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

Thursday 26 February 2009

US budget to strengthen FDA

The first budget from US President Obama's Administration will support the FDA's efforts to ensure imported drugs are safe and effective and to establish a new regulatory pathway to approve generic biologics. In addition the FDA will receive a substantial funding increase to strengthen its food and drug safety efforts.
Wall Street Journal

Sanofi-Aventis is believed to be leading the race to acquire Piramal Healthcare

Economic Times

BASF expects further earnings drop in 2009

Reuters

Tuesday 24 February 2009

UKTI seeks companies for CPhI stand

UK Trade and Investment is seeking 11 companies for a stand share at CPhI Worlwide in Madrid. The companies must be of UK origin and offer UK origin (or UK high value added) products and services to the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
For more information contact UKTI

Wednesday 18 February 2009

DSM sees stable year for pharma

DSM saw stable full year organic sales in its Pharma cluster in 2008. Sales and profitability in its Pharmaceutical Products business unit were negatively impacted by the phasing-out of contracts related to the Roche Vitamins acquisition, insourcing by large pharma houses and delays in the commercial development of new products.
DSM

Arques Industries has sold Rohner to BluO

Arques

International Chemical Investors Group has acquired Miteni from Mitsubishi

ICIG

Monday 16 February 2009

CMO sector to show 10% growth in 2008

The pharmaceutical contract manufacturing sector is predicted to exceed $30bn in 2008 - a growth of 10%, according to market research publishers, Kalorama. Biomanufacturing and secondary manufacturing are the two fastest growing sectors as they are often not core competencies of pharmaceutical and biotech drug developers.
In-pharma Technologist

Thursday 12 February 2009

Wednesday 11 February 2009

SAFC sees flat year in 2008

Sigma-Aldrich saw sales of its SAFC fine chemicals business grow 5.25% to $623.5m in 2008. The company said that 2% of the growth was due to currency effects, 0.7% to acquisitions and 2.5% due to organic growth. The company saw a decline in 2008 in services for small molecule projects with large pharma companies, however SAFC believes it is well positioned to take advantage of the move from small molecule to large molecule drugs.
Sigma-Aldrich

Tuesday 3 February 2009

Obama promises 'complete review' of FDA

USA Today

Pharma changes to continue

Further to Pfizer's proposed acquisition of Wyeth announced last week, several other major pharma companies are expected to see significant changes. GlaxoSmithKline is expected to cut at least 6000 jobs worldwide. Sanofi-Aventis is believed to have approximately $26bn for acquisitions. Roche has lowered its offer for Genentech, appealing directly to the company's shareholders.
The Times
Financial Times
Financial Times

Eden Biodesign and Oxford Expression Technologies will co-market each others capabilities for manufacturing biopharmaceuticals

Eden Biodesign

Sunday 1 February 2009

Zach System plans job cuts and restructuring at former PPG site

Usine Nouvelle

Neuland moves into peptides

Neuland Laboratories is making a two-step move into peptide contract manufacturing. Firstly it will establish a non-GMP facility for synthesis of peptides both for generic API and contract research opportunities. The second phase will add commercial scale GMP contract manufacturing for both generic and innovator companies.
Outsourcing Pharma

APC adds capacity

American Peptide is expanding its GMP peptide manufacturing facility in Vista, California. The first phase of the expansion will add four purification suites, including HPLC columns and tray lyophilisers, and will commence operation in April 2009. The second phase will include two large-scale synthesis suites, with 1000L and 2000L solution phase reactors and 26L and 500L SPPS for solid phase synthesis, with completion expected in Q2.
Outsourcing Pharma