Pharmaceutical Technology Editors

3M, Actavis, Kos, Abbott, more

Dublin, OH (Nov. 30)-Cardinal Health has announced plans to divest its Pharmaceutical Technologies and Services (PTS) segment, "a business that manufactures or packages 100 billion doses of medication every year for pharmaceutical and biotech firms, employs approximately 10,000 at more than 30 facilities worldwide and generates $1.8 billion in revenue," according to a company statement.

Proof of concept is a new development paradigm.

Ann Arbor, MI (Nov.15)-Scientists at University of Michigan?s Comprehensive Cancer Center have devised a nanoparticle system that delivers a photodynamic drug directly to brain-cancer tumors

AAI, Mallinckrodt, ATMI LifeSciences, More

Argonne, IL (Nov. 9)-Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory?s Chemistry Division and Xradia have developed a novel X-ray microscopy technique that allows molecular observations of the reactivity of solid surfaces at the nanometer scale, including interfacial reactions such as ion adsorption and catalytic reactions.

Actavis, Altus Pharmaceuticals, Covance, more

Alcan, China Biopharma, US FDA, MedImmune, more

Alcan, China BioPharma, Illumina, Solexa, more

Over-the-counter drug maker Perrigo Company issued a voluntary recall of certain lots of store-brand acetaminophen 500-mg caplets that could contain trace amounts of metal particulate. Approximately 11 million bottles of acetaminophen are affected by the recall.

Mystic, CT (Oct. 26)-Kenneth G. Chapman died at his home here on Oct. 26. He was 79. The cause was pancreatic cancer

Dublin, OH (Nov. 14)-A half-year Cardinal Health study of radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags "under real-world conditions has demonstrated that the technology has real promise to provide an added layer of safety," according Renard Jackson, the company's vice-president and general manager of global packaging services, in a prepared statement.

Abitec, Distek, Hanson Research Corporation

AAPS, San Antonio (Oct. 31-The advantages of ultra-performance liquid chromatography over traditional high-performance liquid chromatographic were the center of the presentation, ?Strategies for Rapid Chromatographic Method Development from Preclinical to Phase 3,? by Charanjeet Jassal of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

Geneva, Switzerland (Oct. 23)-Aiming to increase capacity for producing influenza pandemic vaccines, the World Health Organization has identified strategies and practical solutions for reducing the anticipated gap in the global vaccine supply.

Akorn, Natco, Illumigen, Avecia

Dallas, TX (Nov. 7)-The US Food and Drug Administration has posted a Warning Letter from its Dallas District office to Matheson Tri-Gas, Inc.

St. Paul, MN (Nov. 9)-3M Co. will carve up and sell its global branded pharmaceuticals businesses for a total of $2.1 billion, the company announced this morning.

AAPS, San Antonio (Oct. 31)-Industry and regulatory agency concerns over process variability have prompted both groups to take a closer look at analytical method transfer processes.

AAPS, San Antonio (Oct. 30)-Although the analysis of impurities in drug substances and drug products is not a new topic, new regulations are increasing concern in the industry.

Avecia, Illumigen, Biomira, ProIX

AAPS, San Antonio (Oct. 30)-Aiming to provide a greater understanding of coating processes, speakers at the 20th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists presented some of the difficulties, tools, and strategies for obtaining adequately uniform films in pan and fluid-bed coating processes.

Liverpool, UK (Oct. 20)-Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics Limited is recovering two lots totaling 500,000 doses of its ?Fluvirin? influenza virus vaccine after reports that the product had been received from distributor Cardinal Health Care in either a frozen state or below the required storage temperature range of 35?46 degrees F.

Philadelphia (Oct.24)?Failures to review batch failures and unexplained discrepancies are the leading cause of Food and Drug Administration Form 483 observations and Warning Letter citations issued to pharmaceutical companies.

Baxter Healthcare, Merck, Teledyne

San Antonio, TX (Nov. 1)?Market growth in the pharmaceutical outsourcing industry is strong, but slowing, according to Jim Miller, president of PharmSource Information Services, Inc. and publisher of Bio/Pharmaceutical Outsourcing Report.

San Antonio, TX (Nov. 1)-Though the US Food and Drug Administration's final guidance on process analytical technology (PAT) was published in Sept. 2004, companies are still unsure about how exactly to implement PAT in their processes.

Wilmington, NC (Oct. 26)?AAIPharma Inc. has completed its acquisition of contract research organization Cvitkovic & Associes Consultants S.A.

San Antonio, TX (Nov. 1)-The opening session of the ?Pharmaceutical Technologies? track at the 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists in San Antonio, Texas was standing room only as R. Christian Moreton, PhD, vice-president of pharmaceutical science at Idenix Pharmaceuticals, and Richard O. Mannion of Purdue Pharma discussed ?Product Development Using a Virtual Company Model.?

FDA conducted 163 inspections of foreign API manufacturers in 2005.