Tabletting, coating & ancillary equipment

Colorcon to buy BASF's Kollicoat coating system product

25-May-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Colorcon will buy BASF’s Kollicoat excipient coating system product line in a deal announced today.

Ferrer to add drug aerosol delivery tech through Alexza acquisition

11-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

Grupo Ferrer Internacional will acquire Alexza Pharmaceuticals for around $2m, adding the Staccato aerosol system to its drug delivery offerings.

New spray-dryer to handle 20kg batches, as Juniper responds to solubility demand

10-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

Juniper Pharma Services will up its solubility enhancement capabilities through the addition of a new spray-dryer at its site in Nottingham, UK.

Catalent's oral biz hit by Beinheim suspension and low modified release demand

09-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

The manufacturing suspension at a French softgel plant and low demand for modified release tech stunted Catalent’s Q3 2016 results, the firm says.

French regulators lift manufacturing ban at Catalent softgel plant

02-May-2016 By Dan Stanton

Full production at Catalent’s Beinheim softgel plant has begun five months after the discovery of out-of-place capsules led to French regulators suspending operations.

Aptar launches sensor counter tech for MDIs

28-Apr-2016 By Staff Reporter

Aptar Pharma has launched a new counter technology for metered dose inhalers (MDIs) it says can help enhance patient adherence.

Dispatches from Interphex

Fette Compacting unveils first capsule filling machine at Interphex

27-Apr-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Fette Compacting has unveiled its first capsule filling machine, which is capable of outputting 400,000 capsules per hour – a new record in the industry.

3D printing can save drug manufacturers time and money says UK expert

26-Apr-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

3D printing can make drug production simpler and cheaper according to a UK expert who says using it for commercial production is about “numbering up” not scaling up.

Exclusive Q&A

Breaking barriers: Can continuous manufacturing prevail despite hurdles?

26-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

Regulations, recruitment and facility refits are holding continuous manufacturing back, but a Rutgers’ associate behind J&J’s recent success believes industry can overcome these hurdles.

PCI Synthesis sets up polymers development lab

20-Apr-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

API manufacturer PCI Synthesis has set up a polymer development group citing growing drug industry demand for advanced coating technologies and excipient technologies.

Use of a comparability protocol will aid post-approval CMC changes, US FDA

20-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

The US FDA has published draft revisions to a thirteen-year old CMC guidance it says will increase the flexibility of post-approval changes for drugmakers.

Building a better biomedical knowledgebase

18-Apr-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Researchers as The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) are working to create a public database where researchers can easily access biomedical knowledge.

Colorcon launches new coating for multiparticulate pills

13-Apr-2016 By Staff Reporter

Colorcon has launched a tablet coating system for multiparticulate dosage forms citing growing demand for such pills, particularly among the elderly.

Pill attaches to GI tract lining for slow release

11-Apr-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Researchers have developed a new tablet that attaches to the lining of the GI tract and slowly releases medication.

Catalent: Limited production begins at suspended French softgel plant

04-Apr-2016 By Dan Stanton

Catalent has missed its forecast for bringing a suspended softgel facility back online, but says production of essential drugs has begun at the French plant.

AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" key to new drug particle coating technique

01-Apr-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Researchers in Australia are using a song by rock band AC/DC in a new coating process they claim improves API delivery characteristics. 

Catalent softgel plant hit with US FDA 483 while client Opko receives CRL

31-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

The US FDA says it will not approve Opko's kidney disease drug Rayaldee until contract manufacturer Catalent fixes problems at its softgel plant in Florida.

Capsugel ripe to be sold or go public, investment banker

30-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Rumours Capsugel owner KKR is mulling a sale or an IPO fit with the typical private equity investment cycles says expert.

Blu buy bolsters Puracap in US softgel market

29-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Puracap has bought Blu Pharmaceuticals and its Puerto Rican manufacturing site and plans to double oral dose production capacity.

US FDA issues new labelling requirements for immediate-release opioids

24-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

The US FDA has ordered new labelling changes for immediate-release (IR) opioids but rejects claims that such products pose the same risks as extended-release (ER) opioids.

Braeburn plans $20m NC plant; awaits FDA decision on subdermal buprenorphine

22-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Braeburn Pharmaceuticals will establish an R&D and manufacturing site in North Carolina for its subdermal implant candidate to treat opioid addiction.

Hikma: Ben Venue tech transfer and network investments to boost injectables biz

17-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Hikma says the $82m pumped into its injectables network last year will be a factor in returning the sector to growth in 2016.

Lupin confirms Kyowa wants new generics plant in Tottori

02-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Lupin is mulling building a manufacturing plant with capacity to make two billion tablets a year in Japan in response to growing demand for generics.

Sanofi abandoning Auvi-Q after dosage problems led to total recall

23-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

Sanofi is poised to terminate its Auvi-Q marketing deal says PDL Biopharma, citing manufacturing issues last year which led to a complete recall of the epinephrine injection product.

Momenta: Sandoz capable of countering Teva’s Copaxone protection strategy

22-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

Teva has aggressively defended its market share for its blockbuster Copaxone says Momenta, six months after marketing partner Sandoz launched the first generic version in the US.

Capsugel: Pulmatrix deal brings us to ‘the forefront of inhalation delivery’

18-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

Capsugel has come on leaps-and-bounds since it was spun-out from Pfizer, the firm says as it inks a deal with Pulmatrix to develop inhaled therapeutics.

Qualicaps spent $43m to gain control of Brazilian capsule market, reports

18-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Qualicaps has swapped a manufacturing technology customer for dominance of Brazil's fast growing pharmaceutical capsule market through a recent acquisition.

Could drug-loaded dental implants offer pain-free chronic med delivery?

27-Jan-2016 By Natalie MORRISON

Drug-loaded dental implants which release payload on-demand could alleviate invasive procedures associated with chronic diseases, scientists suggest.

Hermes adapts food coating technique for API taste masking

26-Jan-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Hermes Pharma has added hot melt coating capabilities to its offering and hopes the food industry technique will win it pharma customers with unpleasant tasting APIs.

Catalent continues to scout acquisitions and licensing in 2016

25-Jan-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Catalent will pursue strategic acquisitions and licensing in 2016, said VP Marketing & Strategy Elliott Berger, noting growth areas include complex delivery technologies and specialised logistics.

Colorcon sweetens its offering with Paulaur's pharma sugar sphere biz

19-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Colorcon has acquired Paulaur Corporation’s sugar sphere business to help feed pharma’s demand for multiparticulate dosage forms.

AstraZeneca's purple reign? Dr Reddy's relaunches Nexium generic in blue

06-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Dr Reddy’s has changed the colour of its Nexium generic capsules from purple to blue in a bid to resume US sales, as litigation with AstraZeneca continues.

Biologic makers looking to delivery devices to gain competitive edge, Bespak

05-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Having a proactive approach to delivery technologies will give pharma firms a competitive edge against biosimilars and biobetters, according to device maker Bespak.

Capsugel double acquisition bolsters dosage forms business

17-Dec-2015 By Dan Stanton

The addition of Xcelience and Powdersize will strengthen Capsugel's position in the dosage forms solutions market, according to the company.

Danaher buys track & trace tech firm Laetus; unveils 'Fortive' name ahead of split

07-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Danaher has bought production line monitoring and coding tech firm Laetus to bolster its life science product ID offering ahead of a planned corporate split next year.

Rise of the robots: UK pharma would gain from more automation investment says Barclays

01-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

UK drugmakers have a lot to gain from additional investment in robotic production technologies according to Barclays.

Oramed inks China licensing deal for oral insulin candidate

30-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

Hefei will manufacture the API for Oramed's oral insulin tablet as part of a potential $50m licensing deal in China, Hong Kong and Macau.

AZ not worried about giving Sanofi a potential blockbuster in swap deal

24-Nov-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

AstraZeneca says it had no worries about giving rival Sanofi a potential blockbuster drug when the two exchanged compound library molecules this month. 

MannKind: Afrezza's slow start comparable to launch of Toyota Prius

10-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

MannKind says it is confident sales of its inhaled insulin product Afrezza - commercialised by Sanofi - will pick up after disappointing growth since launch.

Indiana aspirin maker hit with Warning due to tablet inconsistencies

04-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

Inconsistent tablet colour and issues with compressing procedures have landed Indiana OTC maker American Family Pharmacy (AFP) with a US FDA warning letter.

Women less likely to be prescribed post-heart attack drugs, researchers find

29-Oct-2015 By Anthony King

Younger women are less likely than younger men to be prescribed or fill their medication after a heart attack, new research shows.  

Irish researchers generate crystal structure for a PEGylated protein

28-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

Irish scientists have completed the most comprehensive structural study yet of a PEGylated protein, giving greater insight into how such molecules improve injectable therapies.

Sanofi aims to sell Allegra plant ahead of 2016 shutdown

08-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Sanofi has confirmed it wants to sell the Kansas City facility at which it makes the allergy drug Allegra (Fexofenadine).

Growing demand for vegetarian capsules despite their cost, says Capsugel

07-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

Capsugel has seen growing pharma demand for vegetarian capsules with formulation benefits outweighing the fact they cost more than gelatin.

Very unscientific survey

Android or iOS: Which cell phone OS does the drug industry prefer?

01-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Do API firms adore android? Do ocular drug developers’ eyes light up when they think of iOS? 

Glide and Cilian team to develop solid dose flu vaccine

22-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

Cilian has teamed up with Glide Technologies to develop a solid dose influenza vaccine to be delivered via a needle-free injector.

Police Facebook campaign calls on high-paid Pharma CEOs to tackle opioid abuse

21-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

A Massachusetts-based police department has published contact and salary details of Big Pharma CEOs in an effort to force industry to help manage opiate addiction.

Biocon launches insulin pen, fully 'made in India' from new device plant

16-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

Biocon has begun commercial manufacturing at its Bangalore devices facility to support the launch of its insulin pen product, Basalog One.

Unilife cuts workforce by 17% as it shifts from R&D to commercialisation

15-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

Unilife has axed about 50 R&D jobs as part of a plan to reduce its operating expenses.

A so-long wave to Tipperary? Sun earmarks Ranbaxy Ireland plant for sale

10-Sep-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Sun Pharmaceutical has earmarked the Ranbaxy plant in Cashel in County Tipperary, Ireland for divestiture.