Creating a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is just the first step. Recent media reports suggest that making it will also be a major challenge. There are presently a number of vaccine candidates around the world that are showing promise and entering the clinical studies phase — a speed of development usually unheard of in…
ACG receives Clean Label Project certification for capsules
ACG (Mumbai, India) announced today that the nonprofit Clean Label Project has certified its ACGcaps H+. Clean Label Project certification signifies that a product has met strict and comprehensive testing to demonstrate a priority on purity and environmental sustainability, according to ACG. The nonprofit evaluates test results against California Proposition 65, which is meant to…
Pfizer to outsource more production as it prepares for COVID-19 vaccine
Pfizer is turning to its 200-strong network of outside contractors to make more of its existing medicines as it prepares for a potential COVID-19 vaccine, according to media reports. The New York–based pharmaceutical giant said May 5 that it will invest at-risk to produce millions of doses of a coronavirus vaccine in 2020, boosting production…
India-led research effort asks the question: How do we keep a potential COVID-19 vaccine cold?
U.K. scientists have joined a research effort in India to help solve distribution problems around whatever COVID-19 vaccine hopefully emerges from global efforts, according to a recent news release from the University of Birmingham. Backed by the Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, experts from the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh are investigating the challenge involved…
Quartic.ai, Bright Path Labs to develop AI-powered continuous manufacturing for APIs
Quartic.ai and Bright Path Labs announced today that they’ve agreed to develop an AI-powered continuous manufacturing platform for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and other small molecule drugs. The technology will use Bright Path Labs’ continuous bioreactor and the Quartic.ai smart manufacturing technology. The companies are touting the technology as a way to diversify supplies of APIs, many…
Evonik investing $28m on initial expansion in Germany
Evonik recently announced that it will spend an initial €25 million (equivalent to nearly $28 million) to expand its Dossenheim and Hanau facilities in Germany. The expansion is meant to meet the growing demand for the contract manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and advanced intermediates within Europe. Evonik expects to complete the €25 million…
Freudenberg Medical completes extractables testing for its PharmaFocus Premium tubing
Freudenberg Medical (Carpinteria, Calif.) today touted extractables testing performed on its PharmaFocus Premium silicone tubing used in biopharma fluid processing and single-use applications. Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories conducted the independent extractables testing for Freudenberg Medical, drawing on BPOG and USP 665 protocols. “We understand that identifying extractable and leachable substances is extremely important for our biopharma…
Packaging Technology Group launches a dual temperature pharmaceutical shipper
Packaging Technology Group (Fall River, Mass.) recently announced the launch of a dual temperature pharmaceutical shipper made with sustainable materials. The new shipper is the latest addition to the TRUEtemp Naturals cellulose line of 100% curbside recyclable and repulpable products that several pharmaceutical companies presently use. The dual temperature pharmaceutical shipper allows medications and therapies…
How Johnson & Johnson is expanding manufacturing for a potential coronavirus vaccine
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) recently announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Cos. will collaborate with Emergent BioSolutions to support the manufacturing of its lead investigational COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The New Brunswick, N.J.–based pharmaceutical and medical device giant described the deal as the first in a series of contract manufacturing agreements that it expects to ink as…
How automated pharma production monitoring can avoid product mixups
Pharmaceutical companies need to have access to reliable systems that support them in complying with requirements such as Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP). Silke von Gemmingen, IDS Imaging Development Systems The International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) intended GAMP regulation to ensure the quality of the production of pharmaceuticals, active ingredients and cosmetics. In addition,…