In the economic downturn biotechs have cut back on outsourcing to Asia and opted to use the US instead because they lack the resources to manage overseas relationships, according to a SOCMA representative.
Helvoet Pharma is to build a €14m ($19m) rubber parenteral packaging component facility in India to meet rising demand for products made to international quality standards.
West Pharmaceutical Services reported strong fourth quarter results, underpinned by demand for H1N1 components, but still posted a dip in operating income for its 2009 financial year.
US CDMO Avrio Biopharmaceuticals’ new aseptic fill-and-finish facility in Irvine, California has been approved for the manufacture of biologics by state drug regulators.
Almac Pharma Services has bolstered its product development offering with a new Xcelodose 600s precision powder micro-dosing system that, it claims, can cut processing time, API usage and costs.
New Jersey, US-based contractors Catalent Pharma Solutions and Compass Pharma Services expanded their respective blister pack offerings last week, both citing growing drug industry demand.
Cambridge Consultants (CC) says experience developing auto-injector technologies was critical to its contract appraisal work during Consort Medical’s £16.8m (€11.5m) takeover of The Medical House (TMH).
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has given partial approval for Amcor’s takeover of Alcan after announcing it would now limit its review to Alcan’s Medical Flexible operations.
Genzyme is outsourcing fill and finish manufacturing of several major drugs to Hospira in response to in-house difficulties at its Allston Landing facility in Boston, Massachusetts, US.
Rexam will close its pill and tablet bottle making facility in New Hampshire, US by the end of the year to further align global plastics operations according to new CEO Graham Chipchase
Patheon says a slowdown in “outsourcing decision making,” manufacturing problems in Puerto Rico and cost related to JLL’s takeover bid hurt it in fiscal 09.
Sanofi Aventis has revamped operations at its sterile injectables plant in Le Trait, France, adding three new production units that double syringe making capacity and diversify its vaccine manufacturing capability.
CDMO Haupt Pharma has invested in a combined heat and power unit (CPHU) for its site in Wolfratshausen, Germany, which is now expected to produce 14 per cent less CO2 a year.
CMO Vetter Pharma has expanded its manufacturing capacity with a new in Illinois, US that it says brings it closer to customers and will allow it to collaborate with clients earlier in the drug development process.
Patheon and JLL are to end the legal actions between them by entering into a litigation settlement which establishes a board of directors and limits JLL acquiring additional restricted voting shares before April 27 2012.
Unilife Medical Solutions has filed US patents for Unifill Select, which it claims is the first ready-to-fill (RTF) syringe specifically designed for vaccine delivery.
The recent wave of M&A will lead to manufacturing over-capacity at pharma companies but only a small number of these sites will be sold to CMOs, in part because of the facilities’ suboptimal locations, according to a report.
The market for contract manufacturing organisations (CMO) will be worth $33.7bn (€22.4bn) by 2014, according to a report which says developing biologics capabilities is a key imperative for growth.
US contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) Catalent’s packaging facility in Dublin, Ireland has achieved ISO 15378:2006 under the ISO’s quality scheme.
WuXi PharmaTech’s operating income increased by 35 per cent in the third quarter, underpinned by strong growth in China-based laboratory services, but its manufacturing operations continue to struggle.
West Pharmaceutical Services is laying off 100 staff as part of restructuring efforts after its third quarter results fell short of expectations, despite operating profit increasing by 45 per cent.
Nokia, SAP and G&D are forming a company to provide anti-counterfeiting services which will draw on the firms’ respective expertise in mobile phones, supply chain technology and encryption.
US headquartered Unilife is targeting pharmaceutical companies with its new Unifill RTF safety syringe and product range and has begun seeking international trademarks.
Environmental and safety matters concern pharma “less than they should” when outsourcing to Asia, according to the CEO of Ash Stevens who believes there are long term benefits of using US-based companies.
The US arm of packaging giant Schott has added ready-to-fill (RTF) glass syringe manufacturing capacity at its facility in Lebanon, Pennsylvania in a $14m (€9.4m) expansion designed to meet growing demand.
Packaging group Stralfors says its recent collaboration with Novo Nordisk proves that its service plan is ideal for projects with strict time-to-market requirements.
We look ahead to CPhI 2009 which takes place in Madrid, Spain next week and will showcase the world’s leading ingredients, contract services, machinery and biotech companies.
Pharmatek has enhanced its preclinical and early stage clinical GMP supply capabilities by installing Capsugel’s Xcelodose system, becoming the first CDMO on the West Coast, US to have the equipment.
Rexam has merged its Pharma, Primary Packaging and Prescription units into a new Healthcare division to keep pace with the increasingly globalized drug manufacturing industry's regulatory demands.
Fierce competition from India and China means it is unlikely that CROs and CMOs in CEE can generate sustainable growth, according to a report that believes the service model must be a “stepping stone” to creating innovative R&D businesses.
Having filed for bankruptcy in December Introgen Therapeutics has sold its assets, including management and technical team, to Vivante, a company that formed last week as a contract manufacturing organisation (CMO).
West has opened its first manufacturing facility in China to meet rising demand but the process has taken since 2006 and been “very tedious”, its president of West Asia Pacific told Outsourcing-Pharma.
UK based contract API maker Aesica Pharmaceuticals has been granted a Home Office license to make controlled substances at its facility in Cramlington, Northumberland.
UK CMO SCM Pharma says its new commercial supply service, due to be officially launched at next month’s ICSE conference in Madrid, has already won two long-term manufacturing contracts.
A totally outsourced model of discovery is “probably valid”, according to a report that believes pharma must overhaul its operations because its business model is in danger of becoming “irrelevant”.
Patheon has posted “disappointing” Q3 results, with manufacturing difficulties in Puerto Rico, a slowdown in demand for development services and reduced client demand for some products impacting on revenues.
Dishman is pushing ahead with its international expansion, increasing efforts to win contracts in the US and Japan and nearing completion of a facility Shanghai, China, which is the first it has built outside of India.
