The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization announced that the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) has adopted 44 new and amended food codes and standards, and established a set of risk-analysis principles to assist governments in making their own standards and codes. Among the new and revised standards and codes are a code […]

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 […]

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, 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 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 […]

In March, the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health and Society prepared a draft report called “Realizing the Promise of Pharmacogenomics.” The report recommends that the National Institutes of Health make greater allocations to basic research into the biochemistry and genetics involved in drug metabolism, action and effectiveness. In addition, […]

According to Environmental Laboratory Washington Report’s yearly survey, most companies in the environmental testing business reported slightly higher earnings in 2006. However, general expectations for industry growth are not high: most respondents to the survey believe that the market, which generates an estimated $1.7 billion in annual revenues, will be flat in coming years. In […]