News

XOMA Ltd. (Berkeley, CA, http://www.xoma.com) and Affimed Therapeutics AG (Heidelberg, Germany, www.affimed.com) have signed a cross-license and collaboration agreement for antibody-related technologies.

Malcolm Rollins, PhD, has been appointed manager of projects and process development at QSV Biologics (www.qsvbiologics.com).

A new pharmaceutical industry benchmarking study found that better manufacturing performance results when operations staff make key decisions.

Leonard Kanavy joins Genentech (www.gene.com) as vice president of commercial operations.

A new biotech consortium in the UK believes it can develop tools to improve biopharmaceutical process development.

Celsis International plc (Chicago, IL, www.celsis.com) has acquired In Vitro Technologies, Inc. (Baltimore, MD, www.invitrotech.com).

Pfizer (New York, NY, www.pharmtech.com) will license TransTech Pharma's (High Point, NC, www.ttpharma.com) portfolio of large- and small-molecule compounds that target the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), which have potential use in treating Alzheimer's disease.

TcLand S.A. (Nantes, France, www.tcland-biotech.com) has named Alain Huriez, MD, one of the company's co-founders, as Chairman and CEO.

PerkinElmer Inc. (Wellesley, MA, www.perkinelmer.com) has acquired Avalon Instruments Limited (Belfast, Northern Ireland).

Recent announcements of several new biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing sites point to the continued growth and internationalization of the industry, as European-based companies expand operations in the US and vice-versa.

The bioreactor manufacturer Applikon Biotechnology, Inc. (Foster City, CA, www.applikon.com) has signed an agreement with process-controls company Finesse, LLC (Santa Clara, CA, www.finesse-inc.com).

Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Cambridge, MA, www.idenix.com) has appointed John F. Weidenbruch to the position of executive vice president and general counsel.

Avecia (Tees Valley, UK, www.avecia.com) has appointed Peter Williams to the position of Quality Director for its biologics business.

Serono, Inc. (Rockland, MA, www.serono.com) has named Paul Lammers, MD, as its US Chief Medical Officer.

Drugs developed by the fastest companies each gained an average of $1.1 billion in incremental prescription revenue and saved an average of $30 million in out-of-pocket development costs, compared to those of the slowest companies, according to Tufts University's Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD).

The vaccine development company SingVax Pte Ltd. (Singapore, www.singvax.com) has named John Brown, PhD, as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Aida Pharmaceuticals (Hangzhou, China) has completed its acquisition of majority control of Shanghai Qiaer Bio-Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China).

AAIPharma (Wilmington, DE, www.aaipharma.com) has recently named several new vice presidents.

Fresenius Kabi (Bad Homburg, Germany, www.fresenius-kabi.com) and Sandoz, (Holzkirchen, Germany, www.sandoz.com), have entered into a partnership to develop a second-generation version of an un-named Sandoz recombinant protein using Fresenius Kabi's "HESylation" technology.

Vaccines made with bacteria killed by gamma rays may be more effective than those made using standard heat or chemical inactivation, according to Sandip Datta, MD, assistant professor in the department of medicine, University of California, San Diego (http://www.ucsd.edu).

QSV Biologics, Ltd. (Edmonton, Canada, www.qsvbiologics.com) has signed a contract with Tissue Therapies Limited (Brisbane, Australia, www.tissuetherapies.com) for the cGMP manufacture of clinical quantities of synthetic Vitronectin (a component of the wound-healing treatment VitroGro) and a single-protein chimeric form of VitroGro.

Cardinal Health (Dublin, OH, www.cardinalhealth.com) has appointed David H. Lees, PhD, president of Cardinal Health Canada.

Lpath, Inc. (San Diego, CA, www.lpath.com) and Laureate Pharma, Inc. (Princeton, NJ, www.laureatepharma.com) have entered into an agreement for Laureate to manufacture Lpath's recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, "Sphingomab," against bioactive lipids.

Novexin (Cambridge, UK, www.novexin.com) has received an additional ?200,000 grant from the UK Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to continue development of its carbohydrate polymers to enhance the solubility and stability of proteins in solution.

Cobra Biomanufacturing Plc (Keele, UK, www.cobrabio.com) has appointed Dr. John Lovelady as Director of Manufacturing Operations for the group.

The development of biotech drugs poses challenges that cross several disciplines.

FDA ordered Donor Referral Services (Raleigh, NC) and its owner, Philip Guyett, to immediately cease all manufacturing operations and to retain human cells, tissues, and cellular- and tissue-based products (HCT/Ps) after an inspection found serious deficiencies in its manufacturing practices, including those governing donor screening and record keeping.

Genelabs Technologies, Inc. (Redwood City, CA, www.genelabs.com) has appointed Peter R. Young, PhD, to the position of vice president, biology.