As fine-chemical producers, contract manufacturers, and pharmaceutical/biopharmaceutical companies meet this week in Madrid at CPhI Worldwide, what are the key issues on the minds of industry players? Read more »

Biologic-based drugs are increasingly important in the drug pipelines of pharmaceutical companies. Strong growth is projected for biologic-based drugs, and a crucial issue is whether the outsourcing model for biologic-based drugs will follow a similar path as the model for outsourcing small-molecule development and manufacturing or will new paradigms emerge. That question was addressed at one of the sessions at the CPhI Pre-Connect Conference this week in Madrid. Read more »

Innovation is the cornerstone of the pharmaceutical industry. The challenge to innovation not only entails identifying drugs with clinical efficacy but also in being able to produce and deliver the desired drug compound. An upcoming Pharmaceutical Technology webcast, Omega-3 Innovations in Pharmaceutical and Diagnostic Markets, will examine the latest developments for omega-3 prescription drug products, their regulatory status, and recent advances in softgel drug-delivery technologies for omega-3 products. Read more »

What will be the future of pharmaceutical outsourcing? What factors will influence the relationships between sponsor companies and contract service providers and what practical solutions are both seeking? These questions were addressed at a conference this week in Philadelphia, Bio/Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Partnerships, organized by CBI in conjunction with Pharmaceutical Technology. Read more »

Improving bioavailability of poorly water-soluble drugs is an ongoing challenge for formulation scientists and is of crucial importance to advance clinically promising drug candidates. A Pharmaceutical Technology webcast, Bioavailability Enhancement through Lipid-Based Drug Delivery, will examine advances in lipid-based drug delivery systems for enhancing the bioavailability of absorption-limited small and large molecules. Read more »

The potential of single-cell genomics took a step forward recently with the announcement by The Broad Institute and Fluidigm Corporation of a new research center focused on developing research methods and discoveries in mammalian single-cell genomics. The Single-Cell Genomics Center is expected to act as a hub for collaboration among single-cell genomics researchers in many fields, including stem cells and cancer biology. Read more »

Drug shortages, particularly those for sterile injectable drugs, took center stage last year. In response, industry and the federal government, including FDA, took steps to address the problem. Progress has been made, and Congress is further evaluating if additional steps need to be taken. Read more »

In attending the exhibitions and conference sessions at Interphex 2012 this week in New York, we gain a pulse on the current and future state of pharmaceutical manufacturing. So, a fundamental question arises: what is modern pharmaceutical manufacturing? Read more »

The Obama Administration released last week the National Bioeconomy Blueprint. The report outlines steps that federal agencies will take to drive the bioeconomy—economic activity powered by research and innovation in the biosciences—and details  ongoing efforts across the federal government to realize this goal. Given the importance of biotechnology to the pharmaceutical industry, does the plan do enough? Read more »

Last week Human Genome Sciences (HGS) rejected GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK) unsolicited $2.59 billion bid for HGS or $13 per share.  Although rejecting GSK’s initial bid, HGS kept the door open for other suitors, including again GSK. Read more »