News

Global Health Summit Pledges to Share Vaccines

As the G20’s first global health summit convened virtually in Rome, Italy, on May 21, the leaders of 19 countries and the EU called for greater global cooperation to end the coronavirus crisis. Major Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers including Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson pledged to make a total of 2.3 billion doses available to poor countries over the next 2 years. The commitments call for 1.3 billion doses to be delivered in 2021 and 1 billion in 2022.

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DuPont to Invest in European Adhesives Business

DuPont Mobility & Materials said it plans to invest $5 million in capital and operating resources at its plants in Germany and Switzerland to increase capacity for its high-performance automotive adhesives.

News • Strategy

Taking an Active Role in the Industry Transformation

Fernando J. Gómez, head of the Chemical and Advanced Materials Industry at the World Economic Forum (WEF), discusses the chemical-industry-related topics that are high on the WEF’s agenda.

News • Chemistry

Solution Partner on the Road to Success

Yiğitoğlu, the family-run Turkish chemical manufacturing, distribution and logistics services group that started commercial activities in 1956, has set out to expand its geographic footprint.

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Becton, Dickinson Builds Spanish Medical Devices Plant

Medical technology company Becton, Dickinson (BD) has revealed plans to build a fourth manufacturing plant in Spain. Investment costs are put at €165 million. Construction is scheduled to start in late 2021, and the plant will start up in 2023.

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KBR and Cummins Cooperate on Green Ammonia

US engineering and construction group KBR and US-based multinational Cummins, a manufacturer of engines, filtration and power generation products, have agreed a non-exclusive partnership on green ammonia.

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Bayer Loses Roundup Judgment Appeal

A US federal appeals court has upheld a $25 million jury award for the plaintiff in one of three major court battles Bayer has fought and lost over claims linking Monsanto’s glyphosate-based Roundup herbicide to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

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Global Bioenergies Scales up Bio-isobutene Process

French firm Global Bioenergies has announced major progress in scaling up its new two-stage isobutene bio-production process, which it has been developing over the past few months.

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Arkema to Acquire Edge Adhesives Texas

French specialty chemicals producer Arkema said it plans to acquire Edge Adhesives Texas, as “a complementary asset” that will boost subsidiary Bostik’s offerings in high performance adhesives in the US. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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G 20 Poised to Reject Covid Vaccine Patent Waiver

The G 20 global health summit to be held in Rome, Italy, on May 21 is expected to commit to fund the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines and drugs to poorer countries, in an effort to make prevention and treatment of the coronavirus accessible for poorer nations. Press reports said, however, the original language of the commitment had been watered down from a more ambitious plan to commit to “fair and full financing.”

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IMCD Buys Siliconas y Quimicos and Andes Chemical

Dutch specialty chemicals and ingredients distributor IMCD has announced two acquisitions that boost its presence in the Latin American market.

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Ginkgo Bioworks to Acquire Dutch DNA Biotech

US biotech Ginkgo Bioworks has entered into an agreement to buy Dutch DNA Biotech. Ginkgo said the move will expand its operations internationally for the first time. Financial terms of the deal, which is expected to close in July, were not disclosed.

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US to Export 20 Million More Covid Vaccine Doses

US president Joe Biden announced this week that his administration will send an additional 20 million Covid-19 vaccine doses abroad by the end of June, this time including some approved for use in the US.

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Novasep Expands HPAPI Capabilities at Le Mans

French CDMO Novasep is expanding its manufacturing capabilities for highly potent active pharmaceutical ingredients (HPAPIs) at its Le Mans site. The investment of more than €4 million will also create 30 new jobs at the site. It did not say when the expanded capabilities would be available.

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Solvay to Build Solar Power Plant in China

As a step toward meeting the targets of its One Planet roadmap and at the same time contribute to China’s carbon neutrality goals, Solvay has reached agreement with Engie China to build its first solar power plant at its Zhenjiang site. The facility due to start up in April 2022 will have solar power capacity of 891 kw and is expected to cut emissions by 550 t of CO2 equivalent annually.

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Sanofi and GSK to Launch Phase 3 Vaccine Trial

After seeing encouraging results with their adjuvanted recombinant Covid-19 vaccine candidate across all adult age groups in a recently completed Phase 2 trial, Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) are preparing to launch a global Phase 3 randomized double-blind study “in the coming weeks.”

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Barentz Expands in Latin America with Argentina Base

Dutch life science ingredients distributor Barentz has opened an office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, expanding its coverage in Latin America. The move coincides with the appointment of subsidiary Barentz Argentina as a strategic partner of Roquette Freres for all of its human nutrition and pharmaceutical ingredients business in the country.

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Ercros Invests in Tarragona as Part of 3D Plan

Ercros has announced plans to invest €40.4 million at its Tarragona site as part of its 3D strategic plan. The company added, however, that the sum could exceed €65 million, if other investments that are underway or pending authorization are included.

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US Supplies of J&J Covid-19 Vaccine Dry up

Problems at CDMO Emergent BioSolutions in the US state of Maryland and the resulting Food and Drug Administration shutdown of its Baltimore vaccine production facility continue to cloud the rollout of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 shot. The newspaper Washington Post said the US federal government will not send any supplies of the healthcare group’s single-dose vaccine to states over the coming week, citing the weekly shipment allocation of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).