Drug Development

Also, TorreyPines Therapeutics to liquidate assets and dissolve company; EU's competition services to examine Pfizer/Wyeth merger; Akorn appoints Raj Rai interim CEO; more...

The European Commission's (EC) Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (EC-DG Enterprise) announced last week that it will not continue preparing a commission directive on good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for certain excipients.

Consumer-care products, electronics, and select industrial firms comprise AMR Research's Supply Chain Top 25 for 2009, offering an opportunity for the pharmaceutical industry to examine best practices in supply-chain management.

Also, WACKER expands Iowa facility; EMEA releases a Q&A document for PIPs; Metrics consolidates quality operations; more...

The authors describe the importance of a rapid and an abbreviated screening strategy in initial solvent screening. This article contains bonus online-exclusive material.

Pharmacosomes can pass through biomembranes efficiently and possess several advantages over traditional vesicular drug-delivery systems.

Misleading the public about their investments-be it money or medicine-is unacceptable.

CROs and CMOs expand to gain a piece of the market for clinical trial materials.

Follow-on biologics could unleash the potential of several industries and may even spark economic recovery.

It can take a lot of work to make sure nothing happens.

Short-term problems in software or hardware lead to long-term manufacturing troubles.

The importance of liposomes as an effective drug delivery system is well accepted in the pharmaceutical industry, but their handling remains a challenge.

In 2005, a small delegation (myself included) of the European Fine Chemicals Group (EFCG) met with the deputy head of the cabinet of Commissioner Kyprianou (the then Commissioner responsible for health and consumer protection). Our mission was simple - we were there to raise a red flag.

Today, approximately 1.5 million counterfeit medicine packs enter the legal supply chain each year - in other words, one pack in every 20000 is counterfeit.

Also, Johnson & Johnson acquires Cougar Biotechnology; NIH launches program for rare and neglected diseases; PPD restructures leadership positions; more...

Also, Oxford BioTherapeutics forms drug development pact with GSK; Avila Therapeutics names CEO; more...

Also, Takeda to consolidate operations in Ireland; FDA to redesign website; Archemix names president and CEO; more...

Covance talks about the risks, challenges, and tests required to develop a pandemic vaccine.

Also, Oxford BioMedica forms collaboration with sanofi-aventis; FDA requires labeling changes for botulinum toxin producs; C. Richter King joins IAVI; more...

The president of BIO proposes the ingredients needed for industry growth.

Process steps, GMP documents, a purification vessel, and validation seem to disappear.

The authors describe the importance of a rapid and an abbreviated screening strategy by initial solvent screening in 20-mL scintillation vials.

The Japanese government is eager to jumpstart its generic-drug market, but changes must come first.

The authors investigate whether the addition of an antioxidant could be used to stabilize the solvent ethyl lactate by preventing the formation of peroxides

The GDP committee of IPEC–Europe is trying to seal one more broken link in the supply chain. This article contains bonus online-exclusive material.

Brief pharmaceutical news items for May 2009.

The organizations' presidents discuss market exclusivity, approval processes, and pending legislation.

Technology can solve enterprise-level problems.

With a new head of the FDA expected to be announced imminently, the pharmaceutical industry waits to witness the changes that will inevitably accompany the new appointment. These changes could, however, also impact the rest of the world's pharmaceutical markets.

Based on formulation simplicity and blinding capability, hard gelatin capsules are preferrable compared with other oral solid dosage forms, including tablets, in the early clinical phases of drug development.