The Bulk Pharmaceuticals Task Force, an affiliate of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), issued its support for the introduction of a House bill, the Generic Drug and Biosimilar User Fee Act (HR 3988), which SOCMA says will help to achieve parity between foreign and domestic firms.

Boehringer Ingelheim (BI) has announced the expansion of its biopharmaceutical manufacturing capabilities at its plants in Biberach, Germany and in Vienna, Austria. The expansion will include cell-culture and microbial-fermentation capacity, and support cell-line and process-development services for BI's contract manufacturing business.

FDA has issued a list of planned draft and final guidance documents for release throughout 2012. There are approximately 50 such guidances planned.

GlaxoSmithKline and Daiichi Sankyo have formed a joint venture that they claim will create the biggest vaccines company in Japan. The joint venture will seek to improve access to vaccinations in the Asian nation as well as introduce new vaccines.

A roundup of developments in corporate social responsibility and sustainability from the bio/pharmaceutical industry, its suppliers, and other private and public organizations.

Several major pharmaceutical companies detail their contributions for combating neglected tropical diseases.

In a world where product recalls can mean the end of a company, all batches must be perfect.

Brazil's generic-drug market is growing steadily.

US Pharmacopeia documents best supply-chain practices and seeks broad input on proposal.

Has the long-awaited guidance answered all of the industry's questions?

Traditionally more prevalent in less industrialised regions, counterfeit medicines are now more frequently entering the heavily regulated supply chains of EU countries.

Eli Lilly plans to invest EUR 330 million ($443.2 million) at its Kinsale location in Ireland to create a new biopharmaceutical commercialization and manufacturing facility.

JHS Secures Four Sterile Parenteral Products Manufacturing Contracts; Samsung Biologics, Biogen Idec Establish Biosimilars Joint Venture; and More.

GlaxoSmithKline is recalling 394,230 bottles containing its antihypertensive drug DynaCirc CR (isradipine) controlled-release tablets. The lots are being recalled due to concerns regarding the level of cGMP compliance and procedural controls related to line clearance during the packing process at the Lincoln, Nebraska, facility of Novartis Consumer Health, where the product is made.

Merck KGaA announced measures intended to reduce costs and increase efficiency to ensure the long-term success of its business model. The measures announced this week are part of a comprehensive transformation program that will be implemented in two phases.

On Feb. 21, 2012, FDA announced steps the agency plans to take to increase the declining supply of certain cancer drugs. These steps came in response to President Obama's Oct. 31, 2011 Executive Order.

On Feb. 17, 2012, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of McNeil-PPC, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, voluntarily recalled approximately 574,000 bottles of its OTC pain reliever and fever reducer Infants' Tylenol Oral Suspension, 1 oz. Grape. The voluntary recall was initiated after consumers complained of having difficulty using the SimpleMeasure dosing system.

Pfizer has signed an agreement with the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Zhejiang Hisun Pharmaceuticals with the objective of establishing a $545-million joint venture to develop and commercialize branded generic medicines in both China and the global market.

On Feb. 21, 2011, FDA posted a copy of a Warning Letter that was sent to the chairman of the executive board of Merck KGaA on Dec. 15, 2011, regarding cGMP violations identified at three of its European facilities: MS-Corsier-sur-Vevey, MS-Aubonne, and MS-Tiburtina.

Biogen Idec to Acquire Stromedix; Mylan, Pfizer Announce Epinephrine Autoinjector Settlement Agreement; and More.

The South African government is involved in talks with the Swiss biopharmaceutical company Lonza regarding a joint venture to construct the country's first plant to manufacture APIs for antiretroviral medicines.

EMA Releases Genetic Variability Guideline.

President Barack Obama released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2013. Included in the proposed budget is a $654-million increase in FDA funding, for a total FDA budget request of $4.49 billion.

FDA has released a draft guidance for API manufacturers in response to a 2008 incident in which heparin sourced from China was adulterated with oversulfated chondroitin sulfate, causing serious adverse reactions in patients.

Alexion Completes Acquisition of Enobia Pharma; BMS Completes Acquisition of Inhibitex; and More.

With the increasing use of hot-melt extrusion, extruder manufacturers have developed mid-size twin-screw extruders that facilitate process development and scale-up to commercial processes.

The EMA has published a guideline that addresses the influence of patients? genetic variability on drug pharmacokinetics.

We need to measure the particle size of a moisture-sensitive powder. We would like to use dry analysis on our laser-diffraction system, but the particles are fragile and we're struggling to get robust results. Is wet measurement with a nonaqueous solvent the only option?