Industry Blog

14
Oct 09

UK Bioscience Centre Planned for Stevenage

Source: Builder and Engineer Online

Plans for a £37m Bioscience Campus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire were announced today by Business, Innovation and Skills Secretary, Lord Mandelson.
The project aims to create a world-leading hub for early-stage biotech companies, operating under a model of open-innovation and collaboration.

The Campus will offer each company access to specialist skills, equipment and expertise, to help stimulate innovation in drug development. By sharing knowledge each company will also increase its chance of success, while retaining its independence so entrepreneurship can flourish.

Speaking ahead of the announcement at the Technology Strategy Board’s Innovate09 Conference, Lord Mandelson said: “The Stevenage Campus represents a huge investment in the future of Britain’s bioscience industry and is a strong new platform for the work of our Office for Life Sciences.”

It’s estimated that development of the campus could create up to 1,500 new jobs, most of which will be high-skilled. It will initially be home to around 25 companies, co-located with GlaxoSmithKline on its existing research site, with plans to increase capacity at the park fivefold over the next 10 years.

Location: http://www.builderandengineer.co.uk/news/environment/bioscience-centre-planned-for-stevenage-4532.html
Date: 13/10/2009

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28
Sep 09

Aesica is licensed to manufacture controlled substances in UK

Source: Manufacturing Chemist

Aesica Pharmaceuticals, a global supplier of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), finished dosage forms and custom synthesis solutions, has been licensed to manufacture controlled substances at its site at Cramlington in the UK.

The Home Office licence allows Aesica to manufacture and supply substances listed in Schedule 2 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Granting of the licence follows a programme of investment to enhance the security of the site and its buildings, and the implementation of special procedures for handling of controlled substances.

The site is now able to offer facilities for contract manufacture of controlled APIs in quantities from a few kg at its GMP pilot plant to tonnes at one of its bulk API plants. The first contract-manufactured controlled drug for one of Aesica’s customers is already in production.

‘This is a significant step forward for Aesica in terms of broadening our capabilities in line with our customers’ demand,’ said Adam Sims, commercial director of Aesica.

Aesica can now offer controlled drug manufacturing at Queenborough and Cramlington in the UK, covering active ingredient synthesis and manufacture and packaging of finished dosage pharmaceutical forms.

Date: 28/09/2009
Source Location: http://www.manufacturingchemist.com/story.asp?sectioncode=109&storycode=56400&c=1

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18
Jun 09

Britain pledges £485 Million to global vaccine project.

Britain will invest almost $500 million in an international scheme to encourage pharmaceutical firms to develop vaccines against some of the common diseases which plague poorer nations.

The Advance Market Commitment, a pilot project launched on the sidelines of the G8 finance ministers meeting this weekend, guarantees to buy vaccines at fixed prices once they have been developed, giving drug companies an incentive to produce them.

 

“The UK is pleased to support this initiative … which should ensure a sustainable and affordable supply of vaccines well into the future,” said British finance minister Alistair Darling.

 

Britain, Italy, Canada, Russia, Norway and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are investing a total of $1.5 billion in the project, which is being run by the World Bank, UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the international vaccine agency GAVI alliance.

 

Pharmaceutical firms who sign up will be tasked with developing vaccines to fight pneumococcal diseases, which claim up to 1.6 million lives each year — most of them children.

 

Firms that participate will also make legally binding commitments to supply the vaccines at lower and sustainable prices after the donor funds are spent.

 

The AMC scheme aims to prevent more than 7 million deaths by 2030.

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