Bio-Outsourcing

Waters to open analytical lab in UK biohub

07-Jan-2016 By .

Waters Corporation will offer an open access analytical laboratory and technology support  to biotechs based at a former AstraZeneca site in the UK.

BASF and Sumitomo team to develop cell lines for tox testing

22-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

BASF and Sumitomo have teamed up to develop an in vitro alternative to animal-based chemical testing systems.

Sweden to back biomanufacturing through SEK320m investment scheme

18-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

The Swedish Government has announced a multi-million kronor plan to back biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing in the country.

IPO ready BeiGene adopts GE tech for China cancer biologics plant

16-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Nasdaq-bound Chinese biopharma BeiGene has chosen GE Healthcare’s Flexfactory platform for the monoclonal antibody (mAb) plant it is building in Suzhou.

Althea announces first phase of ADC offerings

16-Dec-2015 By Melissa Fassbender

Althea is expanding its biological drug product manufacturing operations to include highly active materials, such as Antibody Drug Conjugates (ADCs).

Samsung Bioepis selects UK as EU biosimilar base; no comment on IPO plan

15-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Samsung Bioepis will base its European operations in the UK at an entity set up to hold marketing authorizations for biosimilars it has filed for EMA review.

Californian SU plant set to go online, but Avid already eying up extra capacity

11-Dec-2015 By Dan Stanton

A new single-use bioproduction plant will bring in annual revenues of $40m, says Avid Bioservices which is already eyeing up additional capacity to cope with contract manufacturing demand.

Making waves: scientists use seaweed to grow stem cells

11-Dec-2015 By Melissa Fassbender

Scientists have identified seaweed as a source of nutrients for the expansion of pluripotent stem cells needed for future drug testing.

Facing an anti-venom shortage, WHO tries to mobilise new suppliers

09-Dec-2015 By Phil Taylor

Sanofi's recent decision to stop making anti-venom could lead to shortages from next year and place the lives of thousands of people in jeopardy, says the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Therapure launches IPO to grow biologics contracting business

03-Dec-2015 By Dan Stanton

Therapure Biopharma Inc. plans to go public to fund the expansion of its manufacturing facility and CMO business.

Cel-Sci adding more Multikine trial sites after recruitment slows

02-Dec-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Cel-Sci says its CRO Ergomed has added more research sites to the Multikine Phase III study after patient enrolment slowed.

New liver cell production method will spark end of animal testing, scientist

02-Dec-2015 By Dan Stanton

An Israeli researcher says a cost-effective method for making human liver cells offers drug developers better safety evaluation and will “undoubtedly” replace animal testing.

Samsung Biologics doubling capacity through third Korean plant

01-Dec-2015 By Dan Stanton

Samsung Biologics has invested $740m to build a third facility in Korea, adding a further 180,000L of mammalian cell culture capacity.

Waters moves into Malaysia to tap growing bioprocessing market

01-Dec-2015 By Dan Stanton

Analytical and downstream technology firm Waters has opened a subsidiary in Malaysia, citing the steady and consistent growth of biopharma in the region as a driver.

Acquired Sigma-Aldrich businesses part of Merck's Africa growth plan

26-Nov-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

New acquisition Sigma Aldrich will play a part in African growth plans in addition to giving it a presence in the preclinical services sector says Merck*.

Bigger in Japan: Biopta CEO predicts preclinical CRO business growth under new owners

26-Nov-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Preclinical CRO Biopta will add stem cell programming tech to its offering, expand in Japan and nearly double its workforce under new owner, Reprocell.

Novo Nordisk licenses 'small antibody' tech from Ablynx

25-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

Ablynx has licensed its nanobody platform to Novo Nordisk which hopes to discover and develop single-domain antibody fragment drug candidates.

Reprocell buys into cell therapy discovery services sector with Biopta takeover

25-Nov-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Reprocell has entered the CRO space through the acquisition of preclinical discovery services Biopta.

Abzena to buy TCRS in latest boost to its ADC offering

24-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

Abzena is set to buy The Chemistry Research Solution (TCRS) in a deal one analyst says shows the firm’s intentions to dominate the bio-conjugation space.

Abcam buys AxioMx for antibody production technology

23-Nov-2015 By Staff Reporter

Abcam has acquired monoclonal antibody production specialist AxioMx in a deal worth up to $45m (€42m).

Stevenage bio-manufacturing site will hire 150

17-Nov-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Cell Therapy Catapult, the UK fund for gene therapy, broke ground yesterday on a £55m bio-manufacturing centre in Stevenage, UK.

Agenus buying Xoma pilot plant in one of three antibody-focused deals

13-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

Agenus has bolstered its capabilities through a string of deals including the acquisition of an antibody GMP pilot facility from fellow biotech Xoma.

Jobs

ABPI: fix the manufacturing skills gap now

11-Nov-2015 By Fiona BARRY

The UK biopharma industry is reporting difficulties finding manufacturing workers with the skills to make vaccines, biologics, and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMP), according to ABPI.

Unilife undecided on takeover plans; gives December 31 deadline

10-Nov-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Unilife CEO Alan Shortall yesterday confirmed the drug delivery company is still “receiving interest from several parties under the strategic review process” and set a deadline of December 31 to announce any potential takeover.  The company received its...

CRL plans to pounce as pharma outsources more early discovery

05-Nov-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Charles River has reported strong Q3 sales despite weakness in Japan and plans to grab space in emerging early discovery, bio-testing and Chinese markets.

Video Q&A

Niche tech and biologics the new drivers for CMO consolidation, says PBOA

05-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

CMO consolidation strategy has shifted from building scale and adding geographies towards niche technologies and biologics, according to the founder of trade association PBOA.

Lonza take note: Alexion looking to bring more manufacturing in-house

03-Nov-2015 By Dan Stanton

Alexion says it is looking to bring more manufacturing capabilities in-house, despite its CMO partner Lonza recently setting up a dedicated suite at a site in New Hampshire.

Intertek's CA bioanalytical lab expansion latest response to biopharma demand

22-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

An expanded San Diego facility will support demand for preclinical and clinical development services driven by the growth in the antibody and biosimilar sector, Intertek says.

CPhI Worldwide 2015

Profile of a CEO: Piramal Chief shares M&A plans

21-Oct-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Piramal chief executive Vivek Sharma won last week’s CPhI award for the pharma industry’s CEO of the year. Outsourcing-Pharma.com spoke to Sharma about his plans for the CDMO the day after the jury’s unanimous decision.

Sartorius: 'Overproportionate' earnings growth led by US single-use uptake

20-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

Gains in market share and better-than-expected market environment drove year-on-year sales growth of 36% for Sartorius’s bioprocessing business.

Sigma-Aldrich to manufacture Wellcome CRISPR library

20-Oct-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Sigma-Aldrich is partnering with the Wellcome Trust to manufacture and distribute a CRISPR library on behalf of the UK research charity.

Althea building site for highly active bioproduction and ADCs

16-Oct-2015 By Fiona BARRY

CDMO Ajinomoto Althea is opening a new facility to offer outsourced ADC (antibody drug conjugate) and HPAPI (highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredient) manufacturing, the Californian company has announced.

ABEC opens Irish bioprocessing equipment plant

16-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

ABEC has begun supplying the Irish biopharma industry bioprocessing equipment from an ex-electronics facility in County Cork, acquired earlier this year.

Cel-Sci secures funds to go "the whole way" in $50m battle with inVentiv

14-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Cel-Sci has secured a $5m fighting fund for its battle with CRO inVentiv Health Clinical LLC which it says is enough to go “the whole way.”

Symbiosis confident injectables business will thrive under stricter MHRA

14-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Rival injectable drug contractors were felled by a stricter MHRA take on rules says Symbiosis' CEO who is confident his firm's compliance record will help it thrive.

Asterias to set up UK arm to access cell therapy production smarts

14-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

US biotech Asterias Biotherapeutics will set up a UK subsidiary to access Cell Therapy Catapult’s (CTC) process development know-how.

Dispatches from CPhI

INN guidance leaves FDA in catch-22 over awaited interchangeability rules, experts

13-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

Eagerly awaited interchangeability guidance will be at odds with the US FDA’s recent guidance on naming biological products using a four-letter suffix according to a panel of biosimilar experts.

Final designs for UK Gov-backed facility 'weeks away' says Cell Therapy Catapult CEO

13-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

The CEO of Cell Therapy Catapult says technical designs for the new UK biomanufacturing centre will be completed in the next few weeks.

ADC Bio to build Welsh manufacturing site on back of antibody-drug demand

09-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

UK-based processing tech provider ADC Biotechnology will build a $10m plant for the GMP manufacture of antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs).

M+W contracted to build cell therapy facility by UK Government

09-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

M+W has been contracted to build a £55m ($84m) manufacturing site that will support cell and gene therapy developers by the UK Government project, Cell Therapy Catapult.

Trenzyme licenses 7g per litre expression tech from JRS's Celonic

07-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Contractor Trenzyme GmbH has licensed a CHO cell line-based expression system from Swiss firm Celonic AG in a deal designed to expand its service offering.

Lonza to develop production process for Benitec gene therapy Hep C candidate

07-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Lonza has been contracted to develop a production process for a hepatitis C drug being trialled by gene silencing firm Benitec Biopharma.

Repositive launches free gene database for drug researchers

07-Oct-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

A UK firm has launched a searchable database of genomic data from sources all over the world that it says will accelerate development of personalised medicines.

UK's CPI opens doors for SMEs at new biologics manufacturing centre

02-Oct-2015 By Dan Stanton

The £38m ($58m) National Biologics Manufacturing Centre has opened its doors offering bioprocessing space to SMEs in the UK.

PRA teams with site network for better adult vaccine trials

30-Sep-2015 By Fiona BARRY

CRO PRA Health Sciences is working with trial site group AMR for better vaccine studies and shorter development times.

Government education grant to help grow Texas bioprocessing industry

30-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

Austin Community College has received a Government grant to establish a centre for biotechnology technicians it hopes will provide skilled workers for the Texas biomanufacturing industry.

“Money has returned to the market”: Envigo mulls biopharma role in preclinical recovery

29-Sep-2015 By Gareth Macdonald

Demand for biopharmaceutical testing is in part responsible for higher capacity utilisation but, despite encouraging signs, it is too early to say if preclinical pricing will improve accordingly says Envigo.

Lonza's stem cell production insight a boon to innovation and business

28-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

Investments in manufacturing and science have left Lonza well placed to cope with skyrocketing demand for stem cell manufacturing, the CMO says.

Lonza paper reveals secrets behind cGMP stem cell production

25-Sep-2015 By Dan Stanton

Lonza has published a guide to clinical-grade induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) manufacture, addressing concerns around the derivation of cellular materials.

Cobra and Manchester Uni receive grant for biologics scale-up

24-Sep-2015 By Fiona BARRY

Cobra Biologics, a Swedish contract development and manufacturing organisation, has launched a project to improve scale-up of biologics with the University of Manchester, UK.