CordenPharma has announced the addition of a 3,000-litre solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) vessel at its GMP API facility in Boulder, Colorado. This site, which was formerly owned by Roche, already has a 10,000-litre SPPS vessel and a 100 cm high-pressure reverse phase purification column, and is claimed to have the largest capacity of any peptide API facility.
A new report by SOCMA and Vault Consulting, the Specialty Chemicals Industry Census, has found that speciality chemical companies in the US “remain bullish despite the uncertain landscape”. Key findings include:
* About 93% of respondents expect an increase in revenue growth and 83% expect an increase in capacity in the next three years
* Over 67% have capital expansion plans in place.
* Markets driving revenue growth within the next three years include performance materials (81% of respondents), agrochemicals (49%) and APIs and excipients (47%)
Drug discovery firm Evotec, which also owns the CDMO Aptuit, has acquired the ‘Biopark by Sanofi’ (BBS) operation in Toulouse, France, and will rename it ‘Campus Curie’. The 19 employees are all transferring. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The company said that this acquisition will allow it “to significantly expand its existing capacities at the site over the near to mid-term while retaining maximum flexibility to build up long-term capacity as needed”.
The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published two reports on the direct and indirect effects of REACH in driving the substitution of hazardous chemicals with safer alternatives. This was based on a survey of industry associations and over 80 companies, many of which had been affected by REACH processes.
At the end of June, three more major exhibitions that attract high attendances from the fine and speciality chemicals and which were due to take place in the autumn, were cancelled or postponed to 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic: CPhI Worldwide, In-Cosmetics, ChemUK and Making Pharmaceuticals. This leaves only Chemspec Europe among the major events still going ahead, as things stand.
Via CA Clover Intermediate II Investments, private equity firm the Carlyle Group is to invest about $940 million in fresh equity capital for a 20% stake in Piramal Pharma, the healthcare subsidiary of Indian conglomerate Piramal Enterprises (PEL). This values the business at $2,775 million with an upside component of up to $360 million depending on the company’s performance this financial year.
Nouryon has completed two recently announced advances: the acquisition of the carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) business of J.M. Huber, including a manufacturing plant and advanced R&D facility located in Äänekoski, Finland; and doubling organic peroxides at its plant in Itupeva, Brazil.
