its freeze-drying tech investment reflects this surge in demand.

European freeze-drying market heats up: Symbiosis invests citing high demand

19-May-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Symbiosis Pharmaceutical Services has launched a bulk freeze drying offering for APIs and intermediates, citing new contracts as a driver for the investment.

SAFC expands ADC and bulk drug manufacturing in CA, MO

13-May-2015 By Fiona BARRY

SAFC has announced investments in gene therapy manufacturing sites in Missouri and California.

API firms stand to gain by seeking prequalification says the WHO

05-May-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Persuading API manufacturers to seek prequalification is a challenge according to the WHO, which wants to raise awarness about the process and the positive impact it has on a suppliers' reputation.

Indian API and generics firms want a bigger share of the Japanese market

04-May-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Indian generics firms see opportunities in the Japanese drug market according to a trade delegation that visited Tokyo last week seeking supply contracts.

Lonza predicts growth despite strong Swiss franc in 2015

29-Apr-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Lonza has predicted that revenues and profits will grow in 2015 despite the strong franc, citing pharma portfolio optimization and demand for outsourced manufacturing services.

People on the Move

Ex-GSK, Parexel execs join contract and services boards

23-Apr-2015 By Fiona BARRY

All the latest hires in outsourcing and contract pharmaceuticals.

What links gin, 1960s pop balladeer Donovan and Molecular Profiles?

13-Apr-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Molecular Profiles has changed its name to Juniper Pharma Services in a move designed to facilitate further expansion in the US.

Almac to relocate protein business to up capacity and add new services

13-Apr-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Almac will transfer its custom peptide manufacturing business to a site at the Edinburgh Technopole business park in Scotland’s capital in a £3.5m move designed to expand capacity.

Aptuit to expand API capacity in UK, Italy due to increasing demand

06-Apr-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Connecticut-based CMO Aptuit opened a 1600L/1000L reactor stream at its API facility in Oxford, UK, and increased throughput at its 400L reactors at its site in Verona, Italy.

WuXi sells small share of CMO subsidiary for $28m

06-Apr-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Chinese service provider WuXi PharmaTech has sold a 5.55% stake in its wholly owned CMO (contract manufacturing organization) subsidiary SynTheAll Pharmaceutical (STA) to members of STA’s and WuXi’s management for $28m.

‘Game changer’: latest GDP rules spell full traceability for APIs

26-Mar-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Makers and distributors of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients) will have to track their products throughout the supply chain and meet rules on cold chain transport and outsourcing under revised guidance from the European Commission.

Rise in outsourcing to lead to further CMO consolidation, DPx CEO says

18-Mar-2015 By Zachary Brennan

The CMO (contract manufacturing organization) industry is ripe for consolidation as the rise in outsourcing continues and clients look to simplify their supply chains, DPx CEO James Mullen told Outsourcing-Pharma.com on Wednesday.

AMRI sets sights on acquiring Indian API manufacturer, CEO says

11-Mar-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Following its three acquisitions over the last year, AMRI is now looking to extend its footprint into India further with the acquisition of a FDA-approved API site, William Marth, president and CEO of AMRI, told attendees at the Barclays Global Healthcare...

Patheon: Irix deal about US and Canadian customer demand for local APIs; all staff to be retained

05-Mar-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Irix Pharmaceuticals will cater for North American customers’ desire for local supply according to Patheon, which says it plans to retain the API firm’s 180 staff.

Patheon has bought hard-to-make API specialist Irix Pharmaceuticals

04-Mar-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Patheon has bought hard-to-manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) specialist, Irix Pharmaceuticals.

VWR expands deal with enzymes firm NEB in latest biopharma-focused expansion

03-Mar-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

VWR has expanded its distribution deal with industrial enzymes firm New England Biolabs (NEB) in its latest biopharma-focused move.

Sun Pharma goes after opiates with deal to buy GSK’s Aus business

03-Mar-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Indian giant Sun Pharma has bought GSK’s Australian Opiates business.

UK R&D firm patents biologics powder storage technique

27-Feb-2015 By Fiona BARRY

XstalBio, a private biopharma services company, has patented the use of stabilisers in the manufacture of dry powders for biopharmaceuticals – an alternative to freeze-drying or spray-drying techniques.

Japanese companies acquire CMO KBI Biopharma

26-Feb-2015 By Zachary Brennan

Tokyo-based CMIC Holdings Co., Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), and JSR have agreed to acquire KBI Biopharma, a contract development and manufacturing organization with facilities in Durham and Research Triangle Park, North Carolina and...