Pharma Capsules

Acquisitions

Lancaster Laboratories Purchases Microchem Laboratories

Lancaster Laboratories (Lancaster, PA) acquired Microchem Laboratories (Waterford, Ireland). Microchem was established in 1986 and is one of Ireland's testing and research laboratories. Microchem offers microbiological, chemical, and environmental analyses to the pharmaceutical, medical-device, and chemical industries in Europe and Asia.

Aptuit Acquires Evotec's Development Business

Aptuit (Greenwich, CT) agreed to acquire Evotec's (Hamburg, Germany) chemical and pharmaceutical development (CPD) business. Evotec's CPD business comprises an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) facility in Oxford, United Kingdom, and a parenteral fill–finish facility in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The deal provides Aptuit with an established European presence in API development services with more than 80 clients. Aptuit expects the transaction to generate more than $40 million in revenue before the end of 2007.

Gaylord Chemical Co. Buys Gaylord Chemical Corp.

Gaylord Chemical Co. (Slidell, LA) acquired the assets of Gaylord Chemical Corp. (Slidell, LA). Gaylord Chemical Co. comprises the former management team of Gaylord Chemical Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temple-Inland (Austin, TX). The new owners began operating the combined company on September 1, 2007 under the name Gaylord Chemical Company. Gaylord Chemical Company has manufactured dimethyl sulfide and dimethyl sulfoxide at its Bogalusa, Louisiana, location since 1961.

People

AAIPharma Expands Management Team

AAIPharma (Wilmington, NC) hired Lee Karras as senior vice-president of nonclinical services and Anne Wiles as senior vice-president of data systems and processes.

Karras will build an infrastructure for the company's North American nonclinical business. Most recently, he served as a consultant for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the areas of technical operations, FDA compliance, supply-chain operations, and strategic planning.

Wiles will advance AAIPharma 's clinical processes and technologies worldwide. She formerly served as president of INC DataSpectrum, the data-services subsidiary of INC Research.

Austin Chemical Elects Chairman and CEO

Austin Chemical Company (Buffalo Grove, IL) elected Samuel M. Ponticelli its new chairman and chief executive officer. Ponticelli's election follows the departure of cofounder Patrick J. Corboy and Iver J. Berry, a partner. President Michael S. Phillips and Vice-President of Operations Joseph J. Chivini will remain with the company.

Ponticelli previously left Austin Chemical Company to form SMP Chemicals. He had served for 25 years as Austin's vice-president of commercial development.

Expansions

Bilcare Upgrades Facilities

Bilcare (Phoenixville, PA), a global clinical-services firm, is upgrading its packaging, storage, and distribution facilities at its US headquarters. The initial phase of the project includes a complete overhaul of each of the company's packaging rooms. The second phase of the project is the expansion of Bilcare's storage and distribution facility to 72,000 ft² and the construction of four new secondary packaging rooms.

Bilcare provides clinical-trial materials, support, services, and project management services to the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Meisssner Launches New Website

Meissner Filtration Products (Camarillo, CA) recently launched its new website, www.meissner.com. The new site highlights Meissner's line of laboratory products, including its "STyLUX" and "SteriLUX" 25-mm syringe filters and "Ultradyne" and "Steridyne" 50-mm vent filters. The site also describes Meissner's full-scale production elements such as "UltraCap" high-capacity capsules and "EverLUX" filter cartridges. The website allows users to access and download product literature easily. In addition, users can take a virtual manufacturing facility tour through a streaming video link.

ARx Opens Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Facility

ARx (Glen Rock, PA) officially opened its new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility 18 months after breaking ground. The 25,000-ft² facility is designed to manufacture dissolvable film, transdermal, and buccal drug delivery systems for over-the-counter, prescription, and biopharmaceutical products. The globally-compliant facility triples ARx's manufacturing capacity and laboratory space.

ARx currently supports commercial thin-film products sold in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, including Novartis Consumer Health's "Triaminic" pediatric and infant cough and cold products, "Theraflu" cold and flu products, and "Gas-X" antigas relief products. The current facility increases the company's potential strip output to more than 1.4 billion strips per year.

ARx is a wholly owned subsidiary of Adhesives Research (Glen Rock, PA).