Bio-outsourcing

New WCG board to advise on gene therapy research

30-Mar-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

WIRB-Copernicus Group (WCG) has assembled a team of experts to advise the company as it advances its gene therapy research. 

Hitachi Chemical licenses PCT tech and mulls cell therapy JV

23-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Hitachi Chemical has licensed cell therapy manufacturing technology from PCT in a deal that may see the firms set up a European JV.

Novasep aims to fast-track mAb process development in GTP partnership

23-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

The partnership with recombinant protein development firm GTP Technologies will create an end-to-end manufacturing service, speeding up production of monoclonal antibodies and reducing costs, says Novasep.

BioOutsource announces new assays for three biologics

23-Mar-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB), a supplier for the biopharmaceutical industry, has announced new, ready-to-use assays for testing biosimilars.

Meringue? No, you're not wrong: TxCell outlines unusual Ovasave delivery method

22-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

TxCell is working on new ways of delivering its Crohn's disease therapy Ovasave that will replace the somewhat unusual method it is using in clinical trials.

Lonza: More pharmas among top customers in 2015; Strong franc could erode Swiss industry

22-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Drug companies were a more important source of revenue for Lonza in 2015 than in previous years with four of its five biggest spending customers coming from the pharmaceutical sector.

CSL Behring using Albumedix tech to extend the half-life of new haemophilia drug

21-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

CSL Behring has opted to extend the half-life of its haemophilia B treatment Idelvion using a technology developed by Novozymes A/S subsidiary Albumedix.

War of the agaroses? Purolite says 100,000L plant will cut cost of Protein A

18-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Purolite hopes to reduce the price biopharmaceutical companies have to pay for Protein A with a new 100,000L manufacturing facility.

Dr Reddy's teams with API firm TR-Pharma to launch biosimilars in Turkey

17-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Dr Reddy’s Laboratories and TR-Pharma have partnered to manufacture biosimilar pharmaceuticals for the Turkish market.

Gyros and Protein Tech to merge, creating end-to-end biopeptide tools firm

16-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

The combination of Gyros and Protein Technologies will give biomanufacturers greater access to protein and peptide processing tools and reagents, the CEO says.

TxCell names PCT as Ovasave contract manufacturer in the US

16-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

TxCell has hired Caladrius Biosciences’ subsidiary PCT as its manufacturer in the US and has started looking for a CMO in Japan.

Time-saving benefit a factor in decision to go disposable, says Avid

16-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

The changeover time between batches is significantly quicker using disposable equipment, says Avid Bioservices whose new biomanufacturing facility boasts several 1,000L single-use bioreactors.

CAR T Cell firm Autolus raises £40m in Series B funding

15-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

UK-based drug developer Autolus has secured £40m ($57m) to develop its pipeline and license more T-cell engineering technologies from UCL.

Purolite targets GE's Protein A resin dominance with plant expansion

11-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Purolite has expanded a facility in Wales to address growing demand for its agarose Protein A resin, used to purify monoclonal antibodies.

Life science becoming ‘growth engine’ following Sigma-Aldrich buy, Merck

10-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

Germany’s Merck expects to achieve cost synergies of €90m ($98m) in 2016 from the integration of Sigma-Aldrich which the firm acquired in November.

TxCell to continue improving Ovasave production network post-suspension

09-Mar-2016 By Dan Stanton

New facilities and a successful CMO tech transfer have helped turnaround the manufacturing of cell therapy product Ovasave, says TxCell after production was suspended last year.

Peregrine: new biologics plant may boost contracting revenues by $40m

08-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Avid Bioservices has formally commissioned a biologics manufacturing facility that more than doubles its production capacity.

Bigger discounts will boost biosimilar prescribing say US physicians

04-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

The larger the discount the more likely a US physician is to prescribe a biosimilar rather than an originator biologic according to the results of a survey.

Medpace to run Ph III trial of blood cancer ADC for Actinium

03-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Medpace will run a Phase III trial of candidate blood cancer treatment Iomab-B under a new contract with developer Actinium Pharmaceuticals.

BioOutsource facility passes US FDA inspection

02-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

A laboratory operated by recent Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) acquisition BioOutsoruce has passed a GMP inspection by the US FDA.

TxCell's CMO completes test batch of candidate Crohn's therapy; contractor training center set up

01-Mar-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

MaSTherCell has completed test runs of T-cell therapy Ovasave says TxCell which has reiterated its intention to restart a trial of the drug in Crohn's disease this year.

Sanofi teams with University of Tokyo for drug discovery

29-Feb-2016 By Wang Fangqing

Sanofi will tap Japanese academics' personalised medicine knowhow under a new collaboration with the University of Tokyo's translational research initiative (TR).

Repligen extends Protein A ligand supply deal with GE Healthcare

26-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

Protein A is essential in keeping the costs and complexity of purifying monoclonal antibodies down, says GE Healthcare as it extends its supply agreement with Repligen.

Heat Biologics stops enrolment in trial arm testing HS-410 as a bladder cancer monotherapy

25-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Heat Biologics will no longer enrol patients in the arm of a Phase II trial examining its cell therapy HS-410 (vesigenurtacel-L) as a monotherapy for bladder cancer.

Cobra Biologics and UK CPI team on AAV vector production platform

25-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Cobra Biologics and the UK Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) will develop a manufacturing system for the viruses used to deliver gene therapies.

Unchained Labs continues breaking into biologics market

24-Feb-2016 By Melissa Fassbender

Unchained Labs has acquired Freeslate, a provider of high-throughput solutions for biologics formulation development and small molecule chemistry – marking the company’s 4th acquisition in 12 months.

Albumedix and Thiologics team up on albumin conjugation tech

24-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

A technology collaboration with Thiologics could increase the efficiency and yield of albumin-conjugated drugs, says Novozymes spin-out Albumedix.

Biowaste treatment at UK biologics test hub will be handled by Suncombe

23-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Potentially hazardous bio-waste generated at the UK National Biologics Manufacturing Centre (NBMC) in Darlington is being made safe using a bespoke system developed by Suncombe.

Nuevolution discovery platform earns $2m from Novartis; new twist in patent case against ex CSO

22-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Nuevolution has been paid a $2m (€1.8m) milestone by drug discovery platform licensee Novartis.

Brought together by conjugation: CMC Biologics A/S and IDT Biologika form ADC pact

19-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

CMC Biologics A/S and IDT Biologika GmbH have teamed up to offer drugmakers an antibody drug conjugate manufacturing service.

Symbiosis growing on aseptic demand from US biotech

17-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

A robust investment environment and high quality demands have driven US biotech business to UK-based sterile manufacturer Symbiosis, the firm says.

AstraZeneca: Eli Lilly discovery pact won't raise competitive concerns

16-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

AstraZeneca has no competitive concerns about teaming with Eli Lilly to identify chronic kidney disease (CKD) targets.

Telephus gets patents for superbug battling antibodies

12-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Australia has granted Telephus Medical a patent for an antibody that targets superbugs, including MRSA.

Lonza to make heart failure gene therapy for Renova at Houston site

11-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Lonza will make a candidate heart failure gene therapy for Renova Therapeutics under the second biomanufacturing deal it has signed this week.

GSK is latest to assess VBI Vaccines' biologic stability tech after Sanofi

10-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

GSK will test a stability enhancement technology developed by VBI Vaccines in a deal announced this week.

Cell Therapy Manufacturing & Gene Therapy Congress, Brussels

Supply chain fears drive in-house tech for CAR-T cell developers

10-Feb-2016 By Dan Stanton

Reliance on third-party technologies is leaving T-Cell drug developers vulnerable and has driven the larger players to invest in their own platforms, say experts.

Japan’s PuRec to supply mesenchymal stem cells

05-Feb-2016 By Wang Fangqing

Regenerative medicine developers now have a new supplier for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the multipotent stromal cells derived from marrow and other tissues like muscle and dental pulp for tissue repair.

VC Renaissance: Index Ventures spin off Medicxi launches GSK and J&J backed €210m fund

03-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Biologics developers backed by Medicxi Ventures’ new €210m ($229m) fund will use Lonza for contract manufacturing under an existing deal with Index Ventures.

Repositive developing premium gene data collaboration platform for drug researchers

02-Feb-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Repositive has secured funding to develop a premium version of its gene data collaboration platform for personalised medicine and rare disease researchers.

Albumedix buys Eleven's half-life boosting albumin assets

29-Jan-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Novozymes’ albumin technologies division Albumedix has bought Eleven Biotherapeutics’ half-life extension assets.

Thawing market heats up: Biocision expands cell therapy tech offering

29-Jan-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Biocision has revamped its cell thawing platform to accommodate larger vial sizes and started developing an automated system for cell therapies in cryopreservation bags.

Regulatory reforms to reshape drug manufacturing in China says expert

28-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

More plants in China will close says a US-based analyst who predicts that some drugmakers' inability to comply with stricter quality rules will create an opportunity for those that can.

Amatsigroup buys Q Biologicals in 'fragmented' EU bio-services space

27-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

French CDMO Amatsigroup will offer complete biologics development services and expand its European presence through the acquisition of Q Biologicals.

Austrianova rolls out cell banking and fill finish services

27-Jan-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Austrianova has launched cell banking and fill finish services for cell therapy developers at its facility in Singapore.

Sartorius launches crossflow tech for low volume filtration ops

26-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Sartorius Stedim Biotech has launched a crossflow filtration system for scaling studies and low volume options normally available with process systems.

In good Cell Culture Company? Biovest spin-out to compete in consolidated sector

22-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Consolidation among bioprocessing tech companies is set to continue, according to Cell Culture Company - the bioreactor and contract manufacturing firm set to spin-out from Biovest.

Pall ups its continuous biomanufacturing game in Kaneka Protein A deal

20-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Pall Corporation has teamed up with Protein A chromatography sorbent supplier Kaneka to support its end-to-end continuous biomanufacturing offering.

Novozymes says pharma won't drive growth and sets up albumin subsidiary

20-Jan-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

Novozymes has launched its albumin operations as a stand-alone subsidiary and reiterated that its pharma business is no longer a growth driver.

Pfizer hits up four biotechs in $46m R&D collaboration strategy

19-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Pfizer has invested $46m in separate collaborations with four R&D companies specialising in developing ADCs, immuno-oncology candidates and gene-therapies.

Roche and Catalent team up in $600m conjugation tech deal

15-Jan-2016 By Dan Stanton

Roche has collaborated with CDMO Catalent to access the SMARTag protein-modification and conjugation technology in a deal that could be worth up to $618m (€568m).