Processing equipment

Biotech Week Boston

Got innovative manufacturing tech? The US FDA wants to hear from you

02-Oct-2017 By Dan Stanton

The US FDA has finalised guidance supporting new technologies which look to modernise pharmaceutical manufacturing, such as 3D printing and continuous processing.

Micro-Sphere invests in German capsule filling tech

28-Sep-2017 By Flora Southey

Micro-Sphere has boosted its offering with the addition of Harro Höfliger-made capsule filling machinery at its facility in Ticino, Switzerland.

Irvine Scientific expansion to offer dry powder media lots up to 7,000kg

28-Sep-2017 By Dan Stanton

Irvine Scientific has expanded its cell culture dry powder facility in California to support the projected increase of biotherapeutic production.

The track & trace big question: Can we get around aggregation? Or should we get ready?

27-Sep-2017 By Flora Southey

Implementing ‘aggregation’ – the term used to describe pharmaceutical product unit-to-case hierarchy – is not mandatory in Europe, however industry delegates say there is incentive to push its adoption. 

Merck KGaA’s varied track & trace approach: 'We cannot rely on a singular security feature'

26-Sep-2017 By Flora Southey

Merck KGaA says using a variety of tracking and authentication technologies and engaging with patients are vital to creating secure supply chains. 

Fresenius Kabi starts work on $250m US sterile drug plant

25-Sep-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Fresenius Kabi has started work on a $250m (€220m) sterile drug manufacturing plant in Illinois, US.

Roche Spanish plant becomes eighth solid dose site for Recipharm

20-Sep-2017 By Dan Stanton

Recipharm has acquired a Spanish manufacturing plant and signed a supply deal with former owner Roche for a range of solid dose products worth €35m a year.

Catalent to buy Cook Pharmica for $950m in cash

19-Sep-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Catalent Inc has announced it will buy Cook Pharmica for $950m (€792m) in cash to boost its high tech drug production business.

update

Alexion to close Rhode Island Soliris plant and cut jobs

13-Sep-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Alexion will close its Rhode Island manufacturing facility as part of a cost cutting plan that will also see it reduce its workforce by 20% over the next year.

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies opens new UK lab

13-Sep-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies has opened a $9m process development laboratory in Teeside, UK.

Catalent to make opioid withdrawal candidate for US approval

11-Sep-2017 By Flora Southey

US WorldMeds has teamed up with Catalent Pharma Solutions to manufacture lofexidine, an investigational drug designed to treat symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal.

Ageing facilities & drug shortages: industry concern drives guidance for manufacturers

07-Sep-2017 By Flora Southey

The Parental Drug Association (PDA) is offering guidance to drug makers with ageing, sometimes non-compliant facilities, which it hopes will help combat drug shortages.

Asian innovation: Big Pharma’s push to modernise manufacturing

06-Sep-2017 By Flora Southey

Pfizer, Merck & Co (known as MSD outside of North America) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have come together to support the development of continuous manufacturing and bio-catalysis technologies in Singapore. 

Roche sells Italian formulations plant to CMO Delpharm

06-Sep-2017 By Dan Stanton

Delpharm has been contracted to make solid and liquid forms for Roche after buying the facility in Milan.

Navesta opens LKR1.4bn sterile drug plant in Sri Lanka

04-Sep-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Navesta Pharmaceuticals had opened a sterile drug manufacturing facility in Horana, Sri Lanka.

Gilead aims to expand CAR-T manufacturing capabilities post-Kite acquisition

01-Sep-2017 By Dan Stanton

Gilead says it is committed to driving down costs of CAR-T manufacturing after agreeing to buy late-stage cell and gene therapy firm KitePharma for $11.9bn.

Vial-up: Althea adds fill/finish capabilities in California

31-Aug-2017 By Staff Reporter

A vial filling line at Ajinomoto Althea’s manufacturing site in San Diego will maximise yield and reduce product loss, the CMO says.

Dissolution testing and dirty gaskets: US FDA warns Hetero Labs

30-Aug-2017 By Dan Stanton

The US FDA has sent a warning letter to Hetero Labs Limited citing GMP violations at its finished dose formulations facility in Telangana, India.

Alembic sells Baddi formulations plant to Scott Edil Pharmacia

28-Aug-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Alembic Pharmaceuticals Limited has sold its drug plant in Baddi, Himachal Pradesh to Scott Edil Pharmacia Limited.

Manufacturers, wholesalers or 3PLs? US FDA guidance looks to define supply chain roles

24-Aug-2017 By Dan Stanton

The US FDA has released draft guidelines to identify trading partners in the pharma supply chain in accordance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA).

Ashland to take sales hit of $15-20m after fire at intermediate plant

24-Aug-2017 By Dan Stanton

Ashland says production at a German intermediate facility hit by fire earlier this month will not restart until late September at the earliest.

Micro-Sphere pumps $22m into capsule filling facility

23-Aug-2017 By Flora Southey

Spray drying and capsule filling-focused Micro-Sphere is expanding manufacturing capabilities at its facility in Ticino, Switzerland.

Gilead ups capacity with Cali manufacturing facility

18-Aug-2017 By Flora Southey

Biopharmaceutical firm Gilead Sciences has opened a facility in La Verne, California, US, which it says will boost manufacturing volumes.

Warehouse serialization: TraceLink acquires ROC IT Solutions

14-Aug-2017 By Flora Southey

Track and trace-focused TraceLink has acquired ROC IT Solutions, extending its scanning capabilities to the warehouse.

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Pfizer chooses Sanford, North Carolina site for $100m gene therapy plant

09-Aug-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Pfizer has chosen a site in Sanford, North Carolina for a gene therapy production plant, just 40 miles from its recent acquisition Bamboo Therapeutics Inc.

Cambrex sees Q2 revs and earnings rise, confirms interest in takeovers

07-Aug-2017 By Staff Reporter

Cambrex Corporation says higher demand for APIs for controlled substances and branded drugs drove Q2 growth and confirms it is on the lookout for acquisitions. 

Lonza buys Micro-Macinazione to bolster micronization biz

07-Aug-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Lonza Group AG has acquired API processing firm Micro-Macinazione SA from private equity investor Cross Equity SA.  

BASF opens pharma formulations lab in India

03-Aug-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

BASF has set up a pharmaceutical technical laboratory in Navi Mumbai, India citing Asia’s fast growing generic drug manufacturing sector as its target customer base.

German lyophilisation ramp-up could be delayed into next year, Recipharm

31-Jul-2017 By Dan Stanton

A lyophilisation expansion announced in 2013 at an aseptic facility in Wasserburg, Germany has been delayed due to lengthy approval processes, says Recipharm.

Recipharm installs dedicated production line for prostate cancer depot

26-Jul-2017 By Dan Stanton

Recipharm has installed a dedicated production line to make prostate cancer drug Liproca Depot for Swedish pharma firm LIDDS AB.

Torbay Pharma opens plant with sterile injectables capacity in UK

25-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Torbay Pharmaceuticals has opened a £26m injectable drug manufacturing facility in Paignton, UK.

ChargePoint expands to target Central and North America

25-Jul-2017 By Flora Southey

ChargePoint Technology has announced expansion plans to increase its offering across the US, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

TPI Enterprises buys Vistin opiates assets and confirms Portugal plant plan

21-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

TPI Enterprises has bought Vistin Pharma ASA’s opiates and tabletting division for A$25.4m ($201.m) in a deal designed to expand the firm beyond its narcotic raw materials business.

update - comment from Unite

GSK says UK manufacturing cuts not Brexit related

20-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

GSK has announced a shakeup of its UK network, shelving plans for Ulverston biopharma plant, mooting the sale of its cephalosporin antibiotics business and pledging to invest in HIV and respiratory drug capacity.

US FDA warns opthalmic supplier Tubilux about Italian plant

19-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

The US FDA has called on Tubilux Pharma SPA to identify potential contamination sources at its eye medicine production plant in Italy in a warning letter this week.

Idifarma adds contract capsule filling to offering

18-Jul-2017 By Staff Reporter

Idifarma has bolstered its capsule filling capabilities at its manufacturing plant in Pamplona, Spain.

Researchers say bioavailability ‘shortcut’ could become industry standard

18-Jul-2017 By Flora Southey

Researchers developing a method to determine drug bioavailability say the approach could become a ‘shortcut’ for scientists in drug discovery and development.

Alembic Pharma launches oncology site for injectable and lyophilized generics

17-Jul-2017 By Flora Southey

India-based Alembic Pharmaceuticals has inaugurated its manufacturing facility in Panelav, Gujarat, where the firm will make generic oncology products for international markets.

Truking completes acquisition of majority stake in Romaco

13-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Chinese processing technology firm Truking Group has completed the acquisition of a majority shareholding in Germany’s Romaco GmbH.

AZ announces A$100m expansion of Oz asthma drug plant citing China demand

12-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

AstraZeneca has committed A$100m ($76.4m) to expand its manufacturing facility in Sydney Australia, citing growing demand for asthma medications in China.

update

Pacira to stop making DepoCyt due to long-term production problems

06-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc. has said it will stop making the cancer DepoCyt (cytarabine), citing persistent manufacturing problems.

EC says Merck and Sigma-Aldrich broke M&A procedures and could face $170m fine

06-Jul-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

German Merck and Sigma-Aldrich broke EU merger procedures and could face a fine equivalent to 1% of the combined firm's annual revenue according to the European Commission

Patheon to spend $45m on manufacturing plants ahead of Thermo takeover

30-Jun-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Patheon NV has announced it will spend $45m to expand and enhance its manufacturing network citing customer demand for more reliable, flexible and cost-efficient supply chains.

Dispatches from Interphex Japan

Pfizer: Global regulatory divergence restricted continuous manufacturing ambition

29-Jun-2017 By Dan Stanton

Pfizer says a lack of harmony among regulators made its continuous granulation platform untenable for bulk manufacturing but is positive about using such tech for smaller volumes.

Grace to start making fluorinated drug intermediates with tech from Valliscor

27-Jun-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

W.R Grace & Co has announced its intention to start making fluorinated pharmaceutical intermediates with technology obtained from Valliscor Llc.

EMA clears Janssen to make HIV drug using continuous manufacturing approach

26-Jun-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

The EMA has cleared Janssen to make the HIV drug Prezista (darunavir) using a continuous manufacturing (CM) process as well as the previously approved batch method.

US FDA rejects Pfizer's Epogen biosimilar citing McPherson site warning

23-Jun-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Concerns about Pfizer’s fill/finish plant in McPherson, Kansas have prompted the US FDA to reject the firm’s biosimilar version of Amgen’s anaemia drug Epogen.

Germany’s Merck invests in immune-oncology in Switzerland

21-Jun-2017 By Flora Southey

Merck KGaA’s corporate venture division has created an immune-oncology company based on a mixture of small and large molecule drugs, including Merck and Pfizer’s Bavencio (avelumab). 

Corning life science focus: '21st century glass for 21st century drugs'

21-Jun-2017 By Dan Stanton

Corning says it is on the brink of capturing an increased share of the $12bn glass quality and packaging markets through material advancements in the space.

Thermo Fisher opens single-use tech testing centre in UK

14-Jun-2017 By Gareth Macdonald

Thermo Fisher has opened a UK test centre to allow biopharmaceutical industry customers to test single-use production technologies.