QDIS Blog

Here’s an interesting item that somehow escaped me when it was announced and I just now heard about it. Seems Dishman Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals Ltd will purchase the pharmaceutical services division of Solutia (Carbogen and Amcis) for $74.5 million.

• The Hindu Business Line : Dishman to buy Swiss co Solutia’s unit

I had known that Solutia was looking to sell this unit a year or so ago but, Solutia then changed their mind and wasn’t going to sell the pharma unit. In the Sept 5, 2005 issue of Chemical and Engineering News under business concentrates, they announced the sale of the consulting arm to Paul Woitach (Pharmaceutical Advisors) but at the end of that short article it states that earlier this year (2005) Solutia decided to hold on to these businesses. Seems they didn’t stick to that decision for very long.

Since I have people I know who work at both Carbogen and Amcis and have done projects with them in the past I truly hope things work out for the best for them. I have always had a pleasant experience in my dealings with them and hope that doesn’t change.

Indian pharmaceutical companies seem to be buying up contract manufacturers of late. Recently, Shasun Chemicals & Drugs bought Rhodia.

• Shasun acquires Rhodia Pharma custom synthesis business

Avecia also sold their contract manufacturing to Nicholas Piramal India Ltd back in Oct of 2005.

• The Hindu Business Line : Nicholas Piramal buys Avecia

I think this shows how serious the pharma industry in India is in being seen by the world as a leading player in the pharma arena. With all the growth in outsourcing and India being one of those places these acquisitions make sense.

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Just wanted to see if anyone out there who reads this would have any interest in a podcast of pharmaceutical news? I am toying with the idea of starting a second podcast (I already do the Searching the Internet podcast about finding information on the web) and am trying to gage interest. I was thinking about a once a week format covering headlines for both large pharma and small biotechs including new approvals, development news, and the FDA. I may also give my opinion on certain topics of current interest to the industry.

As a consultant in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and fine chemicals industries, I already keep up to date on these sorts of issues anyway so I though others might find it useful. However, before I commit to this, I’d like to know what others think. If this is something people would find useful, please drop me an email using the link below in this post and let me know that you are interested. If you have any comments or suggestions for what you would like to see in such a podcast, please send them to me.

Technorati Tags: podcast

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The Baltimore Sun today reports that Lester Crawford has indeed admitted to circumventing the normal drug approval process when he unilaterally decided to delay any decision regarding Plan B.

FDA chief took over Plan B - baltimoresun.com

The article also quote Steve Galson as again saying:

Galson, who heads the FDA’s drug evaluation division, said he “saw a clear path to approve” Plan B, but Crawford expressed concern and said “he was going to make the decision on what to do with the application.”

Another quote also says he recommended approval based on the science:

Galson said he recommended approval, and there was no scientific basis for Crawford’s decision. Galson told Woodcock that Crawford might have been acting under pressure from Congress, the Bush administration or both, Woodcock testified

But the revelation that Crawford made the decision on his own as confirmed by his lawyer is definitely the most interesting fact.

Barbara van Gelder, Crawford’s lawyer, said he confirmed yesterday in his deposition for the suit that Plan B “was his decision.”

I think maybe Lester Crawford saw the writing on the wall after making this questionable decision.

This appears to be a major reason Amercans are less confident in FDA.

Technorati Tags: FDA, plan B

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