US Food and Drug Administration attacked as under industry’s spell
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) found itself under attack by the Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy at a welcome event for the newly-instated FDA Commissioner Marty Makary.
US specialty and fine chemicals gain ground
US specialty and fine chemicals volumes rose 0.6% up to reach 3.53m t in March 2025, up 1.6% y/y, compared with March 2024, according to figures from US consultant, Swift Economics.
Chemist wins Blavatnik award for young scientists
Professor Liam Ball from the School of Chemistry at the University of Nottingham, UK, was recently named as one of the 2025 winners of the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists.
Could pharma tariffs be next?
While the Trump Administration has vacillated over the scope and size of trade tariffs it plans to impose, there remains a threat that tariffs will also be applied to pharmaceuticals at some point.
European pharma industry investment outlook
After lobbying the EU, European pharma has begun to respond to potential tariffs by increasing US investment.
Shingles vaccine could also reduce risk of dementia say researchers
An unusual public health policy may have produced the strongest evidence yet that a vaccine can reduce the risk of dementia.
The hunt for water on the Moon
NASA’s Artemis Project has set the goal of establishing a permanent crewed base on the Moon by the end of the decade. But one of the most significant obstacles to humans surviving on the Moon is the availability of clean water. Astronauts will need a reliable supply for drinking and growing food.
Photonic chips could fuel computing boost
Two studies have shown that photonic computer chips, which use photons rather than electrons, perform better than conventional electronic chips and consume less energy. Such chips could help the growing computing demands driven by advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
Rare earth supply crunch creates concern
China has hit back at US tariffs by stiffening rules around the export of some rare earth metals; materials crucial for many civilian and military technologies. China has a near monopoly in the production of many of the 17 materials that are grouped together as the heavy and light rare earths.