Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed

IDT Australia secures Sanofi contract Pharmaceutical development company IDT Australia has secured a follow on contract with pharma giant Sanofi Australia for preclinical formulation, development and manufacture of Sanofi’s messenger RNA (mRNA). The contract, worth up to $4 million, continues the company’s advancement of mRNA-based vaccine formulation, development and manufacture at IDT’s aseptic sterile injectables…

LBT Innovations sells five pharma QC systems

Microbiology automation company LBT Innovations has sold five APAS Independence laboratory instruments to pharmaceutical manufacturer AstraZeneca AB and will provide maintenance and support services over seven years. The total contract value is worth up to $4.1 million depending on the level of services required, and is in addition to the lease of a sixth instrument…

Pfizer invests $150m for microbial resistance

Pfizer Australia has announced a major upgrade to its manufacturing facility in Melbourne to boost production of pharmaceuticals aiming to help address rising levels of antimicrobial resistance. Pfizer has invested $150 million to develop advanced pharmaceutical production facilities for new antimicrobial treatments tackling what is one of the biggest threats to global health. The Victorian…

Baxter Healthcare pharmaceuticals expands in WA

Construction works are complete on a new world-class pharmaceutical compounding centre in Perth which will manufacture lifesaving medicines and help to diversify Western Australia’s economy. The facility will be one of the most technologically advanced compounding centres in Australia and has been supported by the state government’s Investment Attraction Fund. The new Baxter Healthcare facility…

New AI tool speeds drug discovery

Australian researchers, led by Monash University, have invented a new artificial intelligence (AI) tool for virtual screening in early stage drug discovery to speed the identification of potential new medicines. Although computational methods within drug discovery are well established, there is a gap when it comes to AI tools to rapidly and cost-effectively predict the…

IDT and Sanofi to manufacture mRNA vaccines under development

Drug development company IDT Australia and pharmaceutical business Sanofi have signed an agreement for the good manufacturing practice (cGMP) manufacture of Sanofi’s mRNA vaccines now under development. The partners will collaborate to advance mRNA-based vaccine formulation, development and manufacture at IDT’s aseptic sterile injectables filling facilities in Melbourne (pictured) in volumes needed for clinical trials…

BioCina and NovaCina form strategic alliance

Microbial development and contract manufacturing companies Adelaide’s BioCina and Perth’s NovaCina have announced a strategic partnership to provide integrated drug substance and drug product solutions for the pharmaceutical sector. The two companies are buy-outs from the Pfizer pharmaceutical company and share the same investor – private investment firm Bridgewest Group – and will now collaborate…