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

Wednesday 28 July 2010

CMC Biologics will manufacture ProtAffin's lead product for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at its Copenhagen, Denmark facility

Pharmaceutical Business Review

Novasep is working with Cerenis to further optimise the manufacturing process for its HDL mimetic following €10.7m funding from the French Govt

Novasep

The UK's medicines regulator, the MHRA, has clarified its guidance for API manufacturing site authorisation

MHRA

Daiichi Sankyo will use BioWa and Lonza's Potelligent CHOKS1V cell line for development and production of recombinant therapeutic antibodies

Genetic Engineering News

Signs of recovery for SAFC

Sales for Sigma-Aldrich's SAFC business unit showed double-digit growth in Q2, rising to $157m. The company said that several of the SAFC markets that were depressed in 2009 are beginning to show good signs of recovery. Jai Nagarkatti, Sigma-Aldich Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said "I think SAFC pharma business still is not recovered to the extent that we would like to see it recover" and Rakesh Sachdev, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, added that "we expect the SAFC pharma business to improve in the second half".
Seeking Alpha

Thursday 22 July 2010

Custom manufacturing sales hit Lonza

Profits for H1 2010 at Lonza were CHF135m up 14% from CHF118m in 2009, however sales fell 2% to CHF1301m. In the custom manufacturing division sales fell almost 7% to CHF658m due to anticipated low capacity utilisation in Portsmouth and Hopkinton in Q1 2010. In the chemical manufacturing business Lonza continued to be affected by customers’ efforts to optimise their overall cost base and net working capital. The company successfully implemented of a number of operational excellence programs which have increased the flexibility and throughput of most of its chemical manufacturing assets and will meet the new customer requirements. Lonza's biological manufacturing business continued to operate at high batch success rates, above the industry average and multiple new products and production campaigns had a positive impact on its mid- and large-scale asset utilisation.
Reuters

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Reaxa will lead a five-company consortium with a £718,000 Technology Strategy Board grant simpler, cleaner, lower-cost manufacturing processes

Reaxa

Angel posts H1 profit

Angel Biotechnology has reported a profit of £106,000 in the first six months of 2010. The company said it has secured business for the rest of the year and expects to post a profit for the full year.
The Herald

Apicore's Somerset, NJ, API manufacturing facility has successfully completed a US FDA inspection

BusinessWire

Eden to develop Itero biosimilar

Eden Biodesign will provide process development for Itero Biopharmaceutical’s biosimilar recombinant follicle stimulating hormone. The product has been licenced by Eden's parent company, Watson Pharmaceuticals.
San Francisco Business Journal

Thursday 8 July 2010

Jubilant to focus on life sciences

Jubilant Organosys is to spin off its agri-chem and performance polymer business units into a separate business Jubilant Industries and rename itself Jubilant Life Sciences.
Reuters

Tuesday 6 July 2010

Socma’s Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force (BPTF) has introduced a standardised quality drug agreement for CMOs and their customers

Socma

Girindus will validate a manufacturing process for an oligonucleotide product currently in Phase III clinical trials

Girindus

Aptuit acquires GlaxoSmithKline's medicines research centre in verona, Italy

PM Live

BASF merges Swiss fine chems units

BASF has merged its Evionnaz, Switzerland- based businesses BASF Orgamol Pharma Solutions and BASF Fine Chemicals Switzerland into a single organisation, BASF Pharma (Evionnaz). BASF said the merger reduces complexity at its site and simplifies processes.
In-Pharma Technologist

Thursday 1 July 2010

Aesica acquires R5, plans more

Aesica has acquired R5, which develops and manufactures new medicines and clinical trial materials, for an undisclosed sum. Chief Executive, Robert Hardy, said the company is currently considering a number of additional takeover targets overseas as part of its expansion plans including a formulation manufacturer in the US and Europe.
North East Business

CPhI to be held in Frankfurt in 2011

The annual trade show will take place on 25-27 October 2011 at the Messe, Frankfurt.
PR Newswire

Synthetech has hired a financial adviser to explore alternatives including selling the company

Portland Business Journal

Saltigo's Leverkusen site has successfully completed an FDA audit

Contract Pharma

DCGI to inspect China plants

India's drug regulator, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), is planning to start inspecting manufacturers in China supplying intermediates and APIs to Indian manufacturers.
DWS Pillscribe

Rumour: Dishman to sign manufacturing deals worth $40m with Abbott and Merck

Economic Times