Supply Chain

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…

Phlow announced today that it received $354 million in U.S. government funding to manufacture essential medicines at risk of shortage, including those involved in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Richmond, Va.–based Phlow’s manufacturing is being funded by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)…

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 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…

Pharmaceutical giant  AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) has won U.S. antitrust approval for its purchase of Allergan (NYSE:AGN) for $63 billion in cash and stock. The purchase is seen as a hedge against the impending expiration of U.S. patents on AbbVie’s blockbuster drug, Humira. North Chicago-based AbbVie announced the deal in June 2019, but ran up against U.S. Federal Trade Commission…

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 (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…

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…

Severely ill COVID-19 patients may need multiple medications delivered by infusion pumps. Manufacturers and hospitals are planning on how to avoid shortages of these pumps and the associated tubing. You’ve likely seen the videos of ICU hallways lined with medical devices that would normally be in patient rooms. Among them are machines that are ubiquitous…

The coronavirus pandemic has cast a spotlight on U.S. reliance on pharmaceuticals made in China, with the Trump administration reportedly considering actions to increase demand for American-made drugs and medical products. The executive order in coming days would likely close loopholes that allow the federal government to buy foreign-made pharmaceutics and medical devices, The New…