Charles River Laboratories (CRL) said it will distribute several Pfizer-developed R&D models, in a deal that continues the US CRO’s efforts to expand its lab animals business.
BioClinica grew service revenues in the fourth quarter and predicted the trend will continue in 2011 when it will “eliminate certain duplicate functions”.
PPD and Charles River Laboratories (CRL) finished 2010 with very different quarters, each posting results that illustrate trends within the CRO sector.
ShangPharma expects its cGMP production site, due to open in 2011, and biologics services to drive growth as it builds on a 17 per cent increase in revenues in the third quarter.
Outsourcing-Pharma reviews the latest financial reports from the eClinical sector with news from Datatrak International, Medidata Solutions and Perceptive Informatics.
Kendle recorded a 64 per cent drop in Q3 operating income and expects its strategic review of early stage, which will establish a fair value and consider all options, to be complete next quarter.
Cost cutting measures helped Parexel to one of its most profitable quarters after taking lower-than-expected revenues on project delays and cancellations.
Drug delivery and pharmaceutical coating technologies firm SurModics will cut jobs and reorganise operations in a bid to reverse falling revenues and tumbling profits.
Bioanalytical Systems, Inc (BASi) posted an operating profit in the third quarter, overturning a loss 12 months ago, as lower expenses offset a slight dip in revenue.
Warnex says demand for contract analysis services increase in Q2 thanks to expansion in diagnostics market and forecasts growth opportunities in India.
Ampac Fine Chemicals posted a 28 per cent jump in revenues in the third quarter but this was offset by manufacturing inefficiencies and validation costs.
High tech packaging sales and revenue from acquired delivery businesses drive West Pharmaceutical Services growth in second quarter, but US firm cuts guidance.
Icon reported a dip in operating income in the second quarter but an upturn in new business, and the cash to pursue M&A, make it reasonably positive about the future.
CRL has said the WuXi buy could add up to $100m (€78m) in additional annual revenue and spoken of clients’ enthusiasm for the deal as its attempts to shore up investor support.
Encorium has posted a $1.9m (€1.6m) operating loss in the first quarter, with contract cancellations and reduced new business driving net revenues down by almost 34 per cent.
Operating income at Medidata grew in the first quarter, underpinned by record bookings by contract research organisations (CRO) and rising revenues from Asia Pacific.
Microfluidics has posted an operating income of $106,000 (€84,000) in its results, the third consecutive quarter of profit, and is looking to expand products and services to continue growth.
Operating income at Kendle fell by 48 per cent in the first quarter, driven by a dip in net revenues, but the CRO is encouraged that improvements in April suggest the market is improving.
Covance has cut its full-year guidance despite an increase in Q1 revenue, citing delayed late-stage trials, lower demand for chemistry services and costs associated with facility closures as the reason for the adjustment.
The CRO and eClinical results period is underway, with Icon, Parexel, Phase Forward and OmniComm publishing generally positive financials in the past two days.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) is to acquire WuXi PharmaTech for $1.6bn (€1.2bn), creating a global CRO capable of offering fully integrated services from molecule creation to first-in-human testing.
Cambrex reported a dip in revenues in 2009, citing the timing of orders throughout the year, and warned that smaller clients’ funding difficulties and pricing pressures will continue in 2010.
US contract research organisation (CRO) PPD reported a “higher than anticipated” number of cancellations in Q4, bringing to a close 12 months that saw operating income fall 46 per cent to $192m.
Falling preclinical demand may have dominated Charles River Laboratories’ (CRL) performance in 2009, but stagnant sales from its research models business also failed to impress.
US CRO PPD has sold its biomarker discovery sciences unit to Caprion Proteomics, bucking the trend that has seen many of its sector rivals invest in this part of the contract research market.
Continued high demand for vaccine manufacturing technologies saw life sciences emerge as one of the few positives for industrial processing specialist Pall in Q1.
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.
The CRO results season is underway with Icon and Covance both posting mixed Q3 figures as the challenges facing pharma, and businesses in general, continue to impact on operations.
Phase Forward has adopted technologies from BMC Software to improve its operational efficiency, make “substantial cost savings” and ensure its systems maintain the availability, reliability and compliance demanded by clients.
West Pharmaceutical Services’ operating income fell by 33 per cent in Q2 but the company reported that demand for some of its drug delivery technology is strong.
AmerisourceBergen’s contract packaging business believes the outlook for the sector is improving after it posted an 11 per cent rise in operating income in Q3.
eResearch Technologies (ERT) posted a Q2 operating income of $4.8m (€3.4m), down from $10.8m last year, and attributed the decline to companies delaying thorough QT trials.
Despite some gains, demand for pre-clinical development services at Covance fell for the second quarter running, offsetting progress made by its late-stage trial and laboratory analysis businesses.
PRWT Services’ acquisition of Merck & Co’s API facility helped it post a 120 per cent increase in revenues and $8.9m (€6.4m) net income in Q1 2009, overturning a loss recorded the previous year.
BioClinica is continuing its expansion in eClinical by proposing to acquire etrials, which underwent significant restructuring in 2008 but still suffered repeated quarterly losses.
Charles River Laboratories (CRL) has bucked the CRO sector trend and reaffirmed its forecasts for 2009, citing an improved order book and better pricing as the reasons for its relative optimism.
Parexel posted a doubling in cancellations in Q3 of its fiscal year, with profits remaining flat as an eight per cent boost in service revenue was offset by higher operating expenses.
Chinese contract research provider WuXi PharmaTech slipped to a fourth quarter loss in 2008, despite reporting a strapping 74 per cent increase in sales.
