Industry Briefs: January 28, 2013

Company News

AAIPharma has expanded its laboratory service offerings, capabilities, and instrumentation at its laboratory technology center in Wilmington, North Carolina. Read More

Baxter International has agreed to acquire the investigational hemophilia compound OBI-1 from Inspiration BioPharmaceuticals, as well as other OBI-1 related assets, including manufacturing operations, from Ipsen Pharma in conjunction with Inspiration’s ongoing bankruptcy proceedings. The transaction is subject to bankruptcy court and regulatory approvals. Read More

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery and development of drugs for treating human viral diseases, has formed a nonexclusive collaboration with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals for the clinical development of all-oral, direct-acting, antiviral Hepatitis C combination therapies. The collaboration will evaluate combinations including IDX719, Idenix’s once-daily pan-genotypic NS5A inhibitor, simeprevir (TMC435), a once-daily protease inhibitor jointly developed by Janssen and Medivir AB, and TMC647055, a once-daily non-nucleoside polymerase inhibitor, boosted with low-dose ritonavir, being developed by Janssen. Read More

Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing vaccines based on proprietary manufacturing technologies and virus-like particles, has formed a collaboration agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC) to develop technology for plant production. The objectives of the collaboration are to evaluate MCHC’s plant factory system, a closed-cultivation system, to produce nicotiana benthamiana plants for protein production using Medicago’s technologies. Read More

Sanofi’s Auvi-Q (epinephrine injection, USP) is now available in US retail pharmacies with a prescription from a healthcare provider. Auvi-Q is an epinephrine autoinjector with audio and visual cues for the emergency treatment of allergic reactions in people who are at risk for or have a history of anaphylaxis. Auvi-Q features a design that guides patients and caregivers, step-by-step, through the injection process. Read More

Xceleron, a bioanalytical-service provider, has formed a partnership with the China-based solid-state research CRO Crystal Pharmatech that is designed to provide drug developers early bioavailability data and optimized solid-state forms and formulations. Read More

People News

AAIPharma has appointed James Fife as senior director of parenteral operations for its manufacturing facility in Charleston, South Carolina. Read More

Bayer announced that Jörg Reinhardt, chairman of the board of management of Bayer HealthCare and a member of the Bayer executive council, will not renew his contract when it expires in summer 2013. Read More

Cytovance Biologics named Maria Lopez vice-president of quality. Read More

GlaxoSmithKline has appointed Hans Wijers to its board as a nonexecutive director. Read More