While there are several MFCs out there to choose from, based on first hand experience from having evaluated many over the years, only two really stand out. They are the Brooks Instrument SLA 5800 and the Burkert 8700 series. If I had to ch
A U.S. Patent for "Methods of Replicating a Large Scale Eculizumab Production Cell Culture" was awarded to Alexion on January 28th, 2020. The present invention is a method of replicating a large-scale
CDMO Piramal Pharma Solutions has announced plans to expand its Aurora facility in Canada with the addition of a new state-of-the-art wing dedicated to manufacturing Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). A total investment of $19 milli
Human cells have a defense mechanism that protects them from microbial attacks, a Canadian-led team of international researchers has discovered. When microbes enter our body, they liberate toxins that can damage cells by poking holes in th
With the official beginning of Brexit starting soon, the UK government this week offered further information on supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) in a post-Brexit world. The guidance explains how after the transition period that
This study provides a list of cold-inducible genes and endogenous cold-inducible promoters of CHO cells. Transcriptome data before and after a temperature shift from 37 to 33 °C are analyzed to identify 94 cold-inducible genes, which are
The Bio-Process Systems Alliance (BPSA) has published a 20-page Market Data Report - A Data
Sorrento Therapeutics has rejected a $1.1 billion buyout offer, saying it significantly undervalues the company and is not in the best interest of shareholders. The company announced this week that its board of directors unanimously rebuff
In the second research report published this year investigators have found that the U.S. Food FDA is approving drugs faster than ever. Unfortunately, it appears that the agency is also approving those drugs on less data and weaker evidence
Vigene Biosciences has opened its new research facility in Rockville, Maryland. The opening of a new laboratory at 5 Research Court - near Interstate-270's Shady Grove Road exit - significantly increases the biotech's Rockville footprint,
It took 22 minutes to travel 100 miles and arrive at Naval Auxiliary Air State in Mayport, where
A U.S. Patent for "Bioreactors and Uses Thereof" was awarded to Biostage on January 28th, 2020. The present invention is a bioreactor comprising: vessel having side walls defi
Krystal Biotech has broken ground on its new biologics manufacturing facility near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The 100,000 sq. ft. building in the Airport Corridor will be primarily used to make the company's gene therapy medicines for rare
For a long time, anecdotes have connected stressful experiences with the phenomenon of hair graying. Now, for the first time, Harvard University scientists have discovered exactly how the process plays out: stress activates nerves that are
The US Department of Justice has arrested a Harvard professor and two Chinese nationals in connection with aiding the Chinese government. Dr. Charles Lieber, 60, Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at Harvard Universi
The House Energy & Commerce Committee of the US Congress this week considered a bill, supported by members on both sides of the aisle, that focuses on encouraging continuous drug manufacturing. As currently written, the bill, known as
Shares of Spring Bank Pharmaceuticals plummeted 26% this week after the company said it would end the development of an experimental drug to treat chronic hepatitis B virus, following the death of a patient in a mid-stage trial. The drug d
A U.S. Patent for a "Method of Cell Culture" was awarded to Pfizer on January 28th, 2020. The present invention isa method of cell culture comprising (i) providing cells in a cell culture medium to st
Merck KGaA has announced an investment of $275 million (€250 million) in a new facility in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland - the Merck Biotech Development Center - dedicated to biotech development and manufacturing. Located near Merck's c
Michigan State University and Stanford University scientists have invented a nanoparticle that eats away -- from the inside out -- portions of plaques that cause heart attacks. The results, published in the current issue of Nature Nanotec
The US FDA this week finalized six guidance documents on gene therapy development and released a new draft guidance on interpreting the sameness of gene therapies under the orphan drug regulations. The guidance release comes as more than 9
Horizon Therapeutics is set to buy the massive 70-acre campus formerly occupied by Takeda Pharmaceuticals. The Deerfield, Illinois property, which runs along the Tri-State Tollway, totals 660,000 square feet and includes three interconnect
A recently published report from HighTech Business Decisions titled "Biopharmaceutical Contract Manufacturing: Best Practices Pricing Study 2019" expects increased prices over the next two years, but at rates slightly lower than histori
Allergan officially opened its new $160 million (€145m) biologics manufacturing facility in Westport, Ireland this week. The site is designed to provide increased production capacity for Botox and facilitate development of a new generati
A U.S. Patent for "Tangential Flow Depth Filtration Systems and Methods of Filtration Using Same" was awarded to Repligen on January 21st, 2020. The present invention is a bi
The Center for Breakthrough Medicines, a newly formed CDMO whose mandate is to facilitate patient access to critically needed cell and gene therapies, has signed a long-term lease for 680,000 square feet at The Discovery Labs site in King
An interdisciplinary Munich research team led by scientists from TUM has for the first time succeeded in correcting the mutated dystrophin gene in living pigs. In order to cut the defective gene sequence from the DNA of the animals' muscle
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and New York Attorney General this week filed a lawsuit against Vyera Pharmaceuticals, which was previously known as Turing and was run by the infamous "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli. The FTC and New York la
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Accumulation of CO2 in fermentation and cell cultures can become a significant problem affecting productivity and product quality of rec
In today's state-of-the-art bioprocessing systems, one of the most
Amid reports of the ongoing spread of the coronavirus, and associated closures of entire cities by the Chinese government, some have expressed their concern for the continued reliability of the global supply chain on which biopharma relies
Allergan is selling off an experimental drug and a commercialized product in order to address antitrust concerns expressed by the European Commission earlier this month. This comes as regulators are reviewing the company's $63 billion acqu
Merck KGaA has announced an investment of $275 million (€250 million) in a new facility in Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland - the Merck Biotech Development Center - dedicated to biotech development and manufacturing. Located near Merck's c
Biomanufacturing relies on numerous pieces of equipment working in concert to produce life-altering therapeutics. The equipment relies on various subsystems to achieve the desired results. In a bioreactor, one of the most essential s
A U.S. Patent for a "Port and Related Container System" was awarded to Thermo Fisher on January 21st, 2020. The present invention is a container system that includes a flexible bag
Alert readers will recall that late last year the US Department of Health and Human Services took the rare step of filing a complaint against Gilead for infringing on government-owned patents related to the HIV drug Truvada. Now Gilead has
The Center for Breakthrough Medicines, a newly formed CDMO whose mandate is to facilitate patient access to critically needed cell and gene therapies, has signed a long-term lease for 680,000 square feet at The Discovery Labs site in King
Findings published in Nature Immunology this week, show potential in using our body's immune system to treat all cancers. Researchers from Cardiff University have found a way of killing cancers that range from prostate, lung and br
Pfizer has announced the launch of its competitors to Roche's 'big three' cancer drugs in the US, at a "substantially discounted price" compared with the originators. The launches put further pressure on Roche's Herceptin, Rituxan and Avas
GE Healthcare Life Sciences is building a new 79,000 sq. ft. (7,360 sqm) facility in Grens, Switzerland. The site, located in the new Signy Park will be equipped for the manufacture of single-use kits for the Sepax and Sefia cell pro
For the first time since 2013, Series A oncology investments fell out of first place, receiving $835 million in 40 investment rounds. Taking the lead were platform companies, which are typically preclinical and don't have a lead asset, but
If the "Dynamic Dialysis" I'm thinking of is the same one you heard about at the conference, then it is actually a combination product and process. The trade name is SpectraFlo and it is available from Repligen. The leading feature of this
A U.S. Patent for a "Method for Improving the Stability of Purified Factor VIII After Reconstitution" was awarded to CSL on January 21st, 2020. The present invention relates to a method for increasin
AstraZeneca has announced plans for a five-year, $500 million investment in France. The details of the investment includes $230 million to finance the expansion and modernization of the company's development and manufacturing site in Dunki
UT Southwestern Simmons Cancer Center researchers have discovered a two-drug combo that halts the growth of cancer cells that carry HER2 mutations. The findings were prompted by the observation that, after an initial response, patients wit
New details on the US FDA's tussle with Sarepta over the approval of golodirsen, a drug that treats Duchenne muscular dystrophy, are raising worries over the fate of another drug for the same disease that Sarepta is seeking approval for. A
Iron-free HPLC systems, better known as biocompatible systems, are generally regarded to be chemically more inert compared to conventional HPLC systems. In this work, we studied the chromatographic behavior of some classes of compounds of
Friday, April 3rd - Tuesday, April 21st, 2020
What if isolator filling lines were ordered fully integrated, fully qualified, installed in their fully inte
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John Kapoor, the founder of Insys Therapeutics was sentenced this week to 66 months in prison for his role in a bribery and fraud scheme that contributed to the U.S. opioid crisis. Kapoor, 76, is now the highest-ranking biopharma executive
A U.S. Patent for a "Lyophilized Formulation of HGF" was awarded to Eisai on January 21st, 2020. The present invention provides a lyophilized formulation having improved storage stability of hepatic g
Eli Lilly and Company has made public plans to build a $470 million dollar biopharma manufacturing plant, creating more than 460 high-paying jobs, in Durham, North Carolina. The decision to build in North Carolina comes after the company c
Salk researchers have discovered that a powerful combination of two experimental drugs reverses the cellular and molecular signs of osteoarthritis in rats as well as in isolated human cartilage cells. Previous research had pinpointed two m
The Court of Justice of the EU this week ruled that the European Medicines Agency (EMA) acted lawfully when it released certain toxicology reports and a clinical study report from two sponsors that wanted to keep that information confident
Wednesday, February 12th, 2020
Join us when we unveil the latest family member of the Eppendorf Bioprocess product family: Our next-generation bioprocess