Aphena Pharma Solutions recently announced that it is spending $21 million to expand its Solid Dose Division in Cookeville, Tenn Aphena Pharma has purchased a 500,000 ft2 property, purpose-built for FDA manufacturing and packaging operations. Renovations have already started to turn the site into a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical packaging and distribution facility that will also serve…
Why you need to get your timing right to make better tablets
Need to mass-produce tablets with quality solid dosage in a quick and cost-effective way? The time that a formulation is under compression is one area you should address through the use of innovative tablet tooling. Alex Bunting, I Holland Compaction plays an important role in the quality of the final tablet. In order to produce…
Kodak internal review finds problems but no lawbreaking over pharma loan deal
Shares of Eastman Kodak (NYSE: KODK) are up two-thirds so far this week after a special committee set up by the company’s board found no lawbreaking in controversial stock trades made by top management in the leadup to announcing a $765 million federal government loan to support a shift to pharmaceutical manufacturing. CEO Jim Continenza…
Teknova ups production of viral transport media to support COVID-19 testing
Teknova (Hollister, Calif.) recently announced that it has significantly scaled up production of its viral transport medium and saline to support COVID-19 testing. VTM (or universal sample transport medium) is a sample collection solution for virus stabilization that maintains virus viability from the point of collection to the testing laboratory. It’s but one of a…
Could Vaxxas’ tiny patches enable a better COVID-19 vaccine?
Tiny vaccine delivery patches could solve logistical challenges, but they face manufacturing hurdles. Here’s how Vaxxas is trying to overcome them. Merck (NYSE:MRK) and Vaxxas announced earlier this year that the pharmaceutical giant was using Vaxxas’ High Density Microarray Patch (HD-MAP) platform as a delivery platform for a vaccine candidate. Vaxxas did not disclose what…
Kohlberg & Co. snaps up majority stake in PCI Pharma Services
Private equity outfit Kohlberg & Co. announced today that it has agreed to acquire a majority stake in pharma supply chain outsourcer PCI Pharma Services. Abu Dhabi-based sovereign investor Mubadala Investment is also making a significant investment in Philadelphia-based PCI. Financial terms of the deal were not disclsoed. Private markets investment manager Partners Group, previously…
Why wet storage is key for biopharmaceutical single-use pH sensor performance
For biopharmaceutical single-use applications, pH sensors designed for wet storage deliver needed long shelf life and one-point calibration. Brandon Haschke, Emerson Biopharmaceutical processing applications, and especially single-use technology (SUT) manufacturing methods, present unique challenges for performing pH measurements. Quite often these processes are automated, and certainly they all must be monitored, so there is always…
Could Honeywell’s glass bottles alternative help COVID-19 vaccine distribution?
Even as a host of companies rush to create COVID-19 vaccines, there’s another looming challenge: how to safely and quickly distribute them. Officials at Honeywell (NYSE:HON) think they have one potential solution with their Aclar Edge bottles and vials, touted as a safer alternative to glass packaging for pharmaceutical products. Kori Anderson, Honeywell’s healthcare packaging GM,…
Kodak stock down 30% after pharma deal put on hold
Shares of Eastman Kodak (NYSE: KODK) were down more than 30% near the close of trading today after a tweet from the U.S. International Development Finance Corp. said a $765 million loan for domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing is on hold. The Aug. 7 tweet said: “On July 28, we signed a Letter of Interest with Eastman…
Trump signs executive order to help reshore pharmaceutical manufacturing
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order meant to encourage the reshoring of pharmaceutical manufacturing to the U.S. The executive order, signed Aug. 6, includes “buy American” provisions for U.S. government agencies’ procurement of essential medicines and reduces regulatory provisions. The Secretary of Health and Human Services and FDA commissioner, consistent with applicable law,…