Headlines

An oil drum that has been moved by bad weather and a flood resting against a chain link fence

Arkema settles local claims over US hurricane fire emissions

Peroxides producer will pay $1.1 million and make safety improvements

Vaping

Nicotine analogues emerging in e-cigarettes to evade regulations

Tests show products contain widely variable amounts of compounds with unknown risks

Pills

Latest effort to crack down on combination drugs launched by Indian government

Several pharmaceutical firms have launched a challenge to the ban in the supreme court

Man walking on tightrope

Being wrong is almost inevitable

On the tightrope of expressing your opinion, you always risk looking a fool

Highlights

A semaglutide injecting 'pen' wrapped in a napkin with a knife and fork, on a red gingham tablecloth, next to a white plate

The GLP-1 weight loss revolution

Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist drugs, such as semaglutide, could save countless lives at risk due to diabetes and obesity. Rachel Brazil looks at the difficulties in making the peptides themselves, and what’s coming next

Sugar kelp

Seaweed success

Scientists and entrepreneurs are sowing the seeds for a new kind of industry. Hayley Bennett explores the buzz around the marine ‘biorefinery’ business – and what might hold it back

A thermogram showing hot industrial smoke stacks

Electrification of process heat stands to slash industry’s emissions

Technologies available now can decarbonise most heat demand, but cost and infrastructure barriers still exist

Medicine bottles on a pharmacy shelf marked as empty

Explainer: Why drug shortages happen and how can we reduce them?

Record-high numbers of drugs are in short supply, from chemotherapy and antibiotics to hormone replacements

NovoRapid and NovoLog

Explainer: How is the US pharmaceutical patent system being misused?

What are ‘evergreening’ and ‘thicketing’ and what is being done to reform the system and aid competition?

A photograph of a modern building exterior branded with RSSL

Driving innovation in the UK’s emerging biotechnology sector

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Biotech startups and spinouts must overcome numerous challenges to get from lab to market. A new UK innovation hub aims to give this emerging sector the space, resources and expertise it needs.

Pills

Latest effort to crack down on combination drugs launched by Indian government

Several pharmaceutical firms have launched a challenge to the ban in the supreme court

Man walking on tightrope

Being wrong is almost inevitable

On the tightrope of expressing your opinion, you always risk looking a fool

Ozempic

GLP-1 drugs could be more than a win–win for weight loss

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are changing lives, and could change our attitudes

An oil drum that has been moved by bad weather and a flood resting against a chain link fence

Arkema settles local claims over US hurricane fire emissions

Peroxides producer will pay $1.1 million and make safety improvements

Nicotine analogues emerging in e-cigarettes to evade regulations

Tests show products contain widely variable amounts of compounds with unknown risks

MDMA rejection poses questions for psychedelic drug trials

Decision prompts reflection over how psychotherapy is involved, regulating combination treatments and safeguarding patients

China cracks down on fentanyl precursor chemicals

Three fentanyl chemical ingredients will be subject to new restrictions from September

Explainer: Why drug shortages happen and how can we reduce them?

Record-high numbers of drugs are in short supply, from chemotherapy and antibiotics to hormone replacements

Explainer: How is the US pharmaceutical patent system being misused?

What are ‘evergreening’ and ‘thicketing’ and what is being done to reform the system and aid competition?

Toxoplasma

Therapeutic proteins can hitch a ride on parasite to bypass blood-brain barrier

Toxoplasma could be delivery agent for protein drugs – provided parasite can be made safe

Medications stored in a fridge

Drugs and vaccines could be freed from cold chains by hydrogel

Stiff gel prevents proteins from aggregating, preserving their therapeutic power

An emergency overdose kit on a street providing Naloxone

Companion compound for naloxone could boost opioid reversal effects, save lives

Discovery could help in fight against super-strength opioids such as fentanyl

Recycled construction waste could cut cement and steel’s carbon footprint

Cement can be regenerated during steel recycling in an electric arc furnace

Conjugate vaccine curbs xylazine effects in mice

Proof-of-concept for therapy that harnesses immune system to fight fentanyl adulterant

Simplified hydroformylation replaces rhodium with base metal

Bench-friendly asymmetric hydroformylation swaps toxic gas and expensive catalyst for cheap reagents and mild conditions

‘Late-stage saturation’ could improve drugs' effectiveness

Approach turns flat aromatic structures into three-dimensional saturated molecules with improved medicinal properties

How HIV drugs have changed over the decades

From one big pill that only prolonged lives a few months, through the 20 pills a day years to modern combination therapies, treating HIV is a science success story

Sugar kelp

Seaweed success

Scientists and entrepreneurs are sowing the seeds for a new kind of industry. Hayley Bennett explores the buzz around the marine ‘biorefinery’ business – and what might hold it back

DDT collage

How DDT went from triumph to tragedy

Few compounds have a story as controversial as this insecticide. Mike Sutton traces the tale from its beginning 150 years ago

An oil drum that has been moved by bad weather and a flood resting against a chain link fence

Arkema settles local claims over US hurricane fire emissions

Peroxides producer will pay $1.1 million and make safety improvements

17 dead in solvent explosion at Indian plant

Dozens more injured at pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturer in Andhra Pradesh

Beating the heat problem

Electrifying process heat is a cost problem, not a technical one

Seaweed success

Scientists and entrepreneurs are sowing the seeds for a new kind of industry. Hayley Bennett explores the buzz around the marine ‘biorefinery’ business – and what might hold it back

Electrification of process heat stands to slash industry’s emissions

Technologies available now can decarbonise most heat demand, but cost and infrastructure barriers still exist

Red Sea attacks are reshaping chemical supply chains

High demand and reduced capacity have kept freight prices high

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Optimising synthesis: SYNTHIA & green chemistry

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Reduce step counts, improve yields and atom economy while reducing environmental impact, all with a little computational help

Index

From R&D to QC, making NMR accessible for everyone

Sponsored by

Putting NMR spectroscopy at the heart of the analytical chemistry lab

Accelerating scientific discovery with HPC AI and Quantum-thumb 30.11.2024

Accelerating scientific discovery with cutting-edge computing

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Learn how to accelerate discovery in chemistry and materials science by integrating the latest breakthroughs in High-performance computing, AI and quantum computing