STATE-OF-THE-ART CONDENSER ENHANCES LYOPHILISATION RESULTS



Genevac announces the new SuperCool 75 - a state-of-the-art condenser that in conjunction with its HT-12 High Throughput Evaporator has been proven to set a new benchmark for enhanced evaporation and lyophilisation results. Drying HPLC purification fractions, principally comprising water and acetonitrile, is a routine yet essential task in many pharmaceutical laboratories. The requirement is to dry the samples to a powder form, such that samples can be accurately weighed, easily sub-sampled and redissolved. To provide a rapid, high-throughput alternative to freeze drying of such samples - Genevac developed its proprietary fast lyophilisation (LyoSpeed™) methodology for use on the HT-12 Evaporator. While the LyoSpeed™ has traditionally worked well for hydrophilic samples - difficulties may arise where the sample cannot dissolve in only water. In such situations, when the organic solvent is removed, the sample crashes out forming an oil which until now required further processing to achieve the desired dry powder form. The SuperCool 75 chills to -75C and operates at higher power than any other commercially available condenser, opening the door to greatly improved results with the Genevac LyoSpeed fast lyophilisation process for HPLC fractions. Customer trials have shown that the Genevac HT-12 Evaporator / SuperCool 75 combination produces powdered lyophilisation samples using the LyoSpeed methodology from even the most difficult to handle samples with a success rate as high as 95 percent.
www.evaporatorinfo.com/info5.htm

PRODUCTS

YOUR HPC SOLUTIONS
UniClust can offer an all-in-one solution (cluster hardware, middleware, software, tuning support) for a broad range of HPC application needs. Cluster resources and workload management capabilities are accessible through a user friendly web based interface. As the company refers, UniClust HPC simplifies the application integration process so that customers can focus on their work, instead of managing their cluster. Moreover they underline that UniClust HPC solutions incorporates nearly eight years of product and technology expertise. UniClust HPC solutions includes job submission configurable templates for home grown applications. These customized templates are based on the application settings in customers’ environment, so they can start using their cluster without writing scripts. UniClust HPC also includes, as the company reports, standard benchmark tests to ensure that your cluster will deliver the best performance.
www.uniclust.com

STREM CHEMICALS, INC: ADDITION OF CANDOT® QUANTUM DOTS TO ITS PORTFOLIO OF NANOMATERIALS
Strem Chemicals, Inc. is pleased to announce the addition of CANdot® Quantum Dots to its portfolio of nanomaterials. Manufactured by the Centre for Applied Nanotechnology (CAN), CANdot® Quantum Dots are fluorescent nanocrystals covering the visible wavelength range from 500 to 650 nm. CdSe core, CdSe/CdS core/shell and CdSe/CdS/ZnS core/shell/shell CANdot® Quantum Dots with oleylamine or hexadecylamine ligand capping agents can be homogeneously dispersed into different non-polar solvents. Frank Schröder-Oeynhausen, CEO of CAN Jan Niehaus, Head of Particle Synthesis at CAN underlines: “We are delighted to have such an experienced and renowned distributor like STREM Chemicals on board for sales of our particles […] The filling conditions at STREM Chemicals meet the highest standards. Our particles are stored with the utmost care under argon completely moisture-free and oxygen-free and undergo regular quality control. This is necessary to maintain the quality of the particles until the delivery to the customer”. Chief Operating Officer Dr. Ephraim S. Honig refers: “We are pleased to be working with CAN as research with quantum dot technology is moving forward rapidly and leading to numerous advances in a wide range of state-of-the-art technologies. Our customers expect Strem to provide cutting-edge materials, and the addition of CANdot® Quantum Dots to our growing Nanomaterials portfolio confirms our commitment to meet their needs”.
www.strem.com

INTRODUCTION OF THE 1260 INFINITY HYBRID SFC/UHPLC SYSTEM BY AGILENT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Agilent Technologies Inc. has announced the introduction of the 1260 Infinity Hybrid SFC/UHPLC system. It is the first commercial instrument that performs both supercritical fluid chromatography and ultra high-performance liquid chromatography, as they refer. The company explains that the 1260 Infinity Hybrid SFC/UHPLC system delivers LC-like sensitivity over the UHPLC power range. Moreover, they underline that it is the only SFC system providing 600 bar capability. The hybrid system is economical because customers purchase only one instrument to perform both types of separations. Agilent refers that it also conserves valuable bench space. In SFC mode, the instrument uses standard-grade gaseous CO2 for considerable cost savings over SFC-grade CO2. This is in addition to the reduced solvent consumption and waste generation of SFC compared to LC. Moreover, the company explains that customers also have the option of purchasing just the SFC module as an upgrade to existing 1100, 1200 and 1260 LC systems. The Agilent 1260 Infinity Hybrid SFC/UHPLC system is compatible with Agilent 6100 Series single quadrupole LC/MS systems.
www.agilent.com

DOLOMITE: MULTIFLUX® HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS
Microfluidic specialist Dolomite has announced that Multiflux® has significantly exceeded all expectations for market take-up with sales in over 30 countries. The novel range of microfluidic connectors and interfaces provides users with fast and reliable multi-way fluidic connections, between chips, pumps, valves and other fluidic modules, increasing user flexibility without disruptions to the fluid flow. Dolomite is currently developing a new PDMS Chip Interface which allows users to create multiple connections to PDMS-on-glass devices and PDMS chips. The company explains that available for purchase later this year, this microfluidic interface provides a flexible, time-efficient and robust solution for chips to be used outside the lab which widens applications for PDMS chips beyond research as well as the opportunity for greater collaboration between research labs.
www.dolomite-microfluidics.com

NEW LINE OF HIGHLY PURIFIED BOVINE SERUM ALBUMINS
Bovine albumins are the major protein found in bovine plasma. Purified bovine albumins have applications in cell culture, in vitro diagnostics, molecular biology, serology and general research where high quality is essential. Alfa Aesar, a Johnson Matthey Company, is pleased to announce the availability of a new line of highly purified Bovine Serum Albumins (BSA). These new albumins are specially prepared by desalting and then purified by aqueous ion-exchange chromatography. The company underlines that these albumins are produced by a full chromatographic process without heat-shock, ethanol or caprylic acid being used during the manufacturing process. This leads to more intact proteins and less inhibitors for cell culture performance. Additionally, these albumins can be produced in large batch sizes, providing more consistent performance and less need for repeated testing.
www.alfa.com

GEA PHARMA SYSTEMS HAS INTRODUCED A NEW INLINE MOISTURE SENSOR FOR PHARMACEUTICAL DRYING SYSTEMS
GEA Pharma Systems, in co-operation with NDC, has developed a new inline moisture sensor for pharmaceutical drying systems that drastically simplifies moisture measurement, saves processing time, avoids unnecessary operator contact with toxic compounds and helps ensure a top product quality. The company underlines that the new sensor from GEA Pharma System shows a continuous display of the actual moisture content on a display screen as the product dries. This allows, as the company refers, the operator to monitor precisely the actual moisture content and to stop the drying at exactly the right point. Moreover, they underline that there is no need to wait for results, no chance of over-drying the product, and the operator never has to come in direct contact with the product. The company adds that when first installing the LHP-NDC 710e it is necessary to perform a simple calibration exercise to compare the reading on the sensor to actual readings from laboratory tests. These need to be done for each product to be dried. Moreover the company explains that once the calibration line has been plotted for each product the instrument remembers the settings and continues to show accurate moisture levels for each product. As this is a display of the actual moisture level in the powder it is unaffected by atmospheric conditions or other variables.
www.geapharmasystems.com

iPhone and iPad optimized versions
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has introduced the iPhone and iPad optimized versions of the Thermo Scientific Chromatography Columns and Consumables catalogue and Thermo Scientific Accucore HPLC Column Technical guide, containing technical specifications and application examples to help with your chromatography separations. With over 650 pages of information on the complete portfolio of chromatography tools and techniques available from Thermo Fisher Scientific, the online catalogue enables you to select the appropriate products for your application needs. Moreover, providing ultimate convenience, the Chromatography Columns and Consumables catalogue is available as an app from iTunes and as a download in its entirety or in sections according to technique.
www.thermoscientific.com/catalog

NEW TOC-4200 ONLINE ANALYZER
Shimadzu has released the new TOC-4200 online analyser. The company explains that it represents a new generation that offers the ability to use new modes of communication. The TOC-4200 covers features such as web-based monitoring and Modbus protocol for two-way digital communication, and it offers new functionality that provides a wider range of potential applications. The company refers that for example, online TOC technology is applied to reduce organic pollutant levels in factory effluents in terms of COD (chemical oxygen demand), and is increasingly being used to monitor water upstream from factory outflows. Moreover the company underlines that The TOC-4200 helps to prevent measurement interruption due to the running out of reagents or other consumables by providing notification through the communication methods such as screen and contact output when the replacement period approaches. Measurement data and calibration history can be stored in the instrument up to one year. The company adds that stored data can be removed via USB memory and valuable measurement data can be backed up inside the instrument.
www.shimadzu.eu

NANO-ENABLED INTRANASAL FORMULATION OF TERIPARATIDE FOR THE TREATMENT OF OSTEOPOROSIS
Critical Pharmaceuticals is a Nottingham UK-based biotechnology company developing a pipeline of unique biological drug products utilizing its proprietary drug delivery technologies. Critical Pharmaceuticals lead product is a nasal formulation of human growth hormone that has significant advantages over existing daily injectable products and has shown equivalent bioactivity to a subcutaneous injection of marketed product in an on-going Phase 1 clinical program. Critical Pharmaceuticals and The University of Nottingham have announced a £545,000 collaboration to develop a nano-enabled intranasal formulation of teriparatide for the treatment of osteoporosis. Teriparatide currently needs to be injected every day. The company explains that their consortium will exploit a recent discovery in nanotechnology to develop a nasal spray formulation of teriparatide that is easy to administer by patients and provides optimal drug plasma levels to enhance efficacy. The Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are supporting this project with grant funding as part of their investment in nanoscale technology-enabled solutions in healthcare.
www.criticalpharmaceuticals.com

BIOTAGE^® HAS INTRODUCED THEIR 2012 CATALOGUE OF ANALYTICAL SAMPLE PREPARATION PRODUCTS
Biotage^® has introduced their 2012 catalogue of analytical sample preparation products for chemistry professionals. The significantly enhanced 200 page edition includes a comprehensive range of products for bioanalysis, forensic, clinical, environmental, agrochemical and food applications. Gavin Jones, Global Product Manager refers: “Biotage sample preparation products are supported by a wealth of knowledge and experience in method development and problem solving […] At Biotage we develop innovative scientific solutions and supply in-depth technical support that simplifies method development which in turn provides reliable and reproducible results. Our expertise aids customers in choosing the right product and most efficient method that best suits their analytical needs”.
www.biotage.com

RANGE OF POROS^® CAPTURESELECT® AFFINITY COLUMNS
BAC BV together with Life Technologies Corporation has announced the launch of a range of POROS® CaptureSelect® affinity columns. By combining BAC’s CaptureSelect affinity ligand technology with Life Technologies’ POROS resin, the companies now offer a platform for high speed, high performance product-specific process monitoring for a broad range of biomolecules. The POROS CaptureSelect line of analytical columns, which offer precise quantitation of important classes of biomolecules in minutes, are the first products resulting from the companies’ strategic collaboration announced in June 2011. Christine Gebski, Head of Life Technologies POROS business stated: “We are excited to be able to combine the unique specificity provided by the BAC CaptureSelect® ligands on our high performance POROS® 20 µm resin. We believe the addition of these products to our existing Affinity Chromatography Column line will unlock the same benefits of rapid, automatable quantitation or small scale purification for many other classes of biological molecules providing enabling technology to our customers”.
www.lifetechnologies.com

PILOT OF ELECTRONIC APPLICATION FORMS FOR SUBMISSIONS OF CENTRALISED MARKETING AUTHORISATION APPLICATIONS
The European Medicines Agency has launched a pilot of electronic application forms for submissions of centralised marketing authorisation applications. The pilot, which runs for four months until mid-July 2012, allows pharmaceutical companies to apply for initial marketing authorisation applications for human medicines, and variation and renewal applications for human and veterinary medicines, using an interactive PDF form. This is expected to simplify and speed up the application process by: -improving data quality and consistency; -providing access to data in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format; -integrating application data with controlled vocabulary lists. The forms were developed by the European Medicines Agency, working together with the European Commission services and medicines regulatory authorities in European Union Member States.
www.ema.europa.eu

NEW METHOD FOR THE ASSAY OF RISEDRONATE IN DRUGS
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is pleased to announce a new method that exceeds the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) monograph specifications for risedronate sodium analysis. This method is based on an anion-exchange separation with a 4 × 250 mm Thermo Scientific Dionex IonPac AS7 (USP L48) column using edetate disodium (EDTA) eluent to resolve risedronate from related compounds. Application Note 289: Evaluation of the USP Risedronate Sodium Assay demonstrates the linearity, detection limits, precision, and accuracy of the assayed amount of risedronate in the drug substance and drug product (Actonel, 35 mg tablets). The results of this study show the method to be simple, rugged, and accurate, thus making it suitable for use by quality control labs to ensure that the drug meets approved specifications. The test results of this new method meet or exceed the USP monograph specifications for each tested variable in the range. The method separates risedronate in <15 min, leaving it well resolved from related compounds A and C. This study also proves method ruggedness by varying the column temperature, eluent pH, and using different Dionex IonPac™ AS7 columns from the same lot.
www.thermoscientific.com/dionex

VERSION 2.3 OF THE OECD QSAR TOOLBOX FOR GROUPING CHEMICALS
Version 2.3 of the OECD QSAR Toolbox for grouping chemicals into categories is now available to download. Version 2.3 contains improved functionalities for profiling and new data on metabolism and hydrolysis. It supports the Web Service implementation of IUCLID 5.3 for import and export of data. Helsinki, 12 March 2012 - The software helps registrants and authorities to use Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship ((Q)SAR) methodologies to group chemicals into categories and to fill data gaps by read-across, trend analysis and to assess the (eco)toxicity hazards of chemicals under REACH. This helps to reduce costs and unnecessary testing on vertebrate animals.
http://echa.europa.eu

BUSINESS

ASYMCHEM LABORATORIES (TIANJIN) CO. LTD NEW LARGE SCALE MANUFACTURING FACILITY LOCATED IN DUNHUA
Asymchem Laboratories (Tianjin) Co. Ltd has announced the introduction of a brand new large scale manufacturing facility located in Dunhua, P.R. China. The company explains that the new facility, located in the Jilin province, will operate under the name Jilin Asymchem Laboratories Co. Ltd. It was built to meet an annual demand for commercial projects >5 MT and will serve to expand Asymchem's capabilities in high volume processing and back-end ingredient and intermediate production. Moreover the company refers that Asymchem invested approximately $20MM USD in the facility construction between 2009 and 2011. A further $12MM in investment is slated at the 35 acre Dunhua site between 2012 and 2014 in preparation for additional downstream commercial projects. Dr. Hao Hong, CEO of Asymchem explains: “Due to exceptional customer demand, we found that we had exhausted the resources at our other locations. As a result, we realized that we needed to have larger scale cGMP capabilities at this new site. Based on our plans, the facility will support both existing and new Contract Manufacturing business as well as working to establish Asymchem as a top tier player in the global custom development and manufacturing markets […] The location of the site offers direct access to the most reputable Chinese producers and feedstocks, as well as a talented local labour pool. Overall, the strategic addition of the Dunhua facility has received great interest and it is encouraging to see that new opportunities are presenting themselves as a result of it”.
www.asymchem.com

LANXESS IS EXPANDING CRESOL PRODUCTION
LANXESS is expanding cresol production at the Leverkusen site once again. It plans to further increase capacity for this high-quality intermediate for the global market by some 20 percent by mid 2013. Among other applications, cresols are widely used in the manufacture of vitamin E, resins and flame retardants and in the agrochemicals sector. The LANXESS aromatics network comprises a total of seven largescale plants – mostly in Leverkusen, Germany – with further finishing stages in Krefeld-Uerdingen, Dormagen and Brunsbüttel. The starting basis for the aromatics network comprises the petrochemical raw materials benzene and toluene, which are further processed through variety of chemical reaction steps into a diversity of high-quality intermediates. These products – more than 60 of them in total – play a major role in all areas of everyday life. They are used worldwide as key starting materials for, for example, active ingredients for pharmaceuticals and crop protection products, perfumes and flavourings, and also for polymers, paper chemicals, surface coatings and pigments. Products from the aromatics network also find their way into the production of vitamin E, which is used, among other things, as an additive in animal feedstuffs, and for the production of menthol. Menthol is an important component of many aroma chemicals in the field of oral hygiene and chewing gum. It is also contained in many pharmaceutical products – such as are used, for example, to cool painful injuries.
www.lanxess.com

OMNICHEM WILL SOON COMPLETE AN EXPANSION OF HIGHLY POTENT APIS & INTERMEDIATES
OmniChem will soon complete an expansion of Highly Potent APIs & Intermediates with the commissioning of a new production facility designed to handle products with an OEL down to 0,1 μg/m&sup3;.8h at large scale on its Wetteren site, Belgium. With an investment Eur 20 million the new state of the art facility will increase OmniChem’s capacity in handling high potency products class 5 by 11200 litre reactor capacity, with two new production lines equipped with vessels of 1600 & 4000 L and large scale isolation and powder handling equipment. The new unit will be equipped with latest isolation techniques, allowing safe handling of highly potent drugs at large scale. Granules OmniChem, a 50:50 joint venture between Granules India Limited, a vertically integrated pharmaceutical manufacturer and Ajinomoto OmniChem, has announced the ground breaking of its manufacturing site in Pharmacity, Vishakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh. Thierry Van Nieuwenhove, business unit director for Ajinomoto OmniChem believes: “The Pharma industry is realigning itself. However we are convinced there is a long term future for us in this business, but this needs a continuous drive to evolve with the latest industry standards, that we will continue to invest in equipment, technologies and assets to drive our service, standards and quality to support their current and future needs”.
www.ajinomoto-omnichem.be

ROBINSON BROTHERS LIMITED: RISE IN GROUP SALES FOR 2011
Robinson Brothers Limited has announced a significant rise in group sales for 2011. Revenues rose some 18 percent over 2010 figures to over $50m. The growth represents a milestone for the company with this being one of the strongest years for sales in Robinson Brothers’ near-143 year history. The increase in sales will act as a driving factor of Robinson Brothers’ plans to invest and expand the business as part of an aggressive growth strategy for 2012 and beyond. Robinson Brothers’ Managing Director Adrian Hanrahan commented: “2011 has proven to be one of the best years in our history and it is especially pleasing to report that sales were up across all of our business units […] The strong sales performance means that we can accelerate investment plans for the business beyond the figures announced last year and continue to cement our position as one of the UK’s most successful speciality chemical companies”.
www.rbltd.co.uk

NOTOX WILL BE KNOWN AS WIL RESEARCH STARTING IN MAY
WIL Research was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1976 as a nonclinical contract research organization (CRO) specializing in mammalian toxicology. Today, WIL Research is a thriving company of over 650 employees with a diverse scientific staff of experienced toxicologists, pharmacologists, research chemists, neuroscientists, pathologists and veterinarians. NOTOX will be known as WIL Research starting in May. This latest move unifies all WIL Research companies under one banner.
www.wilresearch.com

NICE INSIGHT HAS ANNOUNCED THE PUBLICATION OF ITS Q4, 2011 MARKETING INTELLIGENCE REPORT
Nice Insight has announced the publication of its Q4, 2011 marketing intelligence report for the pharmaceutical and biotech CRO/CMO industry. The release of this fourth quarter report enables companies buying the research to see developing trends over the course of 2011, as well as anticipated spending on various services for 2012. In addition, survey research provides benchmark metrics for customer perception and customer awareness in the industry. Highlights from the fourth quarter include an apparent stabilization in the composition of survey respondents. Victor Coker, Director of Business Intelligence, said: “Long-term stability of survey respondent makeup enhances our ability to create meaningful industry benchmarks. Along with the size of the Nice Insight sampling comfortably superseding other primary research in this market, this is an inherent benefit in our product”.
www.niceinsight.com

ROCKWOOD HOLDINGS, INC IN CHILE
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. has announced that it plans to invest $140 million in a new lithium carbonate production plant in Chile. The new investment, along with the company's current $75 million expansion program in the United States, will increase total annual production capacity to 50,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent by end of 2013. Under the new investment program, Rockwood will build a 20,000 metric ton lithium carbonate plant at the sight at LeNegra, near the port of Antofagasta in northern Chile. The company expects this plant will be on stream by the end of 2013. www.rockwoodspecialties.com

CATALENT PHARMA SOLUTIONS & R.P. SCHERER GMBH & CO. KG
Catalent Pharma Solutions has announced it has completed the acquisition, from Gelita AG, of the remaining 49 percent minority interest in the R.P. Scherer GmbH & Co. KG, Eberbach, Germany business. Catalent and Gelita have agreed that the R.P. Scherer Eberbach business will be better able to serve the growing European pharmaceutical and consumer health softgel market with R.P. Scherer fully integrated into Catalent. Under full Catalent ownership, customers will have access to a wider range of drug development and delivery technologies/services, and a global supply chain network. David Heyens, President of Catalent’s Softgel Business refers: “We are proud of the strong Catalent and R.P. Scherer Eberbach legacy and are very excited about the future of softgel innovation as an important part of the development, delivery and market supply of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products. This acquisition comes on the heels of on-going extensive investments that Catalent is making in its softgel facilities in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Aprilia, Italy; and St. Petersburg, Florida; and other investments in advanced drug delivery technologies in Germany and the US”.
www.catalent.com

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE SERVICE PROGRAMS BY DYSTAR GROUP
DyStar Textile Services (DTS), the service division of the DyStar Group, introduces its Sustainable Textile Service Programs to help Brands, Retailers and their Industry partners reduce the impact of their products and processes on the environment and optimize supply chain costs. Dr. Ron Pedemonte, DTS global service manager refers: “The programs support and provide solutions to our customers’ sustainability initiatives”. DyStar offers four extensive development programs to Brands, Retailers and their Industry partners to improve sustainability in the supply chain: 1. Restricted Substance List (RSL) Development; 2. Textile Mill Efficiency Improvement; 3. Chemical Management Improvement; 4. Environmental Improvement.
www.DyStar.com

CAMBRIDGE REACTOR DESIGN COLLABORATING WITH HESTON BLUMENTHAL’S TEAM
Cambridge Reactor Design (CRD) are delighted to be working with the chefs at Heston Blumenthal’s experimental kitchen. The chefs are evaluating CRD’s Polar Bear Advanced Cooling Technology at their kitchen in Bray. The Polar Bear accurately delivers any temperature from +5 to -90°C at the touch of a button. Custom made moulds ensure good thermal transfer to the food being prepared.
www.cambridgereactordesign.com

NEW NEODYMIUM POLYBUTADIENE RUBBER (ND-PBR) PLANT IN SINGAPORE
LANXESS will break ground for its new neodymium polybutadiene rubber (Nd-PBR) plant in Singapore on September 11 this year. The German specialty chemicals company plans to invest roughly EUR 200 million (about SGD 340 million) in a 140,000 metric tons per annum facility in Jurong Island Chemical Park. The facility will be the largest of its kind in the world and serve the growing market for “Green Tires”, especially in Asia. The company refers that about 100 jobs will be created. The plant is expected to start up in the first half of 2015.
www.lanxess.com

INTERESTING NEWS FROM A CHEMISTS PERSPECTIVE!
Steve Brough by Asynt has introduces a new blog: Interesting news from a Chemists Perspective! There could be found Innovations and ideas from the eyes of a Chemist.
www.AChemistsPerspective.blogspot.com

THE HELLENIC ASSOCIATION OF CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
The Hellenic Association of Chemical Industries consisting of long – established and well-known companies operating in the market for many years considers that now is the most suitable moment to inform the stakeholders of the industry on their view of the situation. Its member companies, producers and suppliers of chemicals have a sound history of growth, profitability and financial stability. They have long invented in infrastructure, equipment, technology know–how and brand value. Their operation has been managed efficiently over the years, they succeed not only to meet the growing demands of the Greek market but also to expand by exporting their products, an undisputed proof of their competitive edge. They are confident that the Hellenic Chemical Industry and its member companies possess the experience, the skills and the will, to overcome the current hectic situation and meet all the liabilities towards customers and suppliers. They will pursue the efficient use of the available financial aid for our country, so combined with the necessary reforms already on the way; the credibility of the country will be restored. Also they urge all stakeholders being suppliers, bankers and customers to stay side-by-side with our members, and further promote their well-established beneficial and trustful collaborations, until the dawn of a new prosperous era.
www.haci.gr

HALTERMANN GMBH IS GROWING
Six months after Haltermann became an independent company, Haltermann’s CEO Dr. Uwe Nickel expressed satisfaction with how business is developing. Dr Nickel is optimistic about the future. “We have quickly and swiftly made the transition” says Nickel and continues: “from a production subsidiary to an independent company. Now that we have settled in, Haltermann GmbH is moving in a determined and targeted manner towards growth and expansion”. The new Haltermann is part of H.I.G. Europe, the European arm of H.I.G. Capital, which is an investor in more than 70 firms worldwide, giving Haltermann access to a large network of all types of industries. The company explains that the high-purity refinery chemicals produced by Haltermann are used in the automotive, pharmaceutical, cosmetic as well as in the printing, laboratory chemicals and electronics industry and in plastics processing. According to Nickel, growth opportunities for the company lie in pharmaceutical products in markets outside of Europe, especially in generics, and in special blends and reference fuels for the automotive industry.
www.haltermann.com

CRESSET, AND OPTIBRIUM HAVE ANNOUNCED AN AGREEMENT TO COLLABORATE
Cresset, and Optibrium have announced an agreement to collaborate on the development of next-generation platforms. The innovative companies will work together, combining unique approaches to help drug discovery projects quickly identify novel, potent compounds with a high chance of success downstream. The companies refer that the collaboration will involve a two-way exchange of technologies: Optibrium’s ADME models, currently provided as a plug-in module for its StarDrop™ software platform, will be made available to users of Cresset’s desktop applications. Similarly, Cresset’s FieldAlignTM software, which helps chemists understand the three-dimensional structure-activity-relationship of their chemistry in order to design active compounds, will be made available as an optional plug-in module for StarDrop, which helps project teams to confidently target compounds with a good balance of properties for their therapeutic objectives. Dr. Matthew Segall, CEO of Optibrium, said: “We are very happy to be working with the team at Cresset. This collaboration furthers our aim to deliver leading edge in silico technologies directly to the desktop of all drug discovery scientists through StarDrop’s user friendly, interactive interface. The new FieldAlign module in StarDrop will bring a powerful 3D view of compound interactions that will complement StarDrop’s existing 2D QSAR models”.
www.optibrium.com
www.cresset-group.com

EVOCATAL AND ROHNERCHEM
evocatal and RohnerChem combine their complementary services to offer customers a seamless solution for the development of high-performance biocatalytic processes and their rapid application in the synthesis of fine chemicals and API. The focus of this strategic partnership is to offer highly innovative routes to enantiomerically pure products, to realize the most cost-competitive process for a customer product from the beginning and to reduce commercialization timelines. The preferred but non-exclusive partnership will allow customers to benefit from the synergy of evocatal`s premium services in development and supply of tailored enzymes and RohnerChem`s unique process development and up scaling capabilities. Dr. Michael Puls, Managing Director of evocatal explains: “The technologies and capabilities of evocatal and RohnerChem match excellently […] By combining the chemical technologies and scale-up abilities of RohnerChem with the high efficiency of our biocatalysis platforms we can provide most comprehensive services and create great value for our customers”.
www.evocatal.com

CARBOGEN AMCIS AG has announced that its Bubendorf, Switzerland API manufacturing site has successfully completed a routine U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) inspection. Mark Griffiths, CEO of CARBOGEN AMCIS has referred: “The positive conclusion to this latest FDA audit in Bubendorf fulfils our commitment to customers and to the highest standard of quality they expect from us […] The fact that we have successfully completed our latest FDA audit speaks to the consistency of quality we offer our customers and continues our long track record of successful regulatory audits. As we move forward, we will continue to pursue opportunities to improve the quality of our products and the safety of our manufacturing process”.
www.carbogen-amicis.com

BAYER BEE CARE CENTERS
Given the essential role that honey bees and other pollinators play in the pollination of a large number of food crops, there has been considerable public interest in the discussions and science related to honey bee health and colony losses over the last few years. Dr. Jean-Luc Lowinski, Managing Director of Bayer Animal Health explains: "For more than 25 years Bayer has played a leading role in securing bee’s health with proven products to control the Varroa mite - a parasite which transmits pathogenic viruses and is considered to be one of the most significant factors in losses of honey bees in Europe and North America […] In addition, we are developing further products and exploring technological solutions which will complement our current portfolio to ensure improved honey bee health". Dr. Wolfgang Plischke, member of the Bayer AG Board of Management responsible for Innovation, Technology and Environment refers: “As a company with long-standing expertise in both animal health and crop protection, Bayer is committed to environmental stewardship and sustainable agricultural practices, including protection of beneficial insects such as honey bees". Bayer initiates a global “Bee Care Program" to further promote bee health. As part of the program, two dedicated “Bayer Bee Care Centres" are to be established. In Europe, one centre is scheduled to open in Monheim, Germany, in mid-summer. A second centre, which will focus on North America, is planned for later in the year in North Carolina, United States.
www.bayer.com

TECAN 2011 AWARD
The annual Tecan Award certainly highlights some impressive and imaginative uses for the Company’s detection instruments. The 2011 award has been won by Svenja Kristina Holle from the University Hospital of Muenster (UHM), Germany. Using an Infinite® 200 microplate reader, Svenja and the UHM team have developed an ex vivo method for investigating the dynamics of organic cation transport in proximal tubules of the kidney. The company explains that this innovative optical method could be adapted to almost any kind of freshly isolated biological material and transport system using a suitable fluorescent substrate.
www.tecan.com

BASF’S NEW AMBITIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL, HEALTH AND SAFETY GOALS
BASF has established new ambitious environmental, health and safety goals. The company wants to increase its energy efficiency worldwide by 35 percent by 2020, compared to the previous goal of 25 percent. In addition, BASF aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per ton of sales product by 40 percent, originally set at 25 percent. Within the area of occupational health, BASF will measure its performance with a new, expanded indicator, the “Health Performance Index”. Moreover new environmental goals were set by BASF for the responsible use of water as a resource. By 2020, the company plans to cut in half the current amount of drinking water it uses for production compared to 2010. It also intends to establish sustainable water management systems at all production sites in areas of water stress. The company refers that health protection will be measured by BASF worldwide with the help of a new “Health Performance Inde”. The index comprises five criteria: reported cases of occupational diseases, medical emergency planning, first aid, preventive medicine and health promotion.
www.basf.com

CAMBRIDGE MAJOR LABORATORIES HAS BEEN AWARDED THE 2011 WISCONSIN MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Fifty-two Wisconsin businesses were nominated for the 2011 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Awards for manufacturing excellence. Companies were evaluated in areas such as financial growth or consistency, technological advances, product development, environmental solutions and sustainability, operational excellence/continuous improvement, commitment to employees and effective research and development. Cambridge Major Laboratories has been awarded the 2011 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award for “Investing Locally, Growing Globally”. Brian Scanlan, President and CEO of Cambridge Major Laboratories reported: “We look forward to 2012 and what it has in store for CML. Based on our projected growth plans in 2012, we will be adding an additional 20-30 jobs and will continue to employ lean manufacturing principles that drive our competitiveness as a manufacturer of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients”.
www.cmlabs.com

TO DEVELOP A TEST TO RAPIDLY DETERMINE WHICH PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS WILL RESPOND TO PARTICULAR DRUGS
The Northern Ireland Minister for Health, Edwin Poots, MLA, has announced funding of almost 1 million pounds, to be utilised by Randox and the University of Ulster Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, to develop a test to rapidly determine which patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis will respond to particular drugs. If successful, this will be a marked advance for arthritis patients, enabling those patients to receive specifically tailored treatment. Fifty percent of this funding has been awarded, after rigorous scrutiny, through the Technology Strategy Board (TSB; www.innovateuk.org) Stratified Medicine Competition and the Medical Research Council (MRC; www.mrc.ac.uk) and will be matched by funding from Northern Ireland company Randox. This initiative will place Randox and the University of Ulster at the forefront of developments into personalised medicine. Dr Martin Crockard Project Manager at Randox said: “This is a continuation of Randoxs work at the cutting edge of innovative diagnostics. A diagnostic test to determine a Rhuematoid arthritis patients responsiveness to drug treatment will be a world first in the field of personalised medicine. The TSB ran a UK wide competition to obtain funding for projects and the fact that this project was funded demonstrates that scientists at Randox and the University of Ulster are at the forefront of innovative ideas and represent world class science”.
www.randox.com

SARTORIUS STEDIM BIOTECH SIGNS PRIVATE LABEL AGREEMENT
Sartorius Stedim Biotech (SSB) has announced it has concluded a private label agreement with Trace Analytics, a leading provider of analysing systems for online monitoring of biotech cultivation processes. This contract grants SSB exclusive global rights to market, distribute and service BioPAT Trace, the new online analysing system. The company explains that BioPAT Trace is a glucose-lactate analyser used for monitoring and controlling both pilot-scale and process-scale fermentation and cell cultivation processes. Moreover, the company underlines that the system measures the concentrations of the two analytes glucose and lactate simultaneously, in real time and online. Mario Becker, Director of Marketing, PAT & Automation at Sartorius, states: “With BioPAT Trace, we are expanding our PAT portfolio by an important component. The new glucose-lactate analyzer provides our customers with real-time information about their critical process parameters, helping them to further optimize and automate their processes”.
www.sartorius-stedim.com