PharmTech's monthly newsletter, Equipment & Processing Report, reviews the Editor's Picks for the November 2009 edition from Enercon and Schreiner.

Company and People Notes: 3M forms agreement with VaxInnate; TRIN Pharma appoints CEO; More...

A consortium led by GlaxoSmithKline (UK) intends to deliver a "step change improvement" in pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing in the UK by "substantially" increasing the country's manufacturing efficiency.

On Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) expressed its disappointment with the US House of Representatives's healthcare-reform bill.

The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) recognized researchers at the organization's 2009 Annual Meeting and Exposition in Los Angeles this week.

Novartis reported that German regulatory authorities approved its adjuvanted cell culture-based Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine, Celtura. The company also said it will acquire a stake in Chinese vaccines company Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical.

The European Medicines Agency, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, and the Heads of Medicines Agencies issued a European strategy for H1N1 vaccine benefit–risk monitoring.

Also, Commissioner Hamburg addresses the nation's doctors in a letter about the influzenza A (H1N1) virus and vaccine.

A new pharmaceutical company with a focus on rare diseases has been formed in Sweden following the merger of the Swedish companies Biovitrum and Swedish Orphan.

The Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) reported last week that the US Food and Drug Administration responded to the association's citizen petition relating to the inspection process of foreign drug-manufacturing facilities.

Lonza (Basel, Switzerland), the large contract manufacturer of small-molecule and biologic-based active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), announced last week a series of cost-cutting measures for the next 12 to 18 months.

The European Organization for Rare Diseases (EURORDIS) predicts that 100 new designated orphan products will receive marketing authorization between 2009 and 2019, which equates to approximately 10 new products every year.

In response to a request from the US Food and Drug Administration, the US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) revised its standards for propylene glycol and sorbitol solution

Company and People Notes: sanofi aventis forms pact with Micromet; Laureate Pharma adds members to its business team.

Novartis (Basel, Switzerland) plans to invest $1 billion over the next five years to increase research and development activities in China, including a significant expansion of The Novartis Institute of BioMedical Research (CNIBR) in Shanghai.

Last week, the steering committee and expert working groups of the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH) met in St. Louis, Missouri. A major success of the meeting was the adoption of several annexes to ICH Q4B on pharmacopeial texts.

New tests solve one issue, but cheaper plastic and new stoppers cause problems.

The author explores differences between two qualification documents, the draft guidance from FDA "Process Validation: General Principles and Practice" and the ASTM E2500-7 standard "Guide for Specification, Design, and Verification of Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Systems and Equipment."

With a five-yar revision cycle around the corner, USP will hit or miss the collaboration mark.

While Congress debates hundreds of healthcare plan proposals, perhaps we, the public, can get in the game too.

New standards may overlook critical qualification needs.

A recent book reminds readers that small-molecule chemistry has enabled advances in biotechnology.

New pricing controls and healthcare reforms may be pushing the pharmaceutical market out of this southeast Asian country. This article contains bonus online-exclusive material.

November is finally upon us and the days are getting colder and shorter.

Cargill has recently announced a number of innovations connected to its range of polyol excipients.

An inhaler mouthpiece that optimizes drug delivery to the lungs and reduces the amount of wasted medication has been developed by US researchers.

A complaint submitted to the Federal Trade Commission has referred to Pfizer's acquisition of Wyeth as "potentially monopolistic" and has urged the Commission to see that "the proposed merger is not in the public interest and is in conflict with a wide range of President Obama's objectives".

The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved H.R. 2868, the "Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009," a measure to modify and codify existing requirements of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program.