The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded $1.4 billion to support vaccine clinical trials to test new, more effective and longer-lasting COVID-19 vaccines. In all, Project NextGen is a $5 billion initiative from Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The…
Decade-plus review of drug recall trends from 2011 to 2023
Earlier this year, we took a look at the most common causes of drug-related recalls in 2022 and the first quarter of 2023. Now, we are expanding our lens to examine drug-related FDA recalls from 2011 to 2023. Understanding the recall landscape In recent decades, prominent incidents like the Tylenol poisonings in 1982 have underscored…
3M to invest nearly $150M to boost biopharma filtration tech capabilities
3M (NYSE: MMM) today announced today that it will invest $146 million dollars to expand its capabilities to further support the fast-growing biotech manufacturing sector. The investment will include facility and equipment improvements and 60 new full-time positions in 3M manufacturing facilities in Europe. 3M said the new investment will accelerate its development and delivery of vital…
Baxter to divest its BioPharma Solutions business for $4.25B
Baxter continues to streamline, announcing today that it will sell its pharma and biotech contract manufacturing business. The Deerfield, Illinois-based medtech company — maker of diagnostic, critical care, kidney care, nutrition, hospital and surgical products and services — will sell its BioPharma Solutions (BPS) business to private equity firms Advent International and Warburg Pincus. Baxter…
SMC’s European division gets new VP and GM
Medical device and pharmaceutical contract manufacturer SMC announced today that it has appointed Uri Baruch as the new VP and GM of its European division, which includes Oval Medical Technologies and Cambridge Pharma. The appointment is effective immediately. Cambridge, U.K.–based SMC says Baruch has a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success…
Wheeler Bio closes $31M Series A financing round to strengthen its alternative CDMO model
The boutique contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) Wheeler Bio has closed a $31 million Series A financing round, which it plans to use to complete a CGMP cell banking and drug substance manufacturing facility in Oklahoma City. The company specializes in process development and small batch CGMP production of therapeutic antibodies. Wheeler says the…
The impact of the Virginia life sciences boom on pharmaceutical manufacturing
Virginia is emerging as a hotspot for pharmaceutical manufacturing, attracting a growing number of industry players. The privately-held pharma manufacturing organizations Civica and Phlow have a presence in the state, as do Big Pharma heavyweight Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) and AMPAC Fine Chemicals (NYSE:AMPA). The latter company produces active pharmaceutical ingredients and intermediates for the…
Veranova invests $10 million in API manufacturing expansion in UK
Veranova’s Macfarlan Smith subsidiary announced that it had completed a $10 million mid-scale API manufacturing expansion in Edinburgh, UK. This new facility can produce highly active APIs as well as intermediates. It will meet the growing demand of generic opioid analgesics as well as anti-addiction drugs. The API manufacturing expansion is the first of two investments,…
Catalent shares up almost 60% in 2023 as acquisition rumors swirl
Contract manufacturing giant Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) is rumored to be the target of a Danaher (NYSE:DHR) acquisition, according to a Bloomberg report. CTLT shares were trading at $72.15 in afternoon trading on Tuesday, an increase of 58.75% over its valuation at the beginning of 2023. The company’s market cap is close to $13 billion. If the deal…
Cardinal Health pharmaceutical segment grows sales 15% in Q2
Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) today posted second-quarter results that beat the overall consensus on Wall Street. The Dublin, Ohio-based company reported losses of $130 million, or 50¢ per share, on sales of $51.5 billion for the three months ended December 31, 2022. Cardinal Health’s results swung to a loss versus the same quarter a year…