Canadian botanical extractions company, Mazza Innovation, has signed an exclusive, long-term agreement to supply global chemicals giant, BASF, with specific plant extracts to develop new solutions for cosmetic applications. The company produces the plant extracts using its patented PhytoClean technology, a water-based extraction method that concentrates bioactives in an eco-friendly way.
One of the world’s largest polymer companies, Covestro, is planning to build its own chlorine production plant in Tarragona, Spain, which will use a more sustainable process: oxygen-depolarised cathode (ODC) technology, which consumes around a quarter less energy than the conventional method. The company is building the first industrial-scale plant based solely on this technology at its location in Spain, expected to begin in the first half of 2019.
BASF has begun the registration process in the EU and Australia for two new herbicides that it says have demonstrated excellent performance against a broad range of difficult-to- control grasses and broadleaf weeds.
Luximo, which is being registered in the EU and Australia, has an active ingredient that provides pre-emergence, residual control against a broad range of grasses, including blackgrass and ryegrass in winter cereals. The molecule boasts a novel mode of action (MoA) to control grasses that have developed resistance.
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is reorganising its company into three businesses to help the company “achieve its growth potential”.
A science-based Innovative Medicines business will now include biosimilars and a new hospital business unit for anti-infectives and sterile injectables. These units possess significant therapeutic area expertise in the medical, commercial and patient experience domains and will provide a strong commercialisation platform for these medicines.
Japanese company, Tosoh Logistics Corporation, is building a specialised chemical logistics warehouse featuring freezing, cooling and heating capabilities in Shunan’s harbour district. Tentatively named the Rinkai Logistics Center No 2, it will be the largest integrated warehouse for chemical products in western Japan.
The investment is part of Tosoh’s infrastructure upgrades to handle increased volume as the company boosts its production capacities to meet heightened medium- and long-term demand.
AMPAC Fine Chemicals (AFC), a leading US-based contract development and manufacturing organisation (CDMO) has announced its sale to SK Holdings, an investment holding company of SK Group (South Korea). This acquisition is the largest M&A transaction announced in the Korean pharmaceutical industry.
“Fail early and fail cheap” – this was the key message from Dr Magid Abou-Gharbia of the Moulder Center for Drug Discovery Research at Temple University’s School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia, US.
