BUSINESS

BAYER CROPSCIENCE ESTABLISHED ITS EUROPEAN WHEAT BREEDING CENTER IN GATERSLEBEN
Bayer CropScience established its European Wheat Breeding Centre in Gatersleben (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) starting December 1. The company refers that besides the development of new wheat varieties with higher yields and improved properties for the Central European market, the new centre will also coordinate all of Bayer's wheat-breeding activities in Europe. Moreover, they underline that a rental agreement for laboratory and greenhouse facilities has been signed with Biotechpark Gatersleben Infrastruktur GmbH. Up to 40 full-time employees will work at the Centre in the future. Financial details have not been disclosed. Mathias Kremer, Head of BioScience at Bayer CropScience has reported: “Bayer CropScience recognizes that wheat farmers need to improve yields to stay competitive and meet global demands. Our experienced team at the new European Wheat Breeding Centre will be able to deliver first-class varieties of wheat adapted to European growing conditions. These new varieties together with our leading crop protection portfolio will enable us to provide solutions supporting a sustainable wheat production from seed to harvest […] We are pleased to have found the ideal environment and infrastructure in Biotechpark Gatersleben for our breeding centre".
www.bayercropscience.com

JOHNSON MATTHEY HAS BEEN GRANTED A GLOBAL LICENSE
Johnson Matthey has been granted a global license to the full range of Buchwald bulky and electron rich dialkyl- biaryl- mono phosphine and related bis-phosphine ligands. The company explains that the licensed patents include both the composition of matter of the family of ligands and the processes for use of catalysts containing these ligands in transition metal catalysed carbon-heteroatom and carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. Moreover, the combination of these phosphine ligands such as X-Phos, S-Phos, Ru-Phos or Brett-Phos, with one of a number of palladium catalyst precursors has proven to be a convenient process for the in situ generation of active catalysts. The company refers that these catalysts have demonstrated superior results in a broad range of applications including the well-known coupling reactions Heck-Mizoroki, Suzuki-Miyaura, Sonogashira, Buchwald-Hartwig, and alpha arylations.
www.matthey.com

COUNTERFEIT VERSIONS OF GILEAD SCIENCES' HIV MEDICATION VIREAD
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has confirmed that counterfeit versions of Gilead Sciences' HIV medication Viread have been discovered on the United Kingdom market alongside the earlier-reported Truvada fakes.
www.Rx-360.org

LP OXOSM SELECTORSM 10 TECHNOLOGY
Davy Process Technology Limited and The Dow Chemical Company’s Oxygenated Solvents business announced that Wison (Nanjing) Clean Energy Co., Ltd. (Wison Energy), a member company of the Wison Group located in Nanjing Chemical Industrial Park in China, has selected LP OxoSM SELECTORSM 10 Technology for its new oxo alcohols plant in Nanjing, China. With this licence, Wison Energy will build a LP OxoSM plant with capacity of 125 kta of 2-ethylhexanol and 125 kta of butanols. They add that Wison Energy’s Nanjing Plant currently operates a 600 kta carbon monoxide plant and supplies carbon monoxide, synthesis gas, hydrogen, and methanol to other facilities located in the Nanjing Chemical Industry Park. Wison Energy’s new LP Oxo plant is the 15th LP OxoSM license to be granted in China, and the third to be announced this year.
www.dow.com

KEMIRA SOLD ITS CANADIAN HYDROGEN PEROXIDE UNIT
Kemira Oyj has on November 30, 2011 closed the Maitland deal announced on October 27, 2011. Kemira sold its Canadian hydrogen peroxide unit in Maitland to Evonik. The transaction does not have any significant impact on Kemira's financial figures, and the parties have agreed not to disclose the transaction price. The transaction will have some positive impact on Kemira's net profit in the fourth quarter of 2011.
www.kemira.com

FMC BIOPOLYMER ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH IMCD GROUP
FMC BioPolymer announces strategic partnership with IMCD Group for the marketing and distribution of their cellulosic and hydrocolloid excipient range in China. Eugen Rothermel, IMCD’s Managing Director China stated: “We are thrilled about this extended partnership with FMC as it broadens our presence in the Asia Pacific market. It brings us a strategic extension of our product offering on this continent and opens up new growth possibilities for both partners. FMC’s excipient range and future pipeline is designed towards meeting the needs of modern and developing tableting technology. We will provide necessary market coverage and flexible logistical solutions, while FMC can focus on product innovation and development”.
www.fmcbiopolymer.com

PROSONIX: NEW SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY BOARD
Prosonix an emerging pharmaceutical company developing a portfolio of enhanced respiratory medicines enabled by its novel proprietary particle engineering technology, has announced the appointment of a new Scientific Advisory Board. The new SAB comprises internationally renowned scientific, regulatory and clinical advisors who will act as both key collaborators and advocates for the business in the global pharmaceutical arena. The SAB will be chaired by Dr Ken Cunningham, who recently joined Prosonix’ board as a Non-executive Director.
www.prosonix.co.uk

SOLVIAS & ROHNERCHEM
Solvias and RohnerChem have bundled their combined strengths and complementary services to offer customers a seamless solution for fine chemicals and API development from route scouting to commercial production. The companies underlined that the main focus of this strategic partnership is to reduce commercialization timelines and to realize overall cost savings for customers. Hansjörg Walther, CEO of Solvias stated: “As a service provider, our efforts are constantly focused on adding value to our customers’ businesses. The strategic partnership ideally supplements our integrated offer in chemical and analytical development and provides customers with a smooth solution from route development to commercialization”. Thomas Rosatzin, CEO of RohnerChem, commented: “Our customers will benefit substantially from this cooperation as we will be able to reduce timelines for customers and create a service platform with an extremely broad technology and asset toolbox from the first milligrams to commercial quantities”.
www.solvias.com

INCREASING DEMANDS FOR CLEAN WATER
Dow Water & Process Solutions, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company and leading supplier of innovative products for filtration, purification and separation processes that help make water safer, cleaner and more available, is positioned for growth as it addresses increasing demands for clean water due to increasing global urbanization and industrial development. Dow Water & Process Solutions General Manager Ian Barbour has referred: “The new Dow manufacturing facility for DOW FILMTEC™ reverse osmosis (RO) elements in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including our collaboration with KAUST, is coupled with our new world-class water application development centre in Tarragona, Spain. They are clear examples of the continuing investment Dow is making in reverse osmosis technology and production capacity to meet the growing challenges for a clean, affordable and available water supply”. The company explains that the key to this goal is DW&PS’ new Global Technology Development Centre. They refer that the Tarragona centre is designed to accelerate commercialization of Dow technologies that make clean water production efficiently possible. The state-of-the-art facility represents a significant investment for Dow. The company explains that the centre is ideally located to support customers in the region and provides access to the wide variety of water sources, including industrial and municipal wastewater and seawater, to support product development and performance testing in real world conditions. Moreover, Barbour noted that the centre is working on ways to reduce the energy needed to remove salt from seawater to as little as 2 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter.
www.dowwaterandprocess.com

CARBOGEN AMCIS AG HAS ANNOUNCED THE SIGNING OF A STRATEGIC ALLIANCE AGREEMENT
CARBOGEN AMCIS AG has announced the signing of a strategic alliance agreement with Polymun Scientific GmbH. The two companies have referred that strategic alliance agreement gives CARBOGEN AMCIS access to Polymun’s innovative liposome technology for the formulation of APIs, while Polymun receives access to CARBOGEN AMCIS’ expertise in the development and manufacture of highly potent APIs. Mark Griffiths, CEO of CARBOGEN AMCIS explains: “We believe that our customers are interested in finding new ways to better deliver highly potent active ingredients. This alliance expands our portfolio of offerings and moves us one step closer to achieving this goal […] CARBOGEN AMCIS and Polymun look forward to combining both companies’ strengths to offer our customers new cost-effective solutions for liposomal formulation of highly potent drugs”.
www.carbogen-amcis.com

PHARMACEUTICAL REFERENCE SUBSTANCES AND IMPURITIES CATALOGUE BY LGC STANDARDS
LGC Standards has updated its extensive pharmaceutical reference substances and impurities catalogue, which now comprehensively lists over 9,250 products that support analytical testing, measurement and quality control of products across the pharmaceutical sector. The company explains that the new catalogue includes over 500 new products added since the last edition, covering: -Pharmaceutical impurities; -European Pharmacopoeia reference materials; -British Pharmacopoeia reference materials; -International Pharmacopeia products; -United States Pharmacopeia and National Formulary products.
www.lgcstandards.com

THE HTE TEAM HAS WON THE STEP AWARD 2011
The hte team has won the STEP Award 2011, an award for innovative, high-growth companies in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. With its innovative high-throughput technology platform, hte offers research services and technologies in the field of industrial catalysis and has now been recognized for its innovative strength and growth-oriented strategy. Dr. Wolfram Stichert, CFO of hte explains: "We are very proud to win the STEP Award 2011 and to be selected as the overall winner from over 100 entrants. Finances and processes were also among the assessment criteria. We feel validated in our work and our growth strategy". Dirk Demuth, CEO and COO of hte Aktiengesellschaft underlines: "The STEP Award is confirmation of the innovative work that our team has carried out with our customers and partners in the past twelve years […] We also see the award as an incentive to further enhance our technology platform".
www.hte-company.com

BOREALIS HAS MADE A FIRM OFFER TO GPN
Borealis has made a firm offer to GPN to acquire PEC-Rhin in its entirety. This is related to GPN, which owns a 50 percent interest in PEC-Rhin, having exercised its pre-emption right for the remaining 50 percent stake from BASF SE. Following this firm offer, the relevant employee representatives are being informed and consulted on the proposed sale to Borealis. The transaction is subject to the approval of the relevant antitrust authorities.
www.borealisgroup.com

SOLVAY HAS ANNOUNCED IT IS ACQUIRING SOCIÉTÉ GÉNÉRALE'S EQUITY INTEREST IN ORBEO
Solvay has announced it is acquiring Société Générale's equity interest in ORBEO, the 50/50 joint venture between the two groups dedicated to the carbon markets. Once this transaction has been completed, ORBEO will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rhodia Energy, itself a subsidiary of Solvay. The company refers that at the end of the acquisition process, ORBEO's personnel will join Rhodia Energy; this will allow the company to capitalize on the wealth of their combined expertise acquired in the carbon markets and the development of greenhouse gas emission abatement projects.
www.solvay.com

SARTORIUS AG & BIOHIT OYJ: ACQUISITION
Sartorius AG has signed an agreement to acquire the entire liquid handling business of Helsinki-based Biohit Oyj through its 100 percent subsidiary Sartorius Lab Holding GmbH. The business to be acquired represents an ideal fit with Sartorius AG’s portfolio in its Laboratory Instruments area, which includes precision lab balances, laboratory water purification systems and moisture analysers, among other products. By expanding its product offering, Sartorius AG will be enhancing its position with end customers and distributors, and expects significant growth through the combination and extension of its sales activities.
www.sartorius.com

WATERS CORPORATION HAS WELCOMED DR. GANESH ANAND’S LABORATORY AT THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
Waters Corporation has welcomed Dr. Ganesh Anand’s laboratory at the National University of Singapore (NUS) into its Centres of Innovation Program, making it the first such Centre in Asia. With this designation, Waters honours Assistant Professor Ganesh Anand and his colleagues at the Department of Biological Sciences at NUS for research into protein-protein, protein-ligand, and protein-nucleic acid interactions. Tim Riley, PhD, Vice President of Strategic Innovation, Waters Division and Program Director of Waters® Centres of Innovation Program refers: “As a young scientist, and someone who very early on could see the enormous potential of amide H/D exchange mass spectrometry, Dr. Anand’s expert knowledge of the technology and how to apply it is truly innovative […] His ability to grasp the complexities of science and apply leading-edge technologies makes him a stand-out in the field of life science. It gives me great pleasure to recognize Dr. Anand and support his laboratory’s on-going research through our Centres of Innovation Program”.
www.waters.com

GABRIEL-CHEMIE GROUP
GABRIEL-CHEMIE Group is specialised in the colouring and refining of plastics. In recent months a promising contact has been made with Paulo Sérgio (Brazilian World Cup winner 1994, German Bundesliga champion 2000 and 2001 and Champions League winner 2001). With his company Welt, he and the Erwin Maack company will cooperate with the Gabriel-Chemie Group in the sports facility sector in future. Group CEO DI Rodolfo Santa Olalla refers: “Brazil is one of our target markets – both in the coming financial year and in the long term. In view of forthcoming major events such as the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016 we will be intensifying our appearance on the Brazilian market still further”. The Gabriel-Chemie Group is investing in particular in highly-qualified employees with experience in the industry, in order to work the market in the best possible way and to optimise customer service.
www.gabriel-chemie.com

CARGILL HAS ANNOUNCED IT WILL REDUCE ITS WORKFORCE
Cargill has announced it will reduce its workforce by up to 2,000 of its 138,000 employees globally, a change of about 1.5 percent. The majority of the reduction will take place over the next six months worldwide. Cargill is providing affected employees with severance and outplacement support in keeping with its policies and with local laws and regulations. The company said these actions are in response to the continued weak global economy and are part of an overall effort to reduce expenses and simplify work processes. “As economic conditions change, so must we” said Mike Fernandez, corporate vice president of Cargill Corporate Affairs and continued: “Regrettably, this impacts talented people who have made important contributions to our company. These are difficult decisions but are necessary to better position the company for continued growth”.
www.cargill.com

LANXESS IS TO INCREASE ITS PRICES GLOBALLY FOR ITS PROVEN LEWATIT ION EXCHANGE RESINS
LANXESS is to increase its prices globally for its proven Lewatit ion exchange resins with immediate effect. These measures vary according to field of application and region. Prices for ion exchange resins used in the sweetener and sugar market segments and for chromatography resins will increase by 7.5 percent, while those for ion exchange resins used in cartridges will rise by six percent. Prices quoted for LANXESS ion exchange resins for catalysis and chloralkali electrolysis will go up by four percent. In the Asia-Pacific region, the prices of Lewatit resins for industrial water treatment and ultrapure and nuclear applications will rise by 7.5 percent. Prices in the specialized water segment will also go up by 7.5 percent. This applies to ion exchange resins used, for example, in wastewater treatment, the recovery of valuable materials or pollutant removal.
www.lewatit.com

PRODUCTS

C-C COUPLING KIT BY EVOCATAL GMBH
evocatal GmbH is active in the field of white (industrial) biotechnology developing and producing enzymes and fine chemicals for the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries. Enantiopure 2-hydroxy-ketones are interesting and lucrative intermediate products in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. With the help of specific enzymes, researchers are able to efficiently produce a variety of substituted compounds in the class. The newly released C-C Coupling Kit from biotechnology specialist evocatal GmbH takes advantage of the biocatalytic potential of TPP-enzymes (Thiamine pyrophosphate-dependent enzymes) to produce enantiopure 2-hydroxy-ketones, as the company underlines. The kit includes a range of seven different TPP-enzymes together with the relevant cofactor. Use of the kit provides customers with the ability to identify the most effective biocatalysts for their specific applications. Additionally, evocatal offers in-house enzyme screening services.
www.evocatal.de

PETITE FLEUR IS THE SMALLEST DYNAMIC TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEM
The Petite Fleur is the smallest dynamic temperature control system in the Unistat series and is ideally suited to controlling small investigation reactors. Since its launch the baby Tango has become a bestseller in the Huber product range and as a result of its success, the product line has been expanded to include the new Petite Fleur-eo. The company underlines that it was designed specifically for externally open applications, the Petite Fleur-eo eliminates the risk of overflow or running dry, unlike conventional bath circulators. Moreover, they underline that like all Unistats, the Petite Fleur models have outstanding thermodynamic properties and their ability to rapidly and accurately control and change temperature make them unique. Thermodynamically they cannot be matched by any other system within the price range. The company explains that the range of case studies created by Huber document that Unistats are significantly faster with better control, than competitive models offering more cooling power. The Petite Fleur was tested with reactor volumes from 0.3 to 6 litres and despite its size there is no drop in performance.
www.huber-online.com

WATER PURIFICATION SYSTEMS
ELGA LabWater manufactures supplies and services laboratory, healthcare and clinical water purification systems. ELGA LabWater’s water purification systems use of purification technologies to purify potable city water to ensure that water is suitable to use and therefore reduce the risk of contamination. They refer that water for bacterial cell culture should be at least Type II quality while the more sensitive mammalian cell culture requires Type I ultrapure water with high resistivity. Impurities which can affect the growth of mammalian or bacterial cells are: -Bacteria, -Endotoxins, -Organic Compounds, -Ions.
www.elgalabwater.com

GUIDE TO CONTROL AND MONITORING OF STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS FOR MEDICINAL PRODUCTS AND ACTIVE SUBSTANCES
On October 5, 2011 the IMB published a Guide to Control and Monitoring of Storage and Transportation Temperature Conditions for Medicinal Products and Active Substances. Most of the document focuses on cold chain management but it also addresses controlled temperature storage and shipment. The guidance has a section on Management of Temperature Excursion that states: “All excursions should be promptly and thoroughly investigated” and that the Responsible Person should be notified immediately. Those involved in stability and packaging / distribution are encouraged to read the entire 20 page document.
www.Rx-360.org

RESMED HAS SELECTED CYCOLOY AND LEXAN RESINS
SABIC’s Innovative Plastics strategic business unit has announced that ResMed has selected Cycoloy and Lexan resins to enhance the performance, aesthetics and sustainability of the new ResMed S9™ series of sleep apnea devices. SABIC’s Cycoloy polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) resin, featuring non-halogenated flame retardance and high flow, is used to mould the complex, thin-wall S9™ chassis. Lexan resin, a tough, biocompatible material with exceptional surface finish, is used for the S9™ top case and H5i™ humidifier flip lid. Both materials helped ResMed create a sleek design and outstanding aesthetics for consumer appeal. Gary Robinson, vice president, Supplier Alliance, ResMed underlines: “We chose SABIC’s Cycoloy and Lexan resins for major components of our flagship S9™ series sleep therapy devices for several key reasons […] These eco-progressive thermoplastic resins provided important advantages, including superior design flexibility and outstanding performance and usability. SABIC also delivered important value-added services, from colour matching to process optimization, which helped us achieve our goals”.
www.sabic-ip.com

START UP AND TESTING PHASE OF A PILOT INSTALLATION FOR THE PRODUCTION OF HIGH PURITY PHOSPHORIC ACID
Recently the start-up and testing phase of a pilot installation for the production of high purity phosphoric acid at the Solvay site in Bernburg (Germany) has been completed successfully. During the acceptance test 9000 kg of high purity phosphoric acid were produced and the operation of the installation turned out to be very stable and robust. The company refers that the product can be used as high purity etchant in the electronics and semi-conductor industries. The installation is based on the Hydraulic Wash Column Technology developed by TNO. The design and construction of the skid-mounted, turn-key installation was carried out by Zeton (the Netherlands). In the installation, a raw phosphoric acid with a relatively high concentration of ionic impurities is cooled down to form pure phosphoric acid hemi-hydrate crystals. The impurities remain in the liquid phase. A very efficient counter current washing of the crystals that occurs in the Hydraulic Wash Column separates the crystals almost completely from the impure liquid. Thus a phosphoric acid product with impurity concentrations in the “ppb” range is produced.
www.tno.nl

TECAN’S PRESSURE MONITORED PIPETTING (PMP™) OPTION
Tecan’s Pressure Monitored Pipetting (PMP™) option for Freedom EVO® workstations is providing Swiss BioQuant with real-time quality control to help to ensure reliable sample preparation. Christoph Siethoff, President and CEO of Swiss BioQuant, said: “We deal with difficult matrices every day, and pipetting of both plasma and urine samples can be challenging as clogging of pipette tips is a common problem […] From experience, we knew Tecan’s liquid handling workstations were robust and reliable and we also knew the flexibility of the Freedom EVOware® software. The option of monitoring our processes with a PMP module confirmed our decision to choose Tecan’s equipment. PMP checks all our liquid handling processes, allowing real-time monitoring of critical aspiration and dispensing steps to identify any pipetting errors. It is easy to use and ensures that any errors are immediately identified, giving us the option to rectify the problem or repeat samples as necessary and eliminating the risk of generating erroneous results […] In the past, some customers have questioned whether manual sample preparation procedures are better than automation, but PMP gives us far better sample security than we could ever achieve in manual processes. Our customers can be sure they are getting reliable results and we are confident that we are providing them with a first-rate service”.
www.tecan.com

GENEVAC EVAPORATORS HELP TEST CLAIMS OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS
Rod Darrington, Product Manager at Genevac explains: “Nutraceuticals and functional foods are intensively researched for their role in maintaining health and preventing diseases. The science behind is growing rapidly not only because of the growing number of new substances or type of novel foods, but also because regulatory bodies require more and more evidence on their efficacy, mode-of-action and safety". To generate accurate analytical results with food and beverage materials careful sample preparation is critical, especially when the analyte of interest is volatile. The proprietary concentration technology in Genevac evaporator systems has been developed with leading analytical laboratories around the world. This, together with proprietary technologies like Dri-Pure® and SampleGenie™ ensure that food and beverage samples are concentrated safely, rapidly, and with a very high degree of reproducibility. Genevac evaporators are increasingly used by researchers seeking to extract functional molecules from natural sources. Typically researchers take a tissue (or micro-organism broth) sample and then perform a primary solvent extraction resulting in a large volume of crude extract. The crude extract then requires concentration, for which the Rocket Evaporator is ideal, before being fractionated to isolate each component. These samples then need to be evaporated before storage or analysis which may require lyophilisation on a Genevac EZ-2 Elite or HT Series Evaporator.
www.genevac.com

EBD GROUP HAS ANNOUNCED THE LAUNCH OF PARTNERING360™
EBD Group has announced the launch of partnering360™, an online network of professionals in the life science industry. The company explains that partnering360 provides members with a personalized network to the people, the events and the information necessary for partnering success. Carola Schropp, President of EBD Group refers: "partnering360 is a major evolution in the partnering process that has driven growth for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies […] By linking this online partnering community to partneringONE®, the industry's leading partnering engine, partnering360 is set apart from other networks in the sector. This enables members to migrate real-world interactions generated within partneringONE at events, to an online community so that executives can conduct meaningful follow-up and other business development activities".
www.partnering360.com

AB SCIEX HAS DEVELOPED AN LC/MS/MS APPROACH THAT ALLOWS DIRECT DETECTION OF MULTIPLE ANALYTES
The Codex Alimentarius recommends that eight potential allergens should always be declared on pre-packaged foods: peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, milk, shellfish, fish, sulphites and cereals containing gluten. Moreover, screening for food allergens is traditionally performed using ELISAs (enzyme-linked immunosorbence assays), or Real Time PCR, but these approaches have severe limitations (see below), meaning improved methods are needed. But, new regulations are expected to impose more strict limitations on the presence of allergens in food, requiring more sensitive methods for testing food. These increased pressures will also drive demand for higher throughput of testing. AB SCIEX has developed an LC/MS/MS approach that allows direct detection of multiple analytes (eg, over 26 different protein targets) from a single, digested sample in just a few hours. The company explains that verified in a multi-lab collaborative study to meet food industry requirements, the new AB SCIEX Allergen iMethod Application is designed for food testing laboratories to determine the presence of egg and milk allergens in baked goods. The company explains that using AB SCIEX QTRAP® technology, scientists have developed a MIDAS™ (MRM-initiated detection and sequencing) approach that allows hundreds of target allergens to be screened for and cross-referenced with thousands of reference proteins in existing protein and peptide databases.
www.absciex.com

GUIDE TO WHOLESALING OF MEDICINAL PRODUCTS FOR HUMAN USE IN IRELAND
The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) recently published a final guidance document entitled Guide to Wholesaling of Medicinal Products for Human Use in Ireland. This document focuses only on human medical products, and does not include those for veterinary use. The document includes sections that cover: -Applicable legislation; -Summary of the EU Guideline on GDP (note that a proposed revision of the EU GDP Guidelines was recently published for consultation and is not yet finalized though the text in this document may lead the reader to conclude otherwise); -IMB requirements and policy for wholesale distribution of these products.
www.Rx-360.org

A NEW METHOD THAT USES ION CHROMATOGRAPHY (IC) TO SEPARATE ETHYL SULFATE IN AN INDINAVIR SULFATE DRUG SAMPLE
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has announced a new method that uses ion chromatography (IC) to separate ethyl sulfate in an indinavir sulfate drug sample. The company explains that Indinavir sulfate is a specific and potent inhibitor of HIV-1 protease and is widely used in the treatment of AIDS. Application Note 284: Determination of Ethyl Sulfate Impurity in Indinavir Sulfate Drug Using Ion Chromatography demonstrates that only the addition of deionized water to the IC system is required to deliver reproducible chromatography while avoiding the time, labour, and potential error of manual eluent preparation. This method uses an electrolytic suppressor in recycle mode, and therefore, does not require the analyst to prepare sulphuric acid solutions for eluent suppression.
www.thermoscientific.com

MACROLEX COLORANTS FROM LANXESS
Macrolex colorants from LANXESS have once again proven themselves in the plastics sector: The renowned U.S. legal firm Keller & Heckman LLP based in Washington, D.C., has certified that Eastman Tritan coloured with Macrolex colorants meets the requirements of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Their opinion is based on results from trials and extensive toxicological testing. Specialty chemicals company LANXESS worked with Eastman Chemical Company, manufacturer of Tritan, in selecting 10 Macrolex colorant grades to demonstrate their specific suitability for colouring the copolymer. Lucian Boldea, Business Director for Eastman’s Specialty Plastics Business referred: “Thanks to Macrolex colorants, Eastman Tritan co-polyester provides customers with superior design capabilities and opportunities for product differentiation […] We assisted LANXESS with identifying this range of colorants to give our customers broad colour matching options that meet FDA requirements”. Jim Rediske, technical service and development specialist for colorants in LANXESS' Functional Chemicals business unit added: “Our 10 Macrolex colorants meet FDA requirements up to a total content of 0.2 percent. This is a considerable amount in view of the high tinting strength”.
www.lanxess.com

MULTIQUANT VERSION 6.1
Oxford Instruments announces a new release of MultiQuant software for quality control users of the MQC family of analysers. The company explains that MultiQuant Version 6.1 brings many enhancements that may be customised to fit the needs of the local user through provision of a regional language menu. The new software also addresses the specific needs of a quality control operative to ensure consistent data and performance of the instrument. Moreover, the company underlines that MultiQuant 6.1 is fully compatible with the MQC Autosampler, speeding sample throughput, especially useful when samples require conditioning at a non-ambient temperature. The Autosampler also allows sample tubes to be automatically tared, moved from the conditioning block to the balance and finally into the magnet for measurement without further user intervention.
www.oxford-instruments.com/mqc

CODEX^® SCREENING KITS ARE IN USE OR EVALUATION
Codexis, Inc. has announced that one year after launch, its Codex^® Screening Kits are in use or evaluation in manufacturing process development at 50 pharmaceutical companies worldwide. Codex® Screening Kits were introduced in October 2010. Pharmaceutical and fine chemical companies including Merck, Roche, DSM and Dainippon Sumitomo are among the global customers using Codex® Screening Kits and Codex® Panels to reduce pharmaceutical manufacturing process development time and cost. Peter Strumph, Senior Vice President and Business Head, Pharmaceuticals explains: “With a global network of production capabilities established, we are supporting our pharmaceutical and fine chemical customers at every scale, from clinical development to commercial production. This further demonstrates the utility of Codexis biocatalyst enzymes for the development and commercial production of pharmaceutical products”.
www.codexis.com

HR3026, SAFEGUARDING AMERICAN’S PHARMACEUTICALS ACT OF 2011
Representatives Matheson and Bilbray introduced HR3026, Safeguarding American’s Pharmaceuticals Act of 2011 on September 22, 2011. This proposed legislation addresses some of the recent requests from the FDA regarding additional authority they would like particularly the ability to destroy counterfeit/adulterated/misbranded drugs at the border and authority for a standard tracking mechanism for prescription drugs.
www.Rx-360.org

NAMES FOR THE ELEMENTS WITH ATOMIC NUMBERS 114 AND 116
At the Closing Ceremony of the International Year of Chemistry in Brussels on December 1st 2011 the President of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Professor Nicole J. Moreau, announced the proposed names for the elements with atomic numbers 114 and 116: flerovium (symbol Fl) for number 114 and the name livermorium (symbol Lv) for that with number 116. These proposed names have now also been examined and approved by the Inorganic Chemistry Division (Division II) of IUPAC which clears the way for IUPAC to issue a Provisional Recommendations document.
www.iupac.org

NEW SYRRIS ASIA CATALOGUE HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS OF FLOW CHEMISTRY
Syrris is pleased to announce the release of its new Asia flow chemistry reactors catalogue. The revolutionary Asia range of advanced flow chemistry products has been designed by chemists, for chemists, providing ultimate ease of use and enabling the widest variety of chemical reactions to be performed. Asia’s proprietary technology allows automated experiments with or without a PC, and its modular design makes it suitable for both laboratories on a modest budget – allowing addition of further modules at a later date – and users requiring maximum functionality. In addition to providing more detailed and updated product information, the new Asia catalogue now incorporates a helpful guide to flow chemistry, which includes basic theory, practical considerations and the benefits of the technique. This guide will serve as a useful training aid in the laboratory, and as a valuable source of information for laboratory staff new to flow chemistry synthesis, helping to ensure successful flow reactions.
www.syrris.com

ATLAS INTRODUCES A NEW WORKSHOP ON SAMPLE PREPARATION AND EVALUATION FOR WEATHERING TESTING
Atlas is pleased to announce a new workshop entitled Sample Preparation and Evaluation. This new event will be launched in 2012 at the Atlas offices in Linsengericht Germany. Dates to be determined and published on the Atlas website. The Sample Preparation and Evaluation Workshop is a course designed for those who prepare, test and evaluate test samples. This workshop will address the importance of sample selection and preparation, as well as sample replication, and will guide laboratory staff through cleaning and visual evaluation methods. The workshop will also include an in depth examination of various weathering defects and how they can be evaluated and rated according to both reference scales and reference materials. Additional topics will include weathering defects/changes (general appearance, colour change, gloss reduction etc.). Atlas requests that participants bring their own samples. The workshop includes hands on training of visual evaluation methods using controlled light conditions for both outdoor and laboratory weathering and light fastness testing.
www.atlas-mts.com

LARGEST RANGES OF IMMUNOTURBIDIMETRIC PROTEINS ON THE MARKET
With the recent launch of the Haptoglobin and Ceruloplasmin assays Randox now have one of the largest ranges of immunoturbidimetric proteins on the market. All reagents are liquid ready to use for added convenience; furthermore, automated applications are available for most chemistry systems eliminating the need for specialised protein analysers. The company explains that its extensive product offering covers more than 25 serum proteins including a wide range of plasma proteins, lipoproteins, inflammatory markers and nutritional markers as well as the new haptoglobin and ceruloplasmin assays.
www.randox.com

INCORPORATION OF PHYSICAL-CHEMICAL IDENTIFIERS (PCID) INTO SOLID ORAL DOSAGE FORM DRUG PRODUCTS FOR ANTICOUNTERFEITING
FDA published a draft guidance for industry on Incorporation of Physical-Chemical Identifiers (PCID) into Solid Oral Dosage Form Drug Products for Anticounterfeiting in July 2009 and published a final version in October 2011. Briefly, this guidance addresses the addition of a non-active ingredient to solid oral dosage forms that may be used to verify the authenticity of the product. PCIDs are analogous to the placement of inactive “taggits” in explosives that permit identification of the source of manufacture and becomes a useful tool in criminal investigations.
www.Rx-360.org

PROPULSE™ 825 BY EVONIK
On October 21, 2011, a Russian Soyuz-ST carrier rocket launched its first satellite from the Galileo satellite network into orbit from the Kourou Space Centre in French Guiana. The necessary thrust was provided by an Evonik specialty: PROPULSE™, a highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Dr. Stefan Leininger, Head of the Specialty Chemicals Active Oxygens (H2O2) segment at Evonik refers: “We first made contact back in June 2005 […] We sent TsENKI samples of our hydrogen peroxide PROPULSE™ 825. Extensive testing of the H2O2 ensued, along with laboratory tests of catalysts, and the very first rocket test was a success […] Evonik has decades of experience in manufacturing hydrogen peroxide using a process it developed itself and we have the technical ability to concentrate this aqueous solution up to 98 percent”. And it is precisely such high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide that are needed to power space rockets.
www.evonik.com

PEROXEAL™ WILL PROTECT THE PHARMACEUTICAL EXCIPIENT KOLLIDON^®
BASF has developed a packaging system which sets new quality standards. The company refers that in the future PeroXeal™ will protect the pharmaceutical excipient Kollidon®, based on PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone), even better against contact with oxygen and subsequent oxidation. The company underlines that this makes it possible to significantly reduce the peroxide level of Kollidon®, making the excipient suitable for use in oxygen-sensitive formulations as well. Under the trade name Kollidon®, PVP is used in tablets as a binder and as disintegrant. Dr. Boris Jenniches, head of Global Business Management PVP at BASF refers: “With PeroXeal™ BASF is setting new standards for excipients in terms of formula stability and purity and can thus help its customers in the pharmaceuticals industry achieve higher levels of patient safety […] With our new packaging concept we can significantly reduce peroxide values to a level comparable with that of naturally based raw materials. This makes Kollidon® a viable alternative to naturally-based raw materials". Moreover, the multi-layered and heat-sealed plastic film of the PeroXeal™ packaging system, used as inner packaging material, is completely aluminium-free and thus more environmentally friendly. The transparent PeroXeal™ film makes the NIR (Near-Infrared Spectroscopy) test possible: the packaging can remain sealed until the product is used, keeping the excipient Kollidon® stable.
www.basf.com

COMPACT, HIGH EFFICIENCY COLD TRAP & FREEZE DRYER
Genevac has announced a new version of its miVac SpeedTrap™ frost-free cold trap that not only provides unmatched
volatile solvent recovery but now also enables freeze drying of up to 250ml of aqueous samples. The new generation
SpeedTrap™ is suitable for use with a wide range of solvents, from volatile organic solvents through to water and even
higher boiling point solvents including 1,4-dioxane, tertiary butanol, and cyclohexane. While it is designed to complement the miVac series of concentrators it can also be used with other manufacturer's concentrators, provided that the solvents
concentrated are compatible. The SpeedTrap can be used with a high vacuum pump as a stand-alone small volume freeze dryer, or can be used with a concentrator to become a combined concentration and freeze drying system. The new SpeedTrap is radically different. It is very small in size and requires little bench space, being only 212 mm (8.3 inches) wide.
The SpeedTrap operates with the cold condenser coils suspended directly in the vapour path, so that solvent vapours
condense directly on to the coils and run off into the collection vessel below. There are many benefits to this method
including it is highly efficient, with more than twice the condensing power of similar cold trap systems ; users can quickly see the solvents in the trap and emptying the trap is easy, requiring no defrosting. An automatic defrost mode ensures that the user does not need to spend time defrosting the system, even when using water. The collection vessel is removed with a simple quarter turn, allowing safe disposal of the solvents.
www.Genevac.com/movie/miVac