News

Merck KGaA has agreed to acquire Millipore for EUR 5.3 billion ($7.2 billion).

Last week, the US Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health unveiled plans to establish a Joint Leadership Council to address important public-health issues.

Astellas Pharma Makes Bid for OSI Pharmaceuticals; Ringo Retiring From Pfizer; And More.

Top pharmaceutical and biotech companies should expect a major slowdown in sales growth between 2008 and 2014, according to business analysts Datamonitor.

Following its $68-billion acquisition of Wyeth, Pfizer is integrating its manufacturing and outsourcing activities (Podcast).

Analysis of the opportunities and challenges in the biosimilars market.

Pharmaceutical companies and their suppliers share approaches in risk mitigation in sourcing and ways to optimize the outsourced relationship.

The University of California, San Francisco (CA, USA; UCSF) has signed an agreement with Genentech with the aim of discovering and developing drug candidates for neurodegenerative diseases.

A significant increase in the recruitment of contract staff is expected during the next 12 months in the UK biotechnology sector, according to a survey conducted by SRG, which provides personnel to various science-based sectors.

A significant increase in the recruitment of contract staff is expected during the next 12 months in the UK biotechnology sector, according to a survey conducted by SRG.

FDA issues data on drug-induced liver injuries and serious skin reactions; IPEC Federation Week starts in France.

Eli Lilly, Merck Sharp & Dohme, and Pfizer form the Asian Cancer Research Group, a nonprofit aimed at accelerating research and improving treatment for patients affected with the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Asia.

Arnesto Segredo of Miami, Florida, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for conspiring to divert prescription drugs.

Merck To Eliminate 15,000 jobs; Tauzin Stepping Down At PhRMA; And More.

RUSNANO, a corporation established by the Russian government to foster the development of nanotechnology, launched a project last week to manufacture targeted-delivery nanodrugs to treat malignant neoplasms.

The Society for Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates offered its support for a Senate proposal to extend to 2015 current chemical-security standards, the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards, which are set to expire this year.

Abbott Completes Acquisition Of Solvay; Merck Names President of Consumer Healthcare; And More.

The European Medicines Agency and the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products, Swissmedic, have agreed to exchange information about the authorization and safety of H1N1 pandemic medicines.

A joint investment of approximately 28 million Euros ($38 million) for seven projects may bring personalized medicine closer to reality by developing ways to deliver drugs to specific disease sites within the body.

PharmTech's monthly newsletter, Equipment and Processing Report, reviews the Editor's Picks for the February 2010 edition from ABB and David Round.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers that launch ePedigree and serialization initiatives today will improve their competitive positions in the short and long terms.

Drugmakers have many incentives to avoid overfilling their containers, including the scarcity, and correspondingly high cost, of certain cells and ingredients. These concerns highlight the need for techniques that can fill small volumes of product with great accuracy. Many strategies are available to the industry, but which one works best?

Following its $68-billion acquisition of Wyeth, Pfizer is integrating its manufacturing and outsourcing activities (Podcast).

Personalized medicine is still a nascent area for pharmaceutical companies, but several large companies recently reported developments in this area.

GSK Chief Executive Andrew Witty outlined the company's strategic priorities for 2010, which include further diversification into emerging markets, consumer healthcare, and vaccines.

Margaret Hamburg, commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, unveiled a new program to improve the efficiency of import inspections.

VaxGen Shareholders Reject OXiGENE Merger; Roche Creates Research Hub In Singapore; And More.

GSK launched a stand-alone unit that will specialize in the R&D and commercialization of medicines for rare diseases.

EMA statistics highlighting centralized-procedure activities for human medicines show a significant increase in positive opinions made between 2007 and 2009.

Capsules that can release their contents at a selected temperature have been developed by researchers in France, and could lead to the development of therapeutic agents that are applied to the skin and triggered locally by rubbing.