Facility

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the mainstream molecular technology for in vitro diagnostic assays. The introduction of freeze-drying to create ambient-temperature stable qPCR tests has improved assay stability and consistency and has enabled diagnostic companies to reduce supply chain and shipping costs. However, lyophilization is a complex and expensive process that requires expertise and sophisticated equipment…

Catalent (NYSE:CTLT) has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase a dry-powder inhaler (DPI) capsule manufacturing and packaging facility from Acorda Therapeutics (NSDQ:ACOR). The acquisition will enable Catalent to establish a center of excellence for spray-dried dispersion for DPI capsule manufacturing. The transaction will also expand Catalent’s existing U.S.-based commercial-scale capabilities in metered-dose inhalers and nasal…

Reinach, Switzerland-based Endress+Hauser, announced a new plan to beef up support of its U.S. operations with a $4.5 million investment.    The funding will enable the company to expand its project management, application engineering, services and other offerings.  “We will have more people in field assisting our customers’ needs,” said Todd Lucey, a general manager…

The German automation firm Festo has debuted the compact rotary gripper module EHMD for high-speed laboratory sample handling. The rotary gripper for a Cartesian robot can screw caps on and off sample vials, load centrifuges and grips, rotate and place microwell plates. The manufacturer envisions that the device can be used to automate the screening…

Lantheus Holdings (NASDAQ:LNTH) has agreed to sell its Puerto Rico-based radiopharmacy and positron emission tomography manufacturing facility to PharmaLogic Holdings Corp. PharmaLogic will pay $18 million to acquire the assets. The two companies also agreed to enter into a long-term supply agreement in which Lantheus will supply PharmaLogic with a range of products. The transaction…

Juganu, an Israeli startup, has developed a smart indoor light technology to fight against COVID-19. The company’s J. Protect technology offers the potential to protect pharmaceutical professionals in laboratories and other settings against the novel coronavirus and other pathogens. The company has recently begun several pilot programs with leading health institutions after clinically validating its…

The increasing complexity of drugs — including vaccines, biologics, sterile injectables and cell therapies — brings pharmaceutical companies significant manufacturing challenges during the pandemic. In turn, this complexity drives supply chain disruptions and changes to business and operational processes to accommodate social distancing, remote working and quarantining. Some pharmaceutical manufacturers have prioritized the manufacture of…

Baxter (NYSE:BAX) is planning on spending $50 million to expand a sterile fill/finish manufacturing facility in Bloomington, Ind.  Baxter’s BioPharma Solutions business will manage the site, including a new 25,000-ft2 warehouse, a new filling line for flexible plastic containers and a high-speed automated syringe fill line.  Baxter hopes to wrap up manufacturing at the site in…

Transitioning from traditional batch to continuous manufacturing provides greater throughput, but it requires near real-time data analysis to proactively address potential problems. Continuous manufacturing (CM) is gaining popularity in the pharmaceutical industry because it represents an improved approach for small molecule drug product development compared to traditional batch manufacturing methods. CM allows for the production…

Grifols (MCE:GRF and NSDQ:GRFS) posted third-quarter earnings yesterday that came in ahead of analysts’ projections, but its revenue fell short of the consensus forecast. The Barcelona-based manufacturer of blood-plasma products reported a net profit of €485.7 million on revenue of €4.0 billion for the quarter ended Sept. 30, 2020. Growth in constant currency was 7.6% compared with…