In 2009, growth of biotech crops increased 7% to 134 million hectares. Twenty-five countries planted biotech crops, with 15 countries each growing more than 50,000 hectares, led by the US, Brazil and Argentina. In Brazil, biotech crops increased 35%, the largest increase among any country, to occupy 21.4 million hectares. Biotech herbicide-tolerant soybean and biotech […]

Last year, the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) approved 19 new molecular entities, compared to 21 the year before. The CDER also approved six biologic license applications, up from three in 2008. New biologics accounted for 24% of new approvals, the highest percentage ever. The highest number of approvals were for cancer […]

The EPA has released changes to the National Renewable Fuel Standard program, which specifies annual volumes of renewable fuels, including cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel and advanced biofuel, blended into transportation fuel. It is the first time that the EPA has set standards for renewable fuels by category. By 2022, the volume standard will rise to […]

PetroChina heads PFC Energy’s latest ranking of the top 50 listed energy groups according to market capitalization. PetroChina and other national oil groups had slipped in the rankings last year due to the economic crisis. PetroChina, which first ascended to number one in 2007, has a market value of $353.1 billion. Market values for national […]

According to a Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) survey, 15 US chemical companies plan to increase capital spending 9.4% on average this year to $8,263 million. In 2009, the companies cut capital spending by an average of 27.5%. Ten firms plan to increase capital spending. C&EN forecasts the firms’ capital expenditures to be 5.1% of […]

Endowments at 842 US private and public colleges and universities lost 18.7% for the year ended June 30, 2009. The average annual return over a three-year period was a decline of 2.5%. The average spending rate for the endowments was 4.4%, with 43% of endowments reporting an increased spending rate, 28% reporting a lower spending […]

The clinical biomarker that has had the most impact in terms of volume and clinical significance over the last decade is cTn I/cTn T (cardiac troponin I/cardiac troponin T), according to 49% of the 600 respondents surveyed by Clinical Laboratory News. HbA1c (glycated hemaglobin) was selected by 24% of respondents as the most significant. Biomarkers […]

The US Consumer Products Safety Commission (CDC) has announced that it is investigating the presence of cadmium in children’s jewelry imported from China. The Associated Press tested 106 pieces of jewelry and found that 12% contained cadmium content of at least 10%. Cadmium, which ranks seventh on the CDC’s priority list of hazardous environmental substances, […]

According to a new report from KPMG, merger and acquisitions activity in the chemical industry will increase due to purchases by Middle Eastern and Asian companies. Due to the economic hardships of the past year, Western chemical firms are divesting assets, particularly bulk-chemical businesses. By purchasing assets, Middle Eastern companies will gain facilities, technology and […]

The US EPA’s formal notification that greenhouse gases endanger public health will take effect next month. The first proposed rule related to the finding is expected by March and would set standards for tailpipe emissions of greenhouse gases. Such standards, which are expected to be challenged in court, would also result in the requirement that […]