The 2007 AAPS (American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists) National Biotechnology Conference (NBC) was hosted in sunny San Diego, California, from June 24–27. With a mild breeze, the temperature ranged between 70° and 75° F, one could only hope that the meeting would have taken place on the beautiful sandy beaches, instead of in a stuffy […]
A number of biotechnology companies are moving into the market for combination drugs, which are mixtures of two already-approved drugs. Most companies are drawn to the cost-saving opportunities that lie in combining two drugs that have already been approved. Prominent firms in the combination drugs business include CombinatoRx, Pozen and Orexigen. The increasing number of […]
Recent acquisitions have highlighted the evolving relationship of instrument companies and the molecular diagnostics market. Last month, QIAGEN acquired Digene, the largest provider of human papillomavirus (HPV) diagnostics tests, for $1.6 billion (see IBO 6/15/07). Earlier this year, Agilent acquired Stratagene for $246.2 million (see IBO 4/15/07). These developments follow acquisitions last year by Luminex […]
In 2006, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the energy industry totaled $566 billion, up from $372 billion in 2005. Already, the value of deals announced this year has reached $356 billion. While the recent pace of transactions is reminiscent of the merger boom of the 1990s, current M&A activity is not dominated by the companies […]
IC Insights’ yearly report on the semiconductor industry predicts capital spending in the industry will climb 1% in 2007, compared to 18% growth in 2006. The top 25 companies are projected to increase capital spending by 2% in 2007 and account for 87% of semiconductor capital spending worldwide. The leader this year is expected to […]
In June, the FDA announced a final rule that will require current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) for dietary supplements. The rule was created to assure that supplements contain proper amounts of the correct ingredients and to avoid contamination by natural toxins, bacteria, pesticides or heavy metals. The final rule establishes quality-control procedures for supplement manufacturing […]
In 2006, global sales in the cosmetics and toiletries sector grew 10% to more than $253 billion, according to Euromonitor International. The potential for profit in this sector has drawn biotech startup companies as well as major cosmetics firms to manufacture cosmetics with purported pharmaceutical effects, commonly called cosmeceuticals. Biotech startups are drawn to the […]
According to Chemical & Engineering News’ yearly survey of the top 50 US companies in the chemical industry, 2006 was not an eventful year. Combined sales of the surveyed companies reached $299.3 billion, a 6.3% increase over 2005. This sales growth is down from last year’s 10.9% increase, and is a far cry from the […]
Many people worldwide depend on drugs that have gone off-patent. According to analyses by the FDA, prices of generic drugs can be as low as 20% of the cost of a brand-name drug, and these significant price drops often occur when two or three generic versions of a drug come onto the market. In 2004, […]
A new report, “Pharma 2020: The Vision” from PWC finds that drug companies will change how they do R&D in the future. They will move from the current “linear” research process to “live licenses,” under which a drug is launched on a restricted basis as testing continues. Regulators worldwide will share data, resulting in a […]
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IBO (Instrument Business Outlook) is a twice-monthly newsletter aimed at providing decision-makers with the latest and most complete information available on the life science and analytical instrument industry, and lab product markets. IBO delivers the latest curated industry news, information and trends, as well as SDi data and analysis to deliver the maximum in industry insight with a minimum time investment for executives and investors.
