The US market for pharmaceutical packaging will grow by nearly a
third between 2004 and 2011, driven by the increasing demands
placed on packaging by biologic drugs and novel drug delivery
formulations, according to consulting firm...
US pharmaceutical company Upsher-Smith Laboratories has been forced
into staffing cuts and a restructuring exercise by delays in the US
Food and Drug Administration's review of its nasal calcitonin
product for osteoporosis.
An ionic silver complex designed for human antimicrobial use has
received a US patent, in a move that could well see increased usage
of this technology that exhibits broad-spectrum antimicrobial
qualities as well as displaying a lack...
US generic company Able Laboratories ceased all its manufacturing
and recalled products yesterday after major problems emerged with
its quality control procedures, reports Phil Taylor.
The discovery of a new batch of counterfeit drugs circulating in
the US market adds urgency to ongoing efforts to improve
traceability in the medicines supply chain, and will also lend
weight to arguments against parallel trade in...
Former New York city mayor Rudi Giuliani has marched into the
political battle surrounding the issue of drug reimportation in the
US, saying that the trade 'poses a serious threat to safety due to
the increased prevalence of...
The US Food and Drug Administration's decision to ban the use of
chlorofluorocarbon propellants in albuterol metered-dose inhalers
(MDIs) from the end of 2008 will effectively mean the market will
revert to one of branded rather...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set the end of 2008 as
its deadline for the complete phase-out of albuterol inhalers using
ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as propellants,
reports Phil Taylor.
Claims that allowing parallel trade in pharmaceuticals is opening
the door to counterfeiting and bioterrorists have been refuted by a
senior executive at Pfizer in testimony to the US Senate's Health,
Education, Labour and Pensions...
New statistics released today show that total US investments in
R&D made by the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry
topped $38.8 billion (€29.3 billion) during 2004. This beats the
$34.5 billion total set in 2003 and demonstrates...
The Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA) has praised the Food
and Drug Administration for validating the science of generic
biopharmaceuticals and making significant progress in establishing
requirements to approve these medicines.
Researchers in the US have shown that nanoparticles can be used to
deliver genetic material into cells safely and effectively,
potentially overcoming the primary obstacle to the development of
gene therapy.
Chiron said yesterday that the UK and US regulatory authorities are
expected to conduct a series of inspections of its manufacturing
facility in Liverpool, which was forced to cease production of
influenza vaccines last year, leading...
The first thermal cycler to start at under £1000 (€1400) is set to
start a price war for this product, which has proved invaluable for
amplification of nucleic acids.
Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has inked a deal with a
US medical device manufacturer that will extend the use of insulin
cartridges from autoinjectors to external insulin pumps.
A pilot study organised by Accenture to explore the value of
implementing radiofrequency identification (RFID) and electronic
product code (EPC) technology in the pharmaceutical industry has
concluded that there are numerous benefits.
BioProgress, a developer of film strips and cellulose-based
capsules for drug and vitamin delivery, is increasing its
international presence, signing its first agreement for a line of
products for the Chinese market.
The older generation is leading the consumption of nutritional
supplements in the US and the aging baby boomers are the population
to invest in, according to a new report, that also shows the
supplement industry is now firmly in the...
Unichem Laboratories of India, a major supplier of active
pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and finished pharmaceuticals in
the country, has entered into an alliance that could see it
supplying generics into the US market.
The market for generic drugs is going to expand from its present
level of $35 billion (€29bn) to $80 billion in 2008, as
cash-strapped healthcare payors turn increasingly to cheaper
options.
Dutch drug delivery company OctoPlus has licensed two
biodegradeable polymers to SurModics that can be used to coat
medical devices and deliver drugs into the surrounding tissues.
US-based wholesaler HD Smith has followed the lead of retail giant
Wal-Mart in adopting a system of electronic product code (EPC) and
radiofrequency identification (RFID) to track controlled
pharmaceuticals.
The US Food and Drug Administration has started a new comment
period on its bioterrorism regulations - designed to safeguard the
national food supply - which will have a significant impact on
companies importing pharmaceutical excipients...
US company Globe Medical Tech has started production of a new type
of safety syringe developed by Maxxon that should cost no more than
a regular, non-safe disposable syringe.
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.
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.
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.
The number of novel pharmaceutical compounds approved for marketing
- a traditional benchmark for the industry's R&D performance -
has seen a welcome increase after years of declines.
A survey has found that difficulties in swallowing pills is
widespread among adults, but is rarely discussed with doctors and
can prevent some people from taking their medicine. The findings
suggest that pharmaceutical companies should...
2003 was the second best year of all time for the biotechnology
industry, and 2004 looks set to be even better. This is the verdict
of James Burrill, head of US merchant bank Burrill & Co, who
describes the industry as "rising...
Three individuals have been formally charged in the US for their
alleged involvement in the counterfeiting of Pfizer's Lipitor
(atorvastatin) as investigators try to unravel the intricate web of
conspirators behind the case.
GlaxoSmithKline has secured rights to a technology, developed in
partnership with US company Advaxis, could improve the
effectiveness of vaccine-based treatments for cancer.
The US market for media, sera and reagents used in cell culture is
expected to nearly double in value to reach $1.7 billion (€1.48bn)
in 2008, according to a report.
Innothera is awarded a US patent for a formulation of elemental
iron that could do away with the need for coatings to disguise the
mineral's disagreeable taste.
Schering-Plough has reached an agreement with the US Food and Drug
Administration to correct the firm's manufacturing compliance
problems, which led to a $500 million fine last year.
