India tries to prevent EU clampdown on manufacturing facilities

The Indian government is lobbying hard in an attempt to prevent European lawmakers introducing legislation to require the European Medicines Agency to carry out pre-inspection of manufacturing facilities. European fine chemicals companies have been lobbying hard for the legislation which is designed to prevent low quality APIs entering the European market.
Economic Times

Alnylam Biotherapeutics has shown that the use of siRNA can improve biopharmaceutical manufacturing

Alnylam

Stable Q1 for DSM; outlook tough

DSM said that activity for its Pharmaceutical Products business remained low and Q1 sales were stable compared to last year. The company saw lower API sales following the loss of some products, but this was offset by the completion of the H1N1 vaccine shipments. Looking forward, DSM said it expected the full year results to be lower than in 2009 due to ongoing challenges at in the business unit said there were "some very tough quarters ahead".
DSM

Lower fine chemicals volumes at Albemarle

Sales for Albemarle's fine chemicals business grew 13%, compared to 2009, to $136m in Q1 2010. The company attributed this to increased volumes in performance chemicals but saw lower volumes in fine chemistry services.
Albemarle

Codexis launches IPO

Codexis launched its IPO at $13/share - the low end of its projected range of $13-15 - bringing in $78m. In its first two days of trading the shares rose to $14.
San Jose Business Journal

Avecia Biotechnology will provide oligonucleotide manufacturing for a key component of Pfizer's Macugen

Business Wire

SAFC grows 14% in Q1

Sigma Aldrich's fine chemicals business, SAFC showed sales growth of 14.3% to $152m in Q1 2010, continuing the trend seen in H2 2009. The company also took a $6m restructuring charge during the quarter related to the consolidation of some facilities and the elimination of about 100 jobs. SAFC saw double digit growth of its custom pharma products driven by higher demand for HPAPIs and viral vectors met from its recently opened California and Wisconsin facilities. The company has also seen an increase in booked orders.
Seeking Alpha

Lonza remains cautious

Lonza's Q1 demand remained consistent with 2009, but reported that volatility still persists for its custom manufacturing businesses. The company said its pipelines remain strong and it expects higher capacity utilisation this year. Additionally, it is seeing increased levels of partnership discussion in specialty areas such peptides or HAPIs and continuous high level discussions on pipeline outsourcing.
Reuters

BioInvent will stop its contract manufacturing activities to focus on proprietary drug development

GEN

Codexis will launch its IPO this week

New York Times

Evonik opens China API facility

Evonik has started production at its new API facility in Nanning, China. The 70m³ capacity plan, which can be doubled in size if required, will primarily supply the Chinese market. The plant has been set up in collaboration with a European pharmaceutical company for which Evonik will produce various active ingredients under a multi-year supply contract and in compliance with cGMP.
Evonik

Inno Biologics is providing manufacturing for two biosimilar products for Avasthagen

Bernama

Almac has completed its £9m of its Pharma Sevices manufacturing facility in Craigavon, Northern Ireland

Almac

Angel Biotechnology will manufacture antibodies for Materia Medica in a £1.5m deal

Pharmaceutical Business Review

Angel Bio profit rises in 2009; considers expansion

Angel Biotechnology saw both profit and revenues rise 55% during 2009 compared to 2008. The company reported revenues of £1.48m. Company chairman, Paul Harper said "Angel is well positioned to take advantage of the manufacturing opportunities that are emerging in an evolving business environment and are considering the Company's expansion options in the light of the increased volume of business."
InvestEgate

Dishman CFO, VVS Murthy, says the company is seeking CRAMS revenues of about $10m in 2010-11 from Japan

DNA

Ampac acquires Texas facility

Ampac Fine Chemicals has acquired a fine chemicals manufacturing facility in LaPorte, TX. The $475,000, plus costs, acquisition increases the company's capacity by 30%. The facility, which passed FDA in 2008, was completed in 2001 and significant new equipment was added in the last four years. Aslam Malik, President of Ampac said "this additional capability in Texas, which includes commercial scale hydrogenation, as well as azide, cyanide, and phosgene capabilities, fits well with our areas of established expertise in energetic chemistry and continuous processing."
Ampac

Jantibody Technologies is using Pfenex's expression technology to produce HSP-avidin fusion protein for its Jantibodies platform

Boston BioCom

Archimica has signed a distribution deal for building blocks and special reagents for organic synthesis with Merck KGaA

Archimica

Archimica saw sales grow 16% to €131m in 2009, operating profit also increased

Archimica

Recipharm plans to cease operations in Basel, Switzerland

Recipharm

Dishman is planning to raise $17m through the sale of non-convertible bonds to build new plants

Business Week

Dishman plans to start work on its $220m pharmaceutical special economic zone in Bavla, India

Economic Times

MSD Biologics, formerly Avecia Biologics, has received a £2m grant from the UK Government to upgrade its commercial manufacturing facility

Steel Guru

Codexis sets its IPO price between $13 and $15

CNBC

SAFC has opened its 4700m2 Verona, WI, facility

Wisconsin State Journal

Lonza will expand carnitine capacity at its Nansha, China, facility

Lonza

Ranbaxy to use Pfenex technology

Ranbaxy will develop an undisclosed biosimilar therapeutic using Pfenex's Pseudomonas-based recombinant protein expression technology. The two companies will develop production strains and the production process for the product.
Business Standard