Lonza and Vertex Sign a Commercial Supply Agreement for Casgevy
Lonza and Vertex Pharmaceuticals recently announced a commercial supply agreement for casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel).
News
Lonza Launches Innovaform Accelerator
Lonza inaugurated its new facility at the Colmar, France site. The new Innovaform Accelerator will serve as a Center of Excellence for developing and innovating capsule-based manufacturing and delivery solutions for oral and pulmonary administration.
Covestro to Build New TPU Center in China
Covestro will start the construction of a new Thermoplastic Polyurethanes (TPU) APAC Application Development (AD) Center in Guangzhou, China.
AI Specialist COAC to Lead Shell’s Smart Equipment Passport Initiative
In collaboration with Shell, COAC has implemented the Smart Equipment Passport (SEP), a solution to create digital identities of equipment that can be used to exchange information with internal and external users safely and securely.
Bilfinger Secures Major Contract with Egyptian Chemical Industries
Bilfinger is broadening its presence in Egypt by securing a substantial Project Management and Consultancy (PMC) contract from Egyptian Chemical Industries (KIMA).
Ucaneo Secures Seed Funding
Ucaneo, a provider of innovative direct air capture (DAC) technologies for CO2 removal, has raised €6.75 million in seed funding including grants.
Egrobots – New Technologies for a more Sustainable Agriculture
Egrobots, a start-up from Egypt, developed a solution for efficient farm monitoring and management using AI and robotics. Their innovation includes an autonomous robot, that roams around the farm, scanning the plants on a leaf-level with high resolution and an AI that analyses this data.
Nouryon Begins Operations in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Nouryon recently announced it has commenced operations at its new Integrated Manufacturing Model site in Ribas do Rio Pardo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, which includes the production of hydrogen peroxide, sodium chlorate, and chlorine dioxide.
Denmark’s First CO2 Storage Facility Now Operational
Denmark’s North Sea subsoil now hosts a safe and efficient CO2 storage facility, thanks to Project Greensand. The 23 partners have successfully completed the pilot phase, demonstrating the project’s viability and readiness.
Flow Chemistry in Drug Discovery
For the synthesis of compounds in pharmaceutical applications, it is important to select the most appropriate flow chemistry regime and equipment based on the goals of the application.
World’s Most Comprehensive Protein Search Engine
Interview with Johannes Kabisch (CSO), Joe Heenan (CEO) and Aron Eiermann (CTO), Proteineer
The Subscription Revolution in Flow Chemistry
Interview with Sridhar Balaram, Founder and CEO of Flownetics Engineering.
Minicircle DNA
The minicircle has emerged as a Next Generation Gene Vector and as a promising tool in the field of gene delivery and therapeutic applications. This overview aims to cover the characteristics, production methods, and potential applications of minicircle DNA.
Europe’s Biotech Cluster Powerhouses
Cambridge, Leiden, Heidelberg or Paris - many European countries have biotechnology clusters in which scientific expertise meets a well-developed infrastructure, committed entrepreneurship and attractive financing opportunities. A subjective look at the best.
The CDMO/CMO Report
Driven by increased demand in biologic-based drugs, biologic drug substance manufacturing continues to be an active area of investment by contract development and manufacturing organizations/contract manufacturing organizations (CDMOs/CMOs), including several multi-billion large-scale biomanufacturing projects. What companies are expanding, and where do these expansions stand?
Pharma’s Digital Transformation
Industry experts Michelangelo Canzoneri, Josef Trapl, Wolfgang Winter, Christian Woelbeling, and Thomas Zimmer – all members of ISPE’s Pharma 4.0 guide core team – explain the transformational challenges and critical success factors of the digital Pharma 4.0 journey.
Chemical Logistics Study 2024
A study on logistics in the chemical industry shows that there is a significant need to develop a more professional approach to supply chain and logistics planning and the use of digitalization and AI, but that the industry is currently struggling with limited resources and budget constraints.
Serán More Than Doubles Clinical Manufacturing Capacity
CDMO Serán BioScience recently announced that it has completed an expansion to increase the number of process manufacturing suites at its facility in Bend, Oregon, from 6 to 14, adding approximately 130% more cGMP clinical manufacturing capacity.
Lonza Completes Expansion of Microbial Manufacturing Facility
Lonza recently announced that it has completed a planned expansion of the mid-scale microbial manufacturing facility at its Visp, Switzerland site. This multi-product facility was recently granted a GMP license, allowing cGMP manufacturing and release of biologics produced using microbial fermentation.
Medera to Go Public through Merger with KVAC
Keen Vision Acquisition Corp. (KVAC) and Medera, a clinical-stage biotechnology company, have entered into a merger agreement. Upon closing of the merger, which is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2024, the combined company will operate under the name Medera.
LanzaTech, Seksui to Develop Waste-to-Ethanol Plants in Japan
US green technology firm LanzaTech has signed an agreement with Sekisui Chemical to deploy, at commercial scale, a jointly developed platform that converts syngas derived from municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste into ethanol. Sekisui intends to build multiple facilities in municipalities across Japan which incorporate equipment packages, engineering and advisory services, consumables, and intellectual property provided by LanzaTech, the companies said.
ADNOC Acquires Stake in ExxonMobils’s Texas Hydrogen Plant
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has agreed to acquire a 35% equity stake in ExxonMobil’s proposed low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production facility in Baytown, Texas, US.
Olon Acquires Huvepharma Italia
Olon continues its growth path and increases its total production capacity following the acquisition of Huvepharma Italia and its site in Garessio, Cuneo, in the northwestern part of Italy.
Evonik Completes Expansion of Methionine Production in Singapore
Evonik has completed the expansion of its MetAmino (DL-methionine) production facilities in Singapore and the production on Jurong Island is again running at full capacity, after shutdowns in the fourth quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024.
QatarEnergy to Build Urea Complex at Mesaieed
QatarEnergy has decided to build a new, world-scale urea production complex in Mesaieed Industrial City. The project comprises the construction of three ammonia production lines that will supply feedstock to four new urea production trains at the site.
UCB to Sell Neurology and Allergy Business in China
Belgium-headquartered biopharmaceutical company UCB is to sell its mature neurology and allergy business in China to Singapore-based asset management group CBC and investor Mubadala, based in Abu Dhabi, for $680 million.
The Evolution of the CDMO Industry.
The evolution of the CDMO sector is propelled by rising manufacturing standards, the advent of groundbreaking therapies, and a shift towards personalized medicine. CHEManager asked executives and industry experts from a broad range of CDMOs to share their views on how their companies are dealing with this changing economic environment and the resulting opportunities and challenges.
PPG to Sell Silicas Products Business to Qemetica
US paints and coatingsmaker PPG has agreed to sell its silicas products business for abou $310 million to Warsaw, Poland-based Qemetica, a manufacturer of soda ash, silicates and other specialty chemicals. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions.
Gulf States Chemical Hub Welcomes Start-ups
The 1st GPCA Startup Nexus will take place during the GPCA Forum, December 2-5, 2025 in Muscat, Oman.
BASF Coatings Opens New Application and Technical Center in China
BASF's Coatings division has inaugurated its new application and technical center in Jiangmen, China, which is located within the site of BASF Coatings (Guangdong) (BCG).
Wanhua Launches Citral Plant in China
Chinese chemical group Wanhua has launched its 48,000-ton-per-year citral production facility in Yantai, China.
Barentz Appoints Lars Schneider as New CEO for EMEA
Barentz recently appointed Lars Schneider as the new Chief Executive Officer for the EMEA region, starting October 1st, 2024. Lars will also become a member of the Barentz Board.
Aurigene and Kainomyx to Partner on Anti-Malarial Drug
Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services, the CRDMO arm of India-based Dr. Reddy’s, has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kainomyx, a US-based company with a proprietary platform that helps target cytoskeletal proteins of parasites, for the development and commercialization of an affordable anti-malarial drug in in the US, Europe, and in low and middle-income countries.
Air Products to Acquire Hydrogen Assets from Saneg
US industrial gases producer Air Products has agreed to acquire Saneg’s hydrogen production assets at the Fergana oil refinery in Uzbekistan for $140 million.
Novartis and Versant Launch Borealis Biosciences
Novartis announced it has partnered with Versant Ventures to form Borealis Biosciences, an independent, discovery-stage biotechnology company based in Vancouver, Canada, focused on developing next-generation xRNA-based medicines for kidney diseases.
