NEWS AND VIEWS FROM THE PHARMACEUTICAL FINE CHEMICAL AND CUSTOM MANUFACTURING SECTOR

Monday 30 June 2008

Plethico plans to cut CMO business

Plethico Pharmaceutical is looking at trimming its Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS) business as low margins are being further squeezed out due to higher inflation and surging crude oil prices.
Economic Times

Rentschler Biotechnologie has started operation of its 250-L multi-process mammalian cell production suite

Rentschler Biotechnologie

Emcure inaugurates plants

Indian manufacturer, Emcure Pharmaceuticals, has inaugurated its commercial oncology products manufacturing plant in Hinjewadi. In addition, Emcure's Gennova Biopharmaceuticals subsidiary has inaugurated its trial-scale malaria vaccine manufacturing facility.
Economic Times

Wednesday 25 June 2008

FDA funding approved

The US House Agriculture subcommittee has approved funding of $2.1bn for the FDA in 2009 - $282m more than the agency originally requested.
Health Imaging

Avid joins PER-C6 network

Avid Biosciences will be the pre-approved contract manufacturer for licensees of DSM and Crucell's PER.C6 cell line located in the western US.
RTT News

Saltigo expects to meet 5% profit goal

Bloomberg

DHS notifies high risk facilities

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is informing the owners that 7000 chemical facilities have been designated as "high risk" in the face of terrorism attack. SOCMA has welcomes the DHS action to secure chemical facilities according to risk under its Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act Standards.
HS Today

Thursday 19 June 2008

PacificGMP will build biomanufacturing facility in China following merger with Pacific Biopharma

PR Newswire

China grants approval for FDA offices

Reuters

US Senator calls for pharma outsourcing probe

Pharmalot

Eden Biodesign is to build a biomanufacturing facility in US

Eden Biodesign

CEFIC and DSM criticise EU API measures

CEFIC and DSM have said the European Commission's proposals for tackling counterfeit APIs do not go far enough. Responding to the public consultation both parties believe APIs in medicines destined for the EU market must comply with GMP and that there are concerns over some APIs originating from India and China.
In-Pharma Technologist

Dishman builds in China

Dishman Pharmaceuticals has invested $10m in an API and intermediates facility in Shanghai, China. The facility which is due onstream early in 2009 will support Dishman's contract manufacturing business.
Sify

Monday 16 June 2008

FDA considers outsourcing inspections

The US FDA is looking to outsource the inspection of pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities. However, there are concerns after the relative failure of a similar system used for medical devices.
San Diego Union-Tribune

Further production boost for PER-C6

DSM And Crucell have further enhanced the productivity of their PER-C6 human cell line. Just three months after announcing the cells could produce 15g/l they have announced that they can achieve production levels of 27g/l.
Reuters

Thursday 12 June 2008

Evonik may sell more shares

Hemscott

Daiichi to acquire Ranbaxy stake

Japanese pharmaceutical company Daiichi Sankyo will acquire a controlling stake in Indian generics manufacturer Ranbaxy for $4.6bn. Analysts believe the deal may start a string of western takeovers in the Indian pharmaceutical sector. Ranbaxy is believed to have talked to other companies including Takeda, GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer. Sources suggest Pfizer may bid for a further stake in Ranbaxy.
AFP
Times of India
Business Standard

pecter slams Administration over FDA cash

Just days after the Bush Administration called on he US Congress to authorise an additional $275m for the FDA, Senator Arlen Specter has criticised the timing in the Administration Request. Specter believes the FDA needs the money asap, but the Administration request would deliver the money in March or April 2009. Specter is highly critical in his letter to Secretary Leavitt.
Wall Street Journal

BASF has developed a new class of enzymes for producing chemically sophisticated chiral molecules

BASF

Avecia has added formulation studies to its portfolio

Avecia

Angel Biotechnology will manufacture GMP clinical trial GMP material for Novolytics

InvestEgate

Arch buys into Benzochem

Arch Pharmalabs has acquired 70% of Benzochem Lifesciences for around $23m. Benzochem specialises in manufacturing oncology products.
In-Pharma Technologist

Administration asks for more cash for FDA

US Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt has asked Congress to give the FDA an additional $275 million in next year’s budget to enhance the safety of food and medical products.
New York Times

Cobra Biomanufacturing will produce ViroMed’s Master Cell Bank and GMP-grade VM206RY plasmid DNA treatment for clinical trials

Cobra

Cambridge Major has broken ground on its expansion project

WISbusiness
Previously on FINE

Matthey takes stake in Dr Reddy's subsidiary

Johnson Matthey is to buy a 49% stake in Macred India, the subsidiary of Dr Reddy's dedicated to the manufacture of narcotic drugs from opium.
Economic Times

Thursday 5 June 2008

Johnson Matthey's Fine Chemicals and Catalysts business saw sales increase 13% to £303m

InvestEgate

Central Glass acquires Girindus business

Girindus has sold its Halle-Kuensebeck, Germany, process development, upscaling, cGMP production of active pharmaceutical ingredients as well as the fine chemical business and all related analytical activities to Central Glass Germany.
Girindus

CVC wins Evonik race, IPO planned

CVC Capital Partners has won the race to acquire a stake in Evonik. The private equity house has acquired a 25.01% stake in the German industrial Group for €2.4bn. Wilhelm Bonse-Geuking, CEO of Evonik's parent company, the RAG Foundation, said that RAG plans to IPO Evonik after mid-2010 and before 2013.
CVC
Bloomberg
Hemscott

Tuesday 3 June 2008

Dow Chemical has settled its litigation against former executives

Reuters

CVC expected to win Evonik race

As the Evonik decision day draws closer, it has been revealed that RAG now plans to sell a 25.01% stake in Evonik, giving the buyer a veto vote. Reports suggest that CVC Capital Partners is the winning bidder. CVC is set to pay €2.4bn for the stake, beating bids from Bain Capital, Blackstone Group and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts.
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Reuters

Sunday 1 June 2008

Evonik decision due 11 June

Evonik's parent company RAG will decide on 11 June which of the four interested financial buyers will get the 25% stake in the company. Sources suggest the workers union liked the presentations from KKR.
Forbes