US pharmaceutical technologies company Catalent has announced a $12m expansion programme to add two new analytical development laboratories at its facility in Kansas City. The project is in response to growing demand for assay development for advanced biologic modality programmes, as well as traditional biologics. The first of the two new laboratories is already completed, and the second is due to be operational in the first quarter of 2023.
Wood, a UK consulting and engineering company, has been awarded the front-end engineering design (FEED) scope for Gen2 Energy’s green hydrogen production facility, located in Mosjøen in northern Norway. Wood will use its hydrogen expertise to develop the new 100MW plant – the first large-scale commercial green hydrogen production facility in Norway.
UK multinational oil and gas company Shell has entered into agreements to acquire the environmentally considerate lubricants (ECLs) business of the Swiss Panolin Group. The transaction includes the Panolin brand, ECL product formulations, intellectual property, technical expertise and technology, international customer base and the portfolio of products for hydraulics, gears, universal tractor transmission oils, biodegradable engine oils, turbine oils, chainsaw oils and greases for machine lubrication. ECLs are biodegradable lubricants that enable customers to reduce the risks of operating in sensitive environments. The global market for ECLs is expected to grow significantly over the coming years.
Lonza, a Swiss development and manufacturing partner to the pharma, biotech and nutrition industries, is enhancing its bioconjugation offering through an agreement with Singapore-based pharma R&D company Singzyme, which develops enzymes for protein ligation. Through the collaboration, Lonza will gain access to Singzyme’s enzymatic conjugation platform and Singzyme will gain access to Lonza’s global network, expertise and experience in the development and manufacture of bioconjugates, and an integrated CDMO.
British chemicals company Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe and British sustainable technology company Plastic Energy have inked a memorandum of understanding to produce 100,000t/year of recycled raw materials from plastic waste. These new raw materials will enable a circular approach to producing essential plastic items that meet the requirements of demanding food contact and medical applications. Production will be based in Köln, Germany. Plastic Energy’s TAC recycling technology will turn difficult-to-recycle plastic waste otherwise destined for incineration or landfill, into a valuable raw material Tacoil, a Plastic Energy product that can be used to create virgin-quality polymers. INEOS will invest in technology to process the Tacoil further, before feeding it to their steam crackers, where it will replace traditional raw materials derived from oil.
ReiThera, an Italian biotech company developing the clinical translation of genetic vaccines and products for advanced therapies, has received operational authorisation to open a new production area. It will be based at its pharmaceutical facility at the Castel Romano Technopole in Rome and be used for large-scale production of viral vectors for vaccines and gene therapy.
US industrial manufacturer Milliken has announced it is partnering with Finnish flexible packaging company Huhtamaki Group to develop a more sustainable, mono-material laminate for use in tubes targeting cosmetics, toothpaste and other personal-care applications.
German chemical company BASF and US nanobubble technology company Moleaer have announced a partnership to combine expertise in mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, gas transfer and nanobubble technology to develop innovative processes for mining. The initial aim is to target the copper leaching process and improve extraction rates of copper ores containing high levels of chalcopyrite, which have historically been difficult to leach.
Belgian-French chemical company Solvay and Mexican specialty products company Orbia have announced a joint venture framework agreement to create a partnership to produce suspension-grade polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), creating the largest capacity in North America. PVDF is a thermoplastic fluoropolymer used as a lithium-ion binder in Li-ion batteries.
$5.4bn
US pharma and biotech Pfizer has completed its acquisition of Global Blood Therapeutics – a US biopharma that develops sickle cell disease treatments – for approximately $5.4bn.
€250m
Swiss pharma Sandoz has announced an investment of €50m to support increased European manufacturing capacity for finished dosage form (FDF) penicillins. This follows plans announced in 2021 to invest more than €100m in new manufacturing technology for production of oral amoxicillin active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) at Kundl, Austria. Sandoz also announced last year that it was investing in sterile API production at Palafolls, Spain. Combined with Austrian government plans to contribute €50m, the total amount now being invested in the Sandoz antibiotics network across Europe is over €250m.
100MW
German speciality chemicals company Evonik has signed a long-term power purchase agreement for wind energy with the Baden-Württemberg-based energy supplier EnBW, thus becoming less dependent on fossil fuels. The agreement provides Evonik with 100MW of electricity capacity from the new 900MW He Dreiht wind farm in the German North Sea. This will cover around a quarter of Evonik’s electricity needs in Europe with renewable energy from 2026.
600kt
Belgian-French chemical company Solvay has announced plans to construct a 600kt soda ash capacity expansion in Green River, Wyoming in the US. Production is expected to start at the end of 2024. Solvay is also deploying a new technology to reduce emissions originating from trona mining operations, leading to a 20% reduction of the site’s greenhouse gas emissions. The mineral trona is the primary source of sodium carbonate in the US.
University of Birmingham, UK spinout ChromaTwist has secured £487k of equity investment to develop its new class of fluorescent dyes for the flow cytometry reagent market. This second round of equity investment will allow the company to continue product development with industry partners and enable rapid development of products for market entry as soon as 2023. Flow cytometry is an analytical technique used by hospital laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and university research departments for medical research, vaccine and drug development and disease diagnosis. It uses dyes to detect or measure the characteristics of cells or particles. The market for these reagents is showing significant growth, with an estimated value of $2.9bn by 2027.
Thermo Fisher Scientific has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire British specialist diagnostic company The Binding Site Group in an all-cash transaction valued at £2.25bn ($2.6bn).
Clariant Mining Solutions, a Swiss provider of speciality chemicals for mineral processing, has opened a dedicated global Competence Center for Decarbonization Minerals (CCDM) at the Dubai Science Park in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). This laboratory is designed to meet the increasing global demand for solutions to process decarbonisation minerals more efficiently.
German start-up trinamiX, a provider of mobile spectroscopy, with support from the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a global non-profit organisation, has launched an initiative to supply waste management projects with 50 starter kits to identify different plastic types on the spot. Each kit contains trinamiX’s Mobile NIR Spectroscopy Solution, a smartphone, data analysis in the trinamiX spectroscopy cloud, real-time access to results via mobile app and the documentation of results in the customer portal. The aim is to work with companies, non-profit organ-isations and academia to explore where plastic waste occurs, how it is handled and where it ends up. The proprietary technology helps to improve the sorting of waste by identifying a broad range of plastic types. This is especially relevant in areas where waste management infrastructure is limited, or industrial sorting solutions are not viable.
French energy company TotalEnergies, German packaging machine manufacturer Windmöller & Hölscher and Japanese chemicals company Mitsubishi Chemical Group have announced the successful proof of concept of a fully recyclable high barrier stand-up pouch suitable for food-grade applications. The aim is to replace multi-material structures - such as metallised BoPP/PE or metallised BoPET/PE - and enable users to move to 100% recyclable packaging. Composed of 98% polyethylene and less than 2% EVOH (ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer, a flexible, clear, glossy thermoplastic copolymer) required for barrier properties, the new solution exhibits identical performances without any compromise on recyclability, allowing it to enter available recycling streams.
US company Ascend Performance Materials, which provides proprietary technologies central to the production of nylon, plastics and synthetic fibres, has purchased a majority stake in California-based Circular Polymers, a recycler of post-consumer, high-performance polymers including polyamide 6 and 66, polypropylene and polyester (PET). The deal provides Ascend with a consistent supply of high-quality PCR materials. Circular Polymers, which as part of the deal is renamed ‘Circular Polymers by Ascend’, reclaims and processes post-consumer carpet via a unique technology and has redirected nearly 39,000t of waste from landfills into new goods since 2018.
British multinational pharma and biotech GSK and Tempus, a US-based precision medicine company, have entered into a three-year collaboration agreement that provides GSK with access to Tempus’ AI-enabled platform, including its library of de-identified patient data. Using its artificial intelligence and machine learning capability, GSK will work with Tempus to improve clinical trial design, speed up enrolment and identify drug targets. The overall aim is to improve R&D success rate and provide patients with more personalised treatment faster.
German science and technology company Merck presented two new cosmetic active ingredients for the Asian Pacific market at this year’s in-cosmetics Asia conference: RonaCare JouvaMer and RonaCare ReviMer. These two products have been developed from brown seaweed from to the Breton coast in France and can be used within a wide range of topical products, from daily skin care to dermocosmetics.
Recreational boaters now have more ways to be kinder to the environment following the introduction of a new biocide-free B-Free fouling control range from the yacht coatings business of AkzoNobel. The first product to be launched from the new B-Free range is B-Free Explore. It features a specially developed, silicone polymer technology which produces an exceptionally smooth and slick hull – helping to reduce drag. Fouling is controlled by preventing microorganisms such as barnacles, slime and algae from forming strong bonds with the hull of the boat. Any that do adhere can be simply wiped away by hand or water jet.
US analytical laboratory instrument manufacturer Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced its rapid RT-PCR Accula Flu A/Flu B Test designed to enable healthcare providers to detect and differentiate influenza A and B in about 30 minutes. The test can guide treatment at the point of care, including at a physician’s office, urgent care centre or pharmacy, as well as help providers improve patient flow, reduce the need for follow up visits and shorten wait times.
German speciality chemicals company Evonik has developed a new line of tailor-made feedstocks, TEGO Therm, that substantially improve the performance of thermal insulation coatings. The new product range includes two microporous silica-based granules, as well as a heat-resistant, silicone-based binder. Target applications include insulation of pipelines, tanks and components in industrial plants. An additional benefit is that the insulation coatings are easy to apply by spraying.
Visit Blog
