Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from August 2003, page 945

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from August 2003

Mbeki Oil Letter: the Discrepancies.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Stefaans Brummer And Sam Sole When President Thabo Mbeki wrote to his Nigerian counterpart in 1999 to support an application to buy crude oil from that country, the wording was...

Study Rejection 'Not Political'.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Nawaal Deane The Medicine Control Council has denied that its decision to review nevirapine was a political one, saying it would not allow itself to be treated as "banana...

'Dogs of the Gold Mines'.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Vicki Robinson "Hunting dogs are sent into the veld by their owners to catch animals. When the dogs have caught them, the owners eat all the meat and then throw the dogs the bones....

ANC-NNP Show Hits the Road.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Marianne Merten The series of imbizos across the Western Cape last week was billed as government interaction with communities, but the 2004 election could not have been far from...

Don't Crow Too Soon Over Nevirapine.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) The life-saving drug nevirapine has been endorsed for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV by the World Health Organisation (WHO), and its efficacy is almost universally...

UDW Vice-Chancellor On the Ropes.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: David Macfarlane Simmering rebellion at the University of Durban-Westville (UDW) reached boiling point this week, with powerful university staffers predicting that controversial...

The Prosecution of Presidents.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Miren Gutierrez Liberia, Zimbabwe and South Africa face diverse dilemmas with a common theme: the prosecution of sitting presidents or of their deputies. Liberian President...

A Nation On Trial.
August 1, 2003... (From Mail & Guardian (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Mondli Makhanya: Editor South Africa went on trial this week: a trial of conscience, integrity and commitment to the values enshrined in our republic's founding document. In...

Celltech Group plc: US Food and Drug Administration approves Zavesca, first oral treatment option for Type 1 Gaucher disease.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Celltech Group plc and Actelion Ltd announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zavesca (miglustat) capsules, the first oral treatment option for Type 1 Gaucher...

American Pharmaceutical Partners recruits seasoned executive marketing team in preparation for ABI-007 launch.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) American Pharmaceutical Partners Inc (APP) has appointed three senior executives to lead the sales and marketing effort for the anticipated launch of ABI-007, once FDA marketing clearance...

ICN Pharmaceuticals resolves arbitration with Schering-Plough on indigent royalty payments.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) ICN Pharmaceuticals Inc (ICN) has received a decision in its arbitration case between ICN and its 80% owned subsidiary, Ribapharm Inc and Schering-Plough Corp (Schering). The arbitration...

Biopure receives FDA response to Hemopure marketing application.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Biopure Corp announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its review of the company's biologic licence application (BLA) for Hemopure [haemoglobin glutamer-250...

Rigel completes stockholder rights offering.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Rigel Pharmaceuticals Inc (Rigel) has raised about $9.3 M in gross proceeds from the completion of its previously announced stockholder rights offering. All validly exercised subscription...

Cytogen reacquires marketing rights to Quadramet pain therapy product.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Cytogen Corp has completed the reacquisition of marketing rights held by Berlex Laboratories (Berlex), a US affiliate of Schering AG, Germany, to Quadramet (Samarium Sm 153 Lexidronam) in...

ViroLogic awarded over $3 M in NIH grants.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) ViroLogic Inc has been awarded three Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a division of the US National...

GPC Biotech reports significant progress in anticancer monoclonal antibody programme.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) GPC Biotech AG provided an update on the development of its fully human oncology monoclonal antibody, 1D09C3. The company reported a number of significant achievements for 1D09C3, which...

FDA approves Biogen's large-scale manufacturing facility for commercial production.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Biogen Inc announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the company's large-scale manufacturing plant (LSM) in Research Triangle Park, NC, for commercial...

QT 5 intends to vigorously enforce its licensing agreement; plans legal action against Platinum Products & patent holder to enforce licensing agreement.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) QT 5 Inc announced, in response to a press release issued by Platinum Products LLC, that it intends to file a temporary restraining order to enforce its exclusive licensing agreement...

Schering-Plough statement on Claritin Patent appeal.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Schering-Plough Corp announced that the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Washington DC) upheld a lower court decision, which had ruled against certain claims of the US Patent No...

Isolagen receives licence to manufacture in Australia.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Isolagen Inc announced that it received Licence Number 174347 from the Therapeutic Goods Administration, in Australia, to begin the manufacture of autologous fibroblasts including the...

Kerr-McGee Chemical files antidumping duty petition against import of electrolytic manganese dioxide.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Kerr-McGee Chemical LLC filed an antidumping duty petition with the International Trade Commission and the US Department of Commerce against the import of electrolytic manganese dioxide...

Evotec Neurosciences and Takeda enter into drug discovery alliance in Alzheimer's Disease.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Evotec Neurosciences GmbH and Takeda Chemical Industries Ltd (Takeda) announced a four-year collaboration in the area of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The two companies aim to identify and...

CV Therapeutics and FDA agree to cancel Sep 2003 Ranexa advisory committee meeting.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) CV Therapeutics announced that it had reached agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to cancel the review of Ranexa (ranolazine) by the Cardiovascular and Renal Drugs...

FDA drops digestive warning from olestra.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will no longer require companies that sell snacks and other foods containing the controversial fat substitute olestra to warn that it can cause...

Suncor Energy acquisition in US approved by FTC.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Suncor Energy Inc (Suncor) announced that its US subsidiary, Suncor Energy (USA) Inc has received the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approval to acquire ConocoPhillips' Denver, CO...

International Specialty Products commences operation of synthetic rubber business.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) International Specialty Products Inc announced that through a subsidiary it has completed the acquisition of certain assets from Ameripol Synpol Corp (Ameripol) with respect to its...

AAA Texas: Weekend Gas Watch; gasoline prices move lower. [1 table].
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Gasoline prices throughout Texas moved lower in the first week of Aug 2003, according to the Weekend Gas Watch, compiled by AAA Texas. The average price in Texas for regular self-serve is...

Automobile Club of Southern California: Gas prices fall for sixth week since last week of Jun 2003. [1 table].
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) For the sixth consecutive week since last week of Jun 2003, gasoline prices in Southern California fell, giving summertime drivers more relief at the pump, according to the Automobile Club...

Cardinal Health board of directors authorizes $1 bn share-repurchase programme.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) The board of directors of Cardinal Health Inc authorized the purchase by Cardinal Health of up to $1 bn of its common shares. The share-repurchase authorisation permits the company to...

Eternal pharmaceutical acquisition would add $8 M to gross revenues, $2 M to net income.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Eternal Technologies Group said that acquiring the Tianjin pharmaceutical company would add up to $8 M in revenues and $2 M in net income to Eternal Technologies' consolidated financial...

Mentor announces significant dividend increase payable on 21 Oct 2003.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Mentor Corp announced that its Board of Directors has declared a significant increase in its cash dividend, along with an expanded share repurchase programme. The quarterly dividend...

Ventana finalizes licensing and diagnostic development agreement with Ilex Oncology.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Ventana Medical Systems Inc (Ventana) had signed a licence and development agreement with Ilex Oncology Inc that exclusively sublicenses to Ventana diagnostic rights to develop and...

ICI slashes 1,400 jobs - and more cuts to come.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) ICI announced 1400 job cuts on 31 Jul 2003 and warned of more to come as it unveiled a sweeping restructuring programme designed to cut costs, boost margins and enable the chemicals and...

DTI steps in to save 2000 jobs with #50 M aid for Runcorn chlorine plant.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) More than 2000 chemical workers' jobs were saved on 31 Jul 2003 after the Government announced an aid package for a factory that was under threat of closure. The Department of Trade and...

Hanson sets aside #100 M for pensions.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) Hanson, the building material group, revealed it is to plough #100 M into its pension funds, as it reported a 16% fall in interim profits. The company said however that its financial...

AstraZeneca hit by Brussels inquiry into patent abuses.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Independent) The European Commission has launched a competition investigation accusing AstraZeneca, UK, of misleading and manipulating national governments to prolong patent protection for its...

J and K DEMAND Rs33,000-CR FOR 12TH 5-YR PLAN (expects devolution to soar by 100% to Rs30,000 crore during the 12th Five-Year Plan period).
August 1, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Jammu and Kashmir (J and K) has projected a demand of Rs33,000 crore for the 12th Five-Year Plan period. It expects devolution to soar by 100 percent to Rs30,000 crore during the period when compared to the...

GOVT ENVISAGES FINANCIAL SECURITY SCHEME FOR 11 LAKH MARGINAL WORKERS (workers having seasonal employment of 90 days in a year will benefit from the scheme).
August 1, 2003... (From India Business Insight) The Government of Jammu and Kashmir (J and K) has embarked on an integrated social and financial security scheme for the benefit of 11,00,000 marginal workers in the State's organised and unorganised...

Rs60-CR RELEASED TO J and K UNDER DDP (the programme is being implemented in 12 blocks of two districts covering 96,701 sq kms).
August 1, 2003... (From India Business Insight) The Government of India has released Rs58.97 crore to Jammu and Kashmir (J and K) from 1995-1996 till 31 Jan 2003, under the Desert Development Programme (DDP). It had granted Rs9.02 crore for the State in...

TATAS TO LAUNCH WLL IN MUMBAI SOON (as Tata Indicom).
August 1, 2003... (From India Business Insight) Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) will offer wireless in local loop (WLL) services in Mumbai under Tata Indicom brand. To begin with, TTSL is testing its code division multiple access (CDMA) phones and signals...

Matric Farewell Conflict.
August 1, 2003... (From East Cape News (South Africa) - AAGM) Byline: Thozi Ka Manyisana Matric farewell conflict reared it's head at the Kei Road Combined School on Monday when the SAPS and Defence Force were called in as students demanded R6 000 for...

Authorities Unban Big Brother Show.
August 1, 2003... (From African Church Information Service - AAGM) Byline: Hamilton Vokhiwa Authorities in Malawi have bowed down to popular demands to re-introduce the television show, Big Brother Africa (BBA), on Television Malawi (TVM), which the...

Leprosy Resurfaces After Much Touted Eradication.
August 1, 2003... (From African Church Information Service - AAGM) Byline: Hobbs Gama Seven years after Malawi Government and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the country free of leprosy, reports now indicate that the disease is still...

Kobia Becomes New General Secretary of WCC.
August 1, 2003... (From African Church Information Service - AAGM) Byline: Wcc Press Team Rev. Dr Sam Kobia, currently World Council of Churches (WCC) Special Representative for Africa, has been elected the organisations new General Secretary. He...

Asian centre for high performance coating raw materials: Bayer Polymers plans large-scale investments at its Caojing, China, site.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Bayer Polymers plans to expand its Caojing site near Shanghai, China, making it the company's most important production facility for coating raw materials in the Asia Pacific region....

Church Intensifies Global Appeal Against War.
August 1, 2003... (From African Church Information Service - AAGM) Byline: Crespo Sebunya The campaign by the Catholic Church in Uganda to have the international community intervene in war afflicting the northern part of the country is bearing fruits,...

Vietnam approves plastics complex to meet demand.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) The Vietnamese government has approved the establishment of a plastics complex that is likely to accommodate 18 individual plants for 18 plastics manufacturers in the country. An...

Leukaemia and breast cancer targeted.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) The American National Cancer Institute has awarded a grant to US biopharmaceutical group FibroGen to aid in the development of anticancer agents for a wide range of cancers such as...

GSK settles with Novartis.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) A settlement has been forged by Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) on lawsuits related to the production of Augmentin antibiotic and its generic versions. The deal calls on...

Astra buoyed by FDA backing for Crestor.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) AstraZeneca's cholesterol-lowering drug Crestor was backed by an advisory panel of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Jul 2003. The firm is hopeful that the backing will...

Norsk signs "landmark" alumina deal.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) Norsk Hydro will be supplied alumina by Comalco under a signed 26-year deal that will run from 2005 to 2030. The value of the deal was not disclosed, but analysts place its worth...

World's largest magnesium plant mothballed.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - The Chemical Engineer) The $1.1 bn Stanwell smelter, the biggest magnesium plant in the world that is currently under construction, has been shelved by Australian Magnesium Corporation (AMC) after it...

Ivax receives approval on clozapine 12.5 mg tablets.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Ivax Corp subsidiary Ivax Pharmaceuticals has received final FDA approval for its Abbreviated New Drug Application for clozapine in a 12.5 mg dose. Clozapine is the generic equivalent of...

Ivax receives tentative approval for Pravastatin sodium.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Press Release) Ivax has received tentative approval from the FDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Applications for pravastatin sodium tablets in 10 mg, 20 mg, and 40 mg dosage strengths. Pravastatin sodium...

Air Liquide awarded contracts in France and USA.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Info Chimie Magazine) This article gives details of contracts recently awarded to Air Liquide in France and USA. ST Microelectonics, Philips and Motorola have contracted Air Liquide to supply high-purity...

French chemical industry expecting moderate growth during 2003. [1 table].
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Info Chimie Magazine) This article reviews the growth prospects for the French chemical industry during the remainder of 2003 and full-year 2004. The table give growth forecasts for six sectors of the...

BOC records 8% increased turnover for 1H 2003.
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - Info Chimie Magazine) BOC recorded industrial gases turnover increased 8% to #2.08 bn (EUR 2.90 bn) for 1H 2003. Operating profit excluding exception items increased 3% to #237 M (EUR 330 M) and pre-tax...

Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.3118 - MTU Friedrichshafen/RWE Fuel Cells/JV).
August 1, 2003... (From Chemical Business NewsBase - European Biotechnology Information Service Newslet) The Commission of the European Union, on 22 Jul 2003, has received a notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council...