Business news – Page 106

  • Opinion

    Credit where it's due

    2007-07-26T11:07:00Z

    Process chemists just don't get the credit they deserve, says Derek Lowe

  • Business

    Business roundup: September 2007

    2007-07-26T10:51:00Z

    ICI sale finally agreed ICI have accepted a takeover offer of £8 billion from chemical conglomerate Akzo Nobel. This 670p per share agreement is Akzo’s third approach for ICI in as many months, following an initial offer of 600p per share in June, and then 650p per share in ...

  • Opinion

    Blinkers for bad news

    2007-06-29T12:51:00Z

    The Avandia controversy poses some tough questions about how to balance risks, says Derek Lowe

  • Business

    Business roundup: July 2007

    2007-06-29T12:45:00Z

    A depressing ruling for obesity drug A decision by a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel on 13 June was a double blow for French drug firm, Sanofi-Aventis. Their long-awaited obesity drug, rimonabant, marketed in Europe as Acomplia, was not recommended for approval by the FDA. ...

  • Opinion

    Patented fundamentals

    2007-05-24T12:34:00Z

    Derek Lowe sets the record straight about pharmaceutical patents on traditional medicines

  • Business

    Business roundup: June 2007

    2007-05-24T11:32:00Z

    FDA powers boosted by Senate Bill The US Senate has passed legislation to reinforce the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate drugs and medical devices. Under the legislation, there will be an increase in user fees that drugs companies and makers of medical devices ...

  • Business

    Business roundup: May 2007

    2007-04-27T09:41:00Z

    US chemical plant security legislation The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released its final list of federal security regulations governing US chemical plants. The 2001 terrorist attacks in New York brought security measures under scrutiny, but with America on high alert many felt that chemical ...

  • Opinion

    Reasons to be cheerful

    2007-04-27T09:20:00Z

    After months of bleak news about faltering pipelines and redundancies, it's time to find reasons to be cheerful about the drug industry, says Derek Lowe.

  • Opinion

    Justifying total synthesis

    2007-03-28T11:39:00Z

    Derek Lowe wonders whether total synthesis is still worth the effort

  • Business

    Business roundup: April 2007

    2007-03-28T11:36:00Z

    Pharma’s house of cards Anglo-Swedish drug company AstraZeneca has announced plans to cut roughly 700 jobs at its site in Macclesfield, UK. A further 850 staff will go at Swedish production facilities. The news marks the first step in the implementation of the company’s plans to cut 3000 jobs from ...

  • Opinion

    Mergers: a cost-benefit analysis

    2007-02-28T15:15:00Z

    Do the benefits of pharmaceutical company mergers really outweigh the costs, asks Derek Lowe

  • Business

    Business roundup: March 2007

    2007-02-28T15:08:00Z

    Novartis contests India’s patent law Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis is suing the Indian government for contravening international patent agreements. The company accuses the Indian government of failing to comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules after it refused to grant the company a patent on its cancer drug ...

  • Business

    Business roundup: February 2007

    2007-01-29T12:46:00Z

    New chief to lead safety drive Will the arrival of Lord Browne’s replacement mean an end to BP’s troubles? This month marked the climax of a tough period for the UK oil giant. An independent panel, led by former US Secretary of State James Baker, published the findings ...

  • Opinion

    Science's secret recipe

    2007-01-29T11:37:00Z

    Derek Lowe wonders whether the secret recipe for scientific breakthroughs can be taught – and how much indigestion that recipe would cause in the boardroom

  • Opinion

    Learning from pharma failures

    2006-12-20T11:00:00Z

    Derek Lowe looks at the recent failure of Pfizer's cholesterol drug, torcetrapib, and asks what it means for the future of pharmaceutical research

  • Business

    Business roundup: January 2007

    2006-12-20T11:00:00Z

    BASF juggles hot potatoes German chemicals giant BASF has been courting controversy with two types of genetically modified potato. The Department for environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has granted permission for the company to grow its GM blight-resistant potatoes at field sites in the UK, while the European Commission ...

  • Opinion

    Global pharma investment

    2006-11-28T09:27:00Z

    Derek Lowe looks at the story behind the growing investment by western companies in medicinal chemistry research in China

  • Business

    Business roundup: December 2006

    2006-11-28T08:48:00Z

    The drugs don’t work Third quarter results from the pharmaceutical industry were marred by simultaneous admissions that promising new treatments had been withdrawn and delayed. British giants GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and AstraZeneca, which both reported a boost in third quarter sales, have been forced to abandon new treatments ...

  • Opinion

    Time to let go

    2006-10-30T11:02:00Z

    Derek Lowe wonders how to kill off bad drug candidates before companies invest valuable time and money in them

  • Business

    Business roundup: November 2006

    2006-10-30T10:44:00Z

    Chemical security criticised Explosions at a chemical plant near the town of Apex, North Carolina, US, forced more than 17 000 people to evacuate their homes, in early October sparking further criticism that the government has not seriously addressed the issue of chemical plant security. The incident came ...