Johnson Matthey Wins China Methanol Contract
Johnson Matthey has won a contract to build a third methanol synthesis plant for China’s Ningxia Baofeng Energy at its coal-to-olefins complex near Yinchuan in Ningxia province.
News
UK Chemicals Steady in Q2, Uncertainty Ahead
UK chemical exports in the second quarter of this year have steadied but uncertainty looms for the rest of 2020 with risks from both Covid-19 and Brexit, said the Chemical Industries Association (CIA).
Brenntag Expands in North America
Brenntag has bought the operating assets of US-based Suffolk Solutions’ caustic soda distribution business, gaining access to a bulk terminal and rail transloading facility in the Virginia port city of the same name. The acquired business had sales of about $15.6 million in the fiscal year ending Apr. 30, 2020.
ADNOC and Wanhua Chemical in Shipping JV
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC)’s shipping and maritime logistics subsidiary ADNOC Logistics & Services (ADNOC L&S) has formed a joint venture with China’s Wanhua Chemical, regarded as the world’s leading producer of polyurethane starting material MDI.
AstraZeneca Licenses Covid Candidate to China
In a much heeded licensing deal, AstraZeneca (AZ) has awarded Chinese pharma BioKangta sole commercial rights to its AZD1222 Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the People’s Republic. The UK drugmaker is developing the adenovirus vector-based vaccine on behalf of Oxford University, which created it.
AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo in Cancer Drug Deal
UK-Swedish drugmaker AstraZeneca has entered into a global development and commercialization agreement with Daiichi Sankyo, which could be worth up to $6 billion for the Japanese pharma.
J&J Clinches $1 Billion US Vaccine Supply Deal
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has struck a deal with the US government worth just over $1 billion to supply 100 million doses of subsidiary Janssen’s SARS-CoV-2 investigational vaccine, Ad26.COV2.S. The terms apply solely to manufacturing of the vaccine in the US but the company suggests it could be distributed worldwide.
Irregularities Behind Kodak’s API Coup?
Last week’s announcement that photography group Eastman Kodak had received a 25-year, $765 million US government loan to produce active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) took the market by surprise. The plan was said to be to secure a national emergency supply, in order to reduce dependence on Chinese and Indian imports.
Hexion and Poland’s D&R in Resin Collaboration
US thermoset resins and specialty chemicals company Hexion is collaborating with Poland’s D&R Dispersions and Resins on the first commercial-scale production of the former’s VeoVa silane technology, which is free of isocyanates.
Air Liquide to Take Sasol’s Oxygen Site
Air Liquide and Sasol have entered into exclusive negotiations for the French industrial gases group to acquire Sasol’s oxygen production site in Secunda, South Africa. The move is part of Sasol’s plans to cut CO2 emissions.
Lonza Expanding Microbial Facility at Visp
Swiss CDMO Lonza is expanding its microbial manufacturing facility in Visp, Switzerland, to add mid-scale (3,000 l) commercial manufacturing for multiple customers and in particular to supply a long-term partner, France’s Laboratoires Servier, with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapies.
Indian Oil Plans PX/PTA Complex
Indian state-owned oil and gas group Indian Oil Corp will build an integrated paraxylene (PX) and purified terephthalic acid (PTA) complex at Paradip in Odisha, India. Investment costs are estimated at 138 billion Indian rupees, or $1.8 billion.
Ashland Sells Maleic Anhydride Portfolio to AOC
US chemical producer Ashland said it has reached a “definitive agreement” to sell its maleic anhydride (MA) business and the production plant at Neal, West Virginia, to AOC Materials for $100 million. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2020, pending all approvals.
BioNTech and Pfizer Ink Japanese Vaccine Supply Pact
The Covid-19 vaccine partnership of Germany’s BioNTech and US drugs giant Pfizer inked its third supply pact in a week on Jul. 31. This deal, with the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), follows separate agreements with the US and UK signed in the two preceding days.
Rubis Terminal to Acquire Spain’s Tepsa
French storage operator Rubis Terminal is to take over leading Spanish bulk liquid storage firm Tepsa in what it describes as a “transformational and strategic acquisition” that will increase its business by about 30%. The transaction is subject to approval from Spanish regulatory authorities.
Ineos Launches Healthcare Business
After declaring in May that it would set up a global healthcare business, petrochemicals giant Ineos launched Ineos Hygienics on Jul. 30. The move was triggered by the outbreak of Covid-19 and the subsequent pandemic, which led demand for sanitizers to soar. Ineos responded by rapidly building six hand sanitizer plants in the UK, USA, Germany and France.
Sanofi and GSK Seal Vaccine Deals with US and UK
Lagging behind other big names of late in announcing Covid-19 vaccine supply deals, French and British drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithkline together nailed down agreements with the US and UK at the end of last week. The companies have hinted that a deal with the EU could be reached shortly.
Wacker Biotech Invests in Amsterdam Site
Wacker Biotech, CDMO subsidiary of the Munich-based chemical group, is investing a mid-double-digit-million euro sum in its production facilities for biologics, LMPs (live microbial products) and vaccines at the Amsterdam site it acquired two years ago.
US Funds Kodak’s New Pharma Arm
Former photography giant Eastman Kodak is moving into the manufacture of pharmaceutical ingredients, supported by a $765 million government loan awarded by the administration of US president Donald Trump under the Defense Production Act (DPA).
Lanxess Disinfectant Kills Covid Fast, Study Shows
In a study carried out by an independent laboratory, the Rely On Virkon broad-spectrum surface disinfectant produced by Lanxess was shown to inactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus, also known as Covid-19, rapidly, the German specialty chemicals company reports.
Linde in China Green Hydrogen Deal
Linde has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Beijing Green Hydrogen Technology Development, a subsidiary of China Power International Development, to jointly promote the application and development of green hydrogen in China.
Clariant Inks Fourth Sunliquid License
Clariant has signed a licensing deal for its sunliquid cellulosic ethanol technology with Bulgaria’s Eta Bio. The Swiss specialty chemicals group said the agreement, the fourth for sunliquid, represents another significant step toward the technology’s commercialization and also gives it a foothold in the agricultural sector.
EU Inks Remdesivir Supply Deal with Gilead
The European Commission has signed a €63 million contract with Gilead Sciences to deliver batches of Veklury, Gilead’s name for the antiviral remdesivir, to the EU’s 27 member states as well as the UK, starting in early August.
SK Capital Boosts Polymers/Specialty Chemicals
US investment firm SK Capital Partners has agreed to acquire the specialty polymers business of energy technology group Baker Hughes. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of this year.
EU’s Covid-19 Vaccine Talks Said to Hit Snag
European officials recently began talking to companies developing Covid-19 vaccines about supplying the EU’s 27 member states, in hope that none would fall behind bigger markets such as the US, which began making exclusive deals early on. Now Reuters suggests the talks may have hit a snag.
Pharma Industry Won’t Talk Drug Pricing with Trump
The administration of US president Donald Trump canceled a planned meeting with pharmaceutical industry representatives in Washington on Jul. 28 after none said they planned to attend. The meeting had been called to discuss drug prices after the president announced four executive orders on Jul. 24.
TechnipFMC and LanzaTech in Hummingbird Deal
TechnipFMC has announced the first commercial application of its Hummingbird sustainable ethanol-to-ethylene technology, following a licensing deal with LanzaTech. The engineering contractor originally acquired the process from BP Chemicals in June 2016.
ADNOC to Create Chemicals Investment Platform
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed a joint venture agreement with diversified holding company ADQ to create a new chemicals investment platform for funding and developing industrial projects at the proposed Ruwais Derivatives Park.
BASF, US Law Firm Settle Engelhard Talc Cases
Through an acquisition dating back 14 years, BASF is embroiled in the same type of litigation trap as compatriot Bayer currently faces. The Ludwigshafen group’s US catalyst subsidiary formerly known as Engelhard, in conjunction with the New Jersey company’s former law firm, has just reached an out-of-court settlement of lawsuits alleging its talc was contaminated with asbestos.
Partners Group Buys into Rovensa
Swiss-headquartered multinational private investor Partners Group has agreed to buy a majority stake in Portuguese crop protection company Rovensa from rival investment group Bridgepoint for about €1 billion.
Catalent and Humanigen Expand Cooperation
US biotechs Catalent and Humanigen are extending their standing collaboration on lenzilumab, Humanigen’s proprietary anti-human granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GCM-CSF) monoclonal antibody, with a new supply agreement covering Phase 3 clinical studies.
Arkema to Acquire Adhesives Producer Fixatti
French chemical producer Arkema is planning to acquire high-performance thermobonding adhesive powders manufacturer Fixatti. The move is aimed at strengthening subsidiary Bostik’s global offering of high value-added technologies in hotmelt adhesive solutions for niche applications in the construction, technical coating, battery, automotive and textile printing industries.
Polynt-Reichhold Builds Maleic Anhydride Plant in USA
Polynt-Reichhold has announced plans to build a 50,000 t/y maleic anhydride plant at its site in Morris, Illinois, USA. The new facility will support its internal supply of maleic anhydride for US production of composites and other maleic derivative, which it already makes in Europe and Asia.
Roche in Cancer and Immunology Collaborations
Roche has announced two separate collaborations, one for an investigational cancer treatment and the other for the discovery of small molecule drugs for treating immune-mediated and neurological diseases.
Dow Plans to Cut Workforce by 6%
US chemicals and plastics producer Dow plans to cut its workforce by 6% in response to the coronavirus crisis, CEO Jim Fitterling said on July 23 while presenting financial results for Q2 2020. The plans, he said, reflect management’s expectations of an uneven recovery from the ongoing pandemic.
