Encapsulation specialist RP Scherer, part of the Cardinal Health
group, has been granted a patent on a technology that could be used
to reduce the amount of flavours and sweeteners used in
fast-dispersing dosage forms.
Danish biotechnology company LifeCycle Pharma has won a contract
with Italy's Recordati to develop an improved formulation of
Zanidip (lercanidipine), used for the treatment of hypertension,
reports Phil Taylor.
Rhodia Pharma Solutions has completed a new extension to its
production operation in Dudley, outside Newcastle, in the UK to
strengthen its ability to provide custom manufacturing services to
pharmaceutical companies.
Isopak, a company specialising in small-scale pharmaceutical
production equipment, will introduce a new machine next month that
overcomes one of the major obstacles to making capsules that can
deliver liquid medications.
Drug companies are waking up to the notion that the environment a
researcher works in - whether in drug discovery or the quality
control lab - is a crucial factor in determining their productivity
and creativity. And they have started...
The pharmaceutical packaging market plays David to the Goliath of
the food and beverage sector, but is one of several sectors that
has the packaging industry interested, reports Phil Taylor,
who spoke with Rolf Borjesson the chief...
The pharmaceutical industry looks set to be one of the key areas of
contention for the two US Presidential candidates as they square
off ahead of the election in November.
The Japanese regulatory authority has approved the JRS Pharma's
ProSolv excipient - designed to make it easier and cheaper to make
high-quality tablets - for use in pharmaceutical formulations.
A simple urine sample could soon be used to predict the complex
toxic effects of new drugs potentially making clinical trials
safer, more effective, and saving the industry millions of euros.
Access Pharmaceuticals has signed an agreement with an unnamed US
partner for a drug delivery system based on nanoparticle aggregates
that can be used to formulate proteins that are degraded by
solvents.
US-based biotechnology company Human Genome Sciences is planning to
set up the first protein manufacturing facility in India in
collaboration with local companies.
Researchers in the US have developed a way of self-assembling
liposomes - lipid particles used to carry a drug payload - that are
smaller and more uniform in size than can be achieved using current
methods.
The French government has embarked on a fact-finding exercise to
try to work out ways it can address the country's diminishing
standing as a centre for biopharmaceutical R&D.
Klockner Pentaplast has introduced a film for pharmaceutical
packaging that blocks out 25 per cent more moisture than any other
thermoformed film on the market, according to the company.
UCB has been awarded a US patent on a formulation technology that
could represent a low-cost means of achieving a difficult task -
making a drug that needs to be absorbed in the stomach suitable for
once-daily administration.
New active ingredients are the lifeblood of the pharmaceutical
industry, but with the number of new compounds being launched
tailing off almost yearly, companies are turning to inactive
excipients as a source of product innovation,...
Mobious Genomics, a UK-based bionanotechnology firm, is to launch a
new sensing technique that will allow proteomic, genomic and
clinical researchers to conduct protein interaction studies more
accurately and with greater sensitivity,...
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.
A new type of drug to treat the cardiovascular disease stable
angina, a chronic condition marked by recurrent episodes of
suffocating chest pain from lack of oxygen to the heart muscle, has
shown encouraging safety and efficacy in...
Pharmaceutical companies must start exploring ways of extending
patents on their products early in their lifecycle, such as
developing improved formulations of the active ingredient, even
before they are launched onto the market.
Pharmaceutical packaging demand in the US is forecast to rise 4.7
per cent per year to $6.8 billion in 2008, driven by new Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) regulations that will require unit dose
containers for a range of drugs,...
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.
Germany's Haupt Pharma and Wulfing Holding have joined forces to
create a new company specialising in the contract manufacturing of
highly active pharmaceutical products.
The Chinese pharmaceutical industry is still showing above average
growth, but the country's entry into the World Trade Organisation
means that tough times are ahead for manufacturers of active
pharmaceutical ingredients - which...
A reluctance by pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to
invest in drug discovery technologies has been holding back the
market for combinatorial chemistry, but this is expected to change
over the next few years, according to...
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...
The merger between Yamanouchi and Fujisawa is the first step
towards creating a global mega-player, but additional tie-ups will
be required if the new entity is to join the top tier of
multinational pharmaceutical companies.
Icelandic company deCODE Genetics has entered into a seven-year
alliance to conduct pharmacogenomic studies on Merck & Co's
drug candidates using its population genetics database.
Predictions that 2004 could see another wave of consolidation in
the pharmaceutical industry were lent further weight yesterday by
the announcement that Japanese drug majors Yamanouchi and Fujisawa
intend to merge in a $7.7 billion...
In Russia, the Health Ministry suspended the licences of 321
companies manufacturing or trading in counterfeit medicines last
year, and a further 200 may also lose their licences following
ongoing investigations, according to the...
A new study has provided a 'cautiously optimistic' estimate of
spending on drug discovery and other areas of R&D over the next
couple of years, which will be music to the ears of technology
companies hit by a reluctance...
As reported last week, Mark McClellan looks set to leave his post
as Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to run
the agency that oversees Medicare and its new prescription drug
programme for the elderly and disabled.
MeadWestvaco Intelligent Systems has launched a radio frequency
identification (RFID) inventory system that enables manufacturers
to more accurately monitor drug delivery from production to
pharmacy distribution.
The development of new drugs, rooted within the pharmaceutical
industry, is inefficient and unsustainable and a new model is
needed to reduce the cost of medicines and improve access to them.
The US Food and Drug Administration issued its final report on ways
to combat pharmaceutical counterfeiting and identifies
radiofrequency identification (RFID) as a primary means of tackling
the problem.
Management consultancy firm Accenture has formed a group of
industry leaders that will work together to evaluate the potential
of new radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to improve
pharmaceutical product manufacturing,...
Niche Phase I/IIa clinical development specialist Pharmaceutical
Profiles says it has seen a surge in demand for its development
services in the Japanese market - with particular interest being
shown in its new human microdosing service.
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.
Aradigm has selected the final design configuration for its
Intraject needle-free drug delivery system, allowing the company to
press ahead with plans to commercialise the device.
A US programme aimed at shortening the development time for new
pharmaceutical and biological drugs - which involves close
collaboration between the Food and Drug Administration and the
developer - is now underway.
Drug major Eli Lilly has provided a detailed response to a US
congressional committee request for details of how the firm intends
to tackle the issue of drug counterfeiting.
Israel-based Biodar, a subsidiary of food ingredient company
Lycored, has announced its acquisition of Karma Pharm in a
transaction that boosts its activities in pharmaceuticals.
The widely used food ingredient inulin could be a more effective
alternative to established excipients in stabilising protein-based
medicines and improving their shelf life, according to researchers
at the University of Groningen...
Manufacturers of pharmaceutical excipients that are imported into
the US must step up their compliance with new legislation or risk
having shipments turned back at the border.
Spanish manufacturer of choline salts Algry Quimica has signed
several new research agreements to develop active ingredients for
pharma and food applications.
Active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturer Tetrionics is
planning to double the capacity at a facility in the US to hike its
ability to make highly potent compounds.
Japanese pharmaceutical companies must build strong, in-house,
R&D capabilities in order to survive, according to research
from market analyst firm Datamonitor. But this is not simply a
matter of spending more money; strategic...
Last year, pharmaceutical companies from India submitted a third of
all the Drug Master Files for active pharma ingredients (APIs)
received in the US, outstripping their international rivals by a
wide margin.
