FDA Deputy Commissioner, Joshua Sharfstein will be acting Commissioner until Margaret Hamburg's nomination is approved

Reuters

Biosimilars bill introduced in US Senate

New York Times

Cobra Biomanufacturing sees improved H2 in 2008, as losses for year almost double

Cobra

Consortium wins manufacturing technology grant

A consortium of US and UK companies has been awarded an $11m phase 2 contract by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) - Joint Science and Technology Office, Transformational Medical Technologies Initiative (TMTI), to develop technology for accelerated monoclonal antibody and vaccine manufacturing. The consortium combines Xcellerex’s microbial process development and single-use manufacturing technologies with Dowpharma’s Pfenex expression technology, deltaDOT’s analytical technology and BioPharm Services' systems integration, data management/process economics, and simulated event modeling technology. The consortium won a phase 1 grant in July 2007 (FINE Newsletter, 19 July 2007).
Boston Globe

Pharma industry calls for FDA food-drug split

Associated Press

Cobra Biomanufacturing reaches agreement with customer over contract variation

Cobra

Chemtura files for bankruptcy protection

Reuters

DSM to establish JVs in China

DSM has taken a 10% stake in North China Pharmaceutical Group Corporation Ltd and the two companies are establishing three joint ventures: one for vitamin C and two for anti-infective APIs and intermediates. DSM will hold a 51% share in the two anti-infectives joint ventures.
DSM

Almac has "topped-off" it new headquaters site in Pennsylvania

Almac

Wacker expects fine chemicals growth in 2009

Wacker's fine chemicals business saw sales fall 13% in 2008, despite higher sales of its biotech products. The company put this down to consolidation and reducing the number of catalogue products it makes. The company expects overall business to fall in 2009, but believes the fine chemicals unit will see growth.
Wacker Chemie

Onyx Scientific, Cyprotex Discovery and Glytech will jointly offer drug metabolite identification and synthesis services

Onyx

Novasep to build HPAI facility

Novasep will develop an R&D-phase pilot facility for highly potent active ingredients (HPAIs) as part of a consortium funded by the French government to develop innovative cancer therapies.
Business Wire

Obama announces FDA picks

President Obama has finally announced his picks to head the FDA. The President has nominated Margaret Hamburg as FDA Commissioner and Joshua Sharfstein as deputy commissioner. Hamburg will face a congressional approval committee.
Forbes

Cobra Biomanufacturing customer in discussions to terminate contract

Share Cast

Rudolf Hanko is to take over as CEO of Siegfried from 1 May

BioSpace

BASF to sell-off business unites to get EU approval of Ciba acquisition

Reuters

Roche finally gets Genentech - for $46.8bn

New York Times

Obama settles on FDA choices

Wall Street Journal

Dow and Rohm & Haas settle merger disagreement

Fox

Ampac Fine Chemicals has inaugurated its kilogram scale cGMP batch/continuous processing development facility

Contract Pharma