Dede Willams
Oxea Changes Name to OQ Chemicals
German petrochemical intermediates producer Oxea, based at Oberhausen, has changed its name to OQ Chemicals, marking its final integration into Oman’s new petrochemicals and energy giant OQ, headquartered in Muscat.
Pfizer to Make Space for Vaccine Production
To save manufacturing space for its growing vaccines plans, Pfizer has said it will outsource production of some of its pharmaceutical portfolio. The work is planned to be shared out with a network of 200 contractors in the US and Europe.
Resinex to Distribute Ascend’s PA 6.6 in Europe
Belgium-based thermoplastics distributor Resinex has received the nod to handle Ascend Performance Materials’ polyamide 6.6 resin in major European countries and regions. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
At least Nine Dead in Indian Styrenics Plant Leak
As many as 9 to 11 people are believed to have died and hundreds more were hospitalized after a leak of styrene gas from an LG Polymers plant near the Indian city of Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh state. The incident occurred in the early morning hours of May 7.
New Site Agreement for BASF at Ludwigshafen
BASF has signed a new agreement for its headquarters site at Ludwigshafen, Germany, covering wages and working conditions for the 34,000 employees who work there.
Industry and EU Parliament Back Green Recovery
But while MEPS push the Green Deal, the German chemical industry association VCI stresses that economic and social factors should be given equal emphasis.
Bachem and Jitsubo in Licensing Agreement
Swiss CDMO Bachem has signed an exclusive licensing agreement to use the liquid phase peptide manufacturing technology Molecular Hiving developed by Japan’s Jitsubo.
J&J Signs two new Covid-Vaccine Pacts
As part of a plan to establish a network of manufacturing partners to help boost capacity ahead of a potential FDA approval of a Covid-19 vaccine, US healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) recently signed agreements with two US companies.
Lonza Teams up with Moderna on Covid-19 Vaccine
Swiss fine chemicals producer and CDMO Lonza has signed a 10-year worldwide strategic collaboration agreement with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based US biotech Moderna to enable larger scale manufacture of Moderna’s RNA-1273 based Covid-19 vaccine candidate as well as other of products in future.
Lanxess Completes Sale of its Currenta Stake
German specialty chemicals producer Lanxess completed the sale of its 40% stake in chemical park operator Currenta to Australia’s Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) at the end of April. The sale agreement was concluded in August 2019.
BASF Retracts 2020 Earnings Estimate
BASF has retracted its earnings estimate for 2020 communicated at the end of February, citing a clouded outlook amid the coronavirus pandemic. “In any case, the Feb. 28 forecast will not be met,” it said.
Bayer Biding its Time on Roundup Settlements
Bayer has set aside €480 million to defend lawsuits brought by people who claim that Monsanto’s glyphosate-based herbicide Roundup caused their non-Hodgkins lymphoma, CEO Werner Baumann said at the company’s annual general meeting on Apr. 28.
Sanofi says US may Get Covid Vaccine first
Sanofi has urged the EU to create an equivalent of the US government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to coordinate research into a Covid-19 vaccine, or face being left behind.
Ineos Pursues Chemical Recycling With Plastic Energy
Ineos has joined forces with Plastic Energy to help promote and employ chemical recycling.
Biontech Gets Green Light for German Covid Trials
Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), Germany’s federal institute for vaccines and biomedicines, has given the go-ahead for Germany’s first clinical trial of a vaccine candidate to prevent COVID-19.
