Chemical Business Newsbase articles from April 2001

Chemical Business Newsbase archives from April 2001

PHARMA JAPAN: Review of NHI price system included in new deregulation plan.
April 30, 2001... In its Three-year Plan for Promotion of Deregulation, the Japanese government included reform of the National Health Insurance (NHI) price system which began in fiscal year 2001. It is calling for the review of the current regulations...

PHARMA JAPAN: Results of re-examination announced for Amorolfine, Itraconazole, and Nicorette.
April 30, 2001... The Japanese Pharmaceutical and Medical Safety Board announced the results of the re-examination of three active ingredients (five products) in a notification it issued on 28 Mar 2001. The utility of all three active ingredients was...

PHARMA JAPAN: Caution raised for hepatic function disorder due to clarithromycin: Korosho safety information.
April 30, 2001... The Japanese Pharmaeutical and Medical Safety Board authority has reported adverse reactions possibly caused by clarithromycin and a combination of creosote and four other active ingredients. It recommends revision of their package...

PHARMA JAPAN: Immediate post-marketing surveillance or Shihan Chokugo Chosa.
April 30, 2001... In Oct 2001 in Japan the government introduced a new immediate post-marketing surveillance requirement. For 6 months following the launch of new products, the manufacturers are required to carry out, through their medical...

PHARMA JAPAN: Bungyo rate exceeds 40% for two consecutive months.
April 30, 2001... On 2 Apr 2001, the Japanese Pharmaceutical Association issued its insurance drug dispensing report which stated that the national average prescription receipt rate (bungyo rate) rose to 40.7%, up 5% compared with the same month in the...

PHARMA JAPAN: MTP constructs new non-virus vector for gene therapy with Imperial College.
April 30, 2001... Mitsubishi-Tokyo Pharmaceuticals Inc has reported that its has successfully constructed a new non-virus vector for gene therapy through a joint research project with Imperial College, UK. The vector is based on a liposome with added...

PHARMA JAPAN: Preventive effects of simvastatin on coronary events confirmed: Banyu Symposium.
April 30, 2001... On 24 Mar 2001 the J-LIT (Japan Lipid Intervention Trial) Tokyo symposium held by Banyu Pharmaceutical the results of analysis of the primary prevention group in the J-LIT, the first large-scale clinical trial in Japan to follow-up about...

PHARMA JAPAN: JHSF report shows large gap between US and Japan in Bio Industry.
April 30, 2001... On 3 Apr 2001 the Japan Health Sciences Foundation (JHSF) published its fiscal year 2000 Overseas Survey Report on Recent Trends of Genomics and Proteomics in the US and Europe and the Support and Development of Related Venture Companies. ...

PLASTICS NEWS: Tech Group expanding Puerto Rico site.
April 30, 2001... Tech Group Inc is to expand capacity at its Cayey, Puerto Rice injection moulding unit and upgrade its machinery at a cost of $6 M. The number of machines at the unit (which employs 175 people) will rise to 34 and by end 2001 should reach...

PLASTICS NEWS: Evco Plastics adding space, equipment.
April 30, 2001... Evco Plastics is to invest $1 M in increasing the size of its custom injection moulding unit in Calhoun, GA by 30,000 sq ft and $1 M in acquiring new machinery. Construction work on the extension is scheduled to start in May 2001 and...

PLASTICS NEWS: Montpelier targets custom moulding jobs.
April 30, 2001... Montpelier Plastics Ltd, which was created to supply its sister company Crotty Corp, is planning to increase its custom injection moulding operations. In 2001 the company hopes to reduce the amount of work it does for Crotty from 90% of...

PLASTICS NEWS: Sipco Molding to construct plant.
April 30, 2001... Sipco Molding Technologies expects to start building work on a new 24,000 sq ft unit to replace its leased unit in Erie, PA during Autumn 2001. The company's main business is in injection moulded parts for the automobile industry, but it...

PLASTICS NEWS: Textron divisions seeing some changes.
April 30, 2001... Textron Fastening Systems-Advanced Solutions is to merge the injection moulding, tool building and engineering operations of 2 companies it acquired in 2000 (Advantage Molding and Decorating Inc and Rego Mold and Tool Co Inc). The...

PLASTICS NEWS: PMT starts moulding facility in El Paso.
April 30, 2001... Plastic Molding Technology Inc (PMT) is to start injection moulding at a leased 12,000 sq ft unit in El Paso, TX in Jun 2001. The unit provides a base near the company's clients in the SW and Mexican automobile and electronics sectors....

PLASTICS NEWS: TRIP may open new avenues for rotomoulding.
April 30, 2001... On 11 Apr 2001 SLF Industries Inc signed a licensing agreement with Molding Co (based in Farmington, MO) allowing the latter to use its new TRIP technology (for rotational moulding). SLF is also marketing the technology to original...

DAGENS INDUSTRI: Strong sales growth for Nobel Biocare in 1Q 2001.
April 30, 2001... In 1Q 2001 Nobel Biocare reported a 32% growth in sales to SKR 631 M. Sales were up 22% in Europe and 27% in N America. Results after net finances rose from SKR 38.5 M to SKR 88.1 M and operating margins reached 15% (the target is...

PLASTICS NEWS: API targets small customers on big scale.
April 30, 2001... American Polymers Inc's strategy of concentrating on injection moulding (rather than the food packaging sector) has proved the right one. Whereas sales in the US polystyrene sector fell by 4% in 2000, API managed to keep it sales steady...

DAGENS INDUSTRI: Profilgruppen results 1Q 2001.
April 30, 2001... In 1Q 2001 the Swedish aluminium company Profilgruppen reported a result of SKR 14.5 M after net financial items, compared with SKR 7 M in 1Q 1999. Net turnover was up from SKR 189 M to SKR 225 M. The investments in production...

PLASTICS NEWS: Phoenix kerbside PET gains OK for hot-fill use.
April 30, 2001... On 24 Apr 2001 the US Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Phoenix Technologies LP's recycled polyethylene terephthalate for making hot-fill containers. Phoenix will invest $2-4 M in increasing capacity at its unit in Bowling...

PLASTICS NEWS: Day's earns kudos for moulding project.
April 30, 2001... Day Molding LLC (whose 85,000 sq ft unit in Contantine, MI employs 140 people) has been involved in Stryker Corp's craniomaxillofacial surgery project. The company produced moulded bioabsorbable screws from...

PLASTICS NEWS: Michigan seeks payment for cleanup.
April 30, 2001... PolyOne Corp, VCF Films Inc and Howell city have been called on by the state authorities in Michigan to pay $775,000+ to cover the cost of decontaminating groundwater polluted with tetrahydrofuran from Cadillac Plastics' vinyl unit between...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: CVRD and Phelps prepare for copper dispute.
April 30, 2001... US company Phelps Dodge and Brazilian mining group CVRD are undertaking viability studies at the Sossego copper mine in Carajas, Para state in a bid to enter the Brazilian copper exploration market. An investment of US$500 M is planned...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Industrial centre opens and already plans duplication.
April 30, 2001... The Unigel investment group has opened its US$40 M Montenegro Industrial and Trading Park, in Greater Porto Alegre. The plant is capable of producing 18,000 tonnes/y of bioriented polypropylene (bopp) film used in food packaging. ...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Odebrecht and Mariani to bid for Copene on 12 Jun 2001.
April 30, 2001... Brazil's petrochemical group Copene will be auctioned on 12 Jun 2001, with a minimum price of R$1.366 bn. Two of the group's controllers Odebrecht and Mariani aim to bid together to acquire the stake owned by third partner Conepar. ...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Goodyear to expand tyre production in Brazil.
April 30, 2001... Goodyear has decided to produce all the aircraft tyres it supplies to Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, in Brazil. Goodyear currently supplies tyres at 120 units/mo for Embraer's ERJ-145 aircraft. The company expects to...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Rhodia-Ster reports 1Q 2001 loss on high financial costs.
April 30, 2001... Rhodia-Ster has reported a 1Q 2001 net loss of R$20.4 M, compared to a net profit of R$4.9 M in 1Q 2000, despite sales up 28%. The losses were blamed on the devaluation of the Brazilian currency early in 2001. Website:...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Odebrecht Quimica full year net profit R$83.3 M in 2000.
April 30, 2001... Odebrecht Quimica S/A has reported a full year 2000 net profit of R$83.345 M, compared to losses of R$287.576 M in 1999. Operating profit registered R$337.846 M, compared to an operating loss of R$387.085 M in 1999. Net revenue grew...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Copene 1Q 2001 net profit down on local currency weakness.
April 30, 2001... Copene has reported a net profit of R$2.6 M in 1Q 2001, down from R$110.8 M in 1Q 2000, on the devaluation of Brazilian currency. The company's financial costs rose by 531.1% from R$22.2 M in 1Q 2000 to R$140.1 M in 1Q 2001. 1Q 2001...

GAZETA MERCANTIL: Investments in mining pay off.
April 30, 2001... The results of heavy private investments in Brazil's mining sector, which amounted to around US$136.4 M in 2000, are beginning to be seen in the production capacity of local companies. Production of minerals, including petroleum and gas,...

DAGENS NAERINGSLIV: Norsk Hydro results up in 1Q 2001.
April 30, 2001... In 1Q 2001 Norsk Hydro reported an operating income of NKR 41,128 M, compared with a forecast of NKR 40,023 M and a 1Q 2000 figure of NKR 38,366 M. Pretax results reached NKR 7315 M, compared with a forecast of NKR 6491 M and a 1Q 2000...

PRESS RELEASE: Quaker Chemical Corp announces acquisition of Canadian business.
April 30, 2001... Quaker Chemical has acquired from its licensee. H L Blachford Ltd, rights to market, sell, and service all Canadian integrated steel makers and certain accounts in the Canadian metalworking market. Blachford will continue to be...

PRESS RELEASE: Rogers Corp reaches agreement to acquire Taconic Dielectric business.
April 30, 2001... Rogers Corp is to acquire Taconic's Advanced Dielectric Business, which makes and markets high-frequency printed circuit material laminates. Rogers will acquire production facilities and offices in Petersburgh, NY, and Mullingar,...

PRESS RELEASE: Second major project at BASF Verbund site in Kuantan operational.
April 30, 2001... BASF Petronas Chemicals Sdn Bhd has announced that its oxo and syngas complex at Kuantan, Malaysia, is now in full operation. (The first plasticizers consignment has been shipped to a customer in Malaysia). The first complex...

PRESS RELEASE: Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group moving textile operations to Vietnam.
April 30, 2001... Taiwan's Formosa Plastics Group is moving all of its textile plants from Taiwan to Vietnam in an effort to reduce salaries and increase profits. Operations are to be moved to near Ho Chi Minh City by the end of 2001. A power plant...

PRESS RELEASE: TotalFinaElf sells 2.3% of Sanofi-Synthelabo.
April 30, 2001... TotalFinaElf is selling 2.3% of the share capital of Sanofi-Synthelabo, thus reducing its holding from 32.7% to 30.4%. TotalFina Elf, 2 place de la Coupole, La Defense, 6, 92 400 Courbevoie, France, Tel: 33(1) 47 44 37 76, Fax: 33(1)47 44...

PRESS RELEASE: Qiagen acquires the Sawady Group in Japan accretive acquisition accelerates penetration of Qiagen's synthetic nucleic acid business in the second largest life science...
April 30, 2001... Qiagen NV announced the acquisition of the Sawady Group of companies. Qiagen believes that the Sawady Group has built a very strong reputation and position as the second largest suppliers of synthetic nucleic acids in Japan. Located...

PRESS RELEASE: m-phasys and Graffinity Pharmaceutical Design announce alliance for novel drug discovery platform for GPCRs.
April 30, 2001... m-phasys GmbH and Graffinity Pharmaceutical Design GmbH (Graffinity) announced an alliance aimed at the development and joint marketing of a novel drug discovery platform for GPCRs (G protein coupled receptors). The companies will offer...

PRESS RELEASE: OM Group to sell a portion of dmc2 to Ferro Corp.
April 30, 2001... OM Group Inc has reached an agreement to sell the electronic materials, performance pigments, glass systems and Cerdec ceramics divisions of dmc2 degussa Metals Catalysts Cerdec (dmc2) for EUR 600 M in cash to Ferro Corp. dmc2 is currently...

PRESS RELEASE: Triad Therapeutics combines structural proteomics and smart chemistry to accelerate small molecule drug discovery from years to weeks.
April 30, 2001... Triad Therapeutics Inc presented Integrated Object-Oriented PharmacoEngineering (IOPE), its high throughput structure-based drug design technology, as a solution to the chemistry bottleneck of post-genomics drug discovery at "Drug Discovery...

PRESS RELEASE: Omnova Solutions to acquire selected assets of Decorative Surfaces International.
April 30, 2001... Omnova Solutions Inc (Omnova) has reached an agreement with Decorative Surfaces International Inc to acquire certain assets of Decorative Surfaces International's Columbus Coated Fabrics unit, including its commercial wallcovering, laminates,...

PRESS RELEASE: BioMarin completes important milestone in the manufacturing of Aldurazyme.
April 30, 2001... BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc (BioMarin) has completed the last major manufacturing milestone for Aldurazyme prior to the submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) in the US and Marketing Authorization Application (MAA) in Europe. ...

PRESS RELEASE: Hybridon announces issuance of a dominant second generation ribozyme patent.
April 30, 2001... Hybridon Inc announced the issuance of a US patent that contains broad claims covering ribozymes with 2'-O-methyl modifications. Ribozymes claimed in this patent are currently under pre-clinical and clinical evaluations by other companies...

PRESS RELEASE: BOC wins oxygen supply contract for Milwaukee area hospitals.
April 30, 2001... BOC Group recently won a five-year contract to supply liquid oxygen to the Columbia-St Mary's Hospital System (Columbia-St Mary's), which operates three hospitals in the greater Milwaukee area. Columbia-St Mary's will use BOC's TEL- TANK...

PRESS RELEASE: AER Energy and Rayovac sign agreement to develop advanced zinc-air batteries.
April 30, 2001... AER Energy Resources Inc (AER Energy) and Rayovac Corp have signed a License and Development Agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, AER Energy is licensing its zinc-air battery technology to Rayovac and performing design and...

PRESS RELEASE: General Chemical idles Amherstburg soda ash operations.
April 30, 2001... The General Chemical Group Inc has idled the production of soda ash at its Amherstburg, ON, facility as planned. The company may return its synthetic soda ash operations to full capacity if future market conditions dictate. As...

PRESS RELEASE: ViroLogic enters tenth pharmaceutical company agreement to assess new anti-HIV drugs.
April 30, 2001... ViroLogic Inc announced an agreement with DuPont Pharmaceuticals Co (DuPont) to assist DuPont in the evaluation of new anti-HIV agents in development. DuPont will use ViroLogic's drug resistance testing technology to evaluate drug...

PRESS RELEASE: Akzo Nobel to acquire biomanufacturing business from Covance.
April 30, 2001... Covance Inc announced that Akzo Nobel's pharma business unit Diosynth will acquire Covance Biotechnology Services Inc (CBSI) in a cash transaction valued at about $190 M. Closing of the transaction is targeted for mid year of 2001. ...

PRESS RELEASE: Antigenics to acquire Aronex Pharmaceuticals.
April 30, 2001... Antigenics Inc and Aronex Pharmaceuticals Inc have entered into a definitive agreement for Antigenics to purchase Aronex Pharmaceuticals (Aronex) in a tax-free, stock-for-stock transaction. Under the terms of the merger agreement, each...

PRESS RELEASE: University of Pittsburgh researchers confirm Prozac is effective in sustaining remission of eating disorders.
April 30, 2001... Fluoxetine hydrochloride (Prozac) is effective in helping people with anorexia nervosa maintain healthy body weight, according to a study by University of Pittsburgh researchers published in the Apr 2001 issue of Biological Psychiatry. ...

PRESS RELEASE: NeoTherapeutics receives patent allowance for technology that may lead to new treatments for neuropathic pain, obesity, anxiety and depression.
April 30, 2001... NeoTherapeutics Inc has been allowed a new US patent covering its hypoxanthine-based bifunctional molecule technology platform. The new patent covers additional hypoxanthine-based compounds that have serotonin-like characteristics. ...

PRESS RELEASE: ID Biomedical announces positive results from human testing of intranasal flu vaccine.
April 30, 2001... ID Biomedical Corp announced positive results from the human testing of a subunit, intranasal, prototype influenza (flu) vaccine under development by Intellivax International Inc (Intellivax). ID Biomedical is in the process of closing...

PRESS RELEASE: North American Palladium Ltd - elects not to extend palladium sales contract.
April 30, 2001... North American Palladium Ltd has elected not to extend the current long- term palladium sales agreement with a major automotive manufacturer beyond 30 Jun 2005. The current contract provides a floor price of $325/ounce on 100% of...

PRESS RELEASE: Versar awarded $7.2 M EPA contract to study impact of disinfectants, sanitizers and preservatives.
April 30, 2001... Versar Inc has been awarded a five-year contract valued at $7.2 M from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The contract will support the EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances' Antimicrobials Division. ...

PRESS RELEASE: Atrix and Block Drug reach settlement on first of three legal disputes.
April 30, 2001... Atrix Laboratories Inc (Atrix) announced that Atrix and Block Drug, a wholly owned subsidiary of GlaxoSmithKline, have settled the first of three licensing disputes submitted in 2000. The settlement resolves a pricing dispute over Block's...

PRESS RELEASE: Sinclair completes due diligence of SulphCo Inc hydrotreating refinery technology.
April 30, 2001... Sinclair Oil Co (Sinclair), an independent Refining and marketing company in the US, has completed due diligence on a new technology aimed at increasing refining efficiencies, improving product quality, lowering cost, and meeting year-2006 US...

PRESS RELEASE: Tosco shuts down coker unit at LAR refinery due to a fire.
April 30, 2001... Tosco Corp announced that due to a fire late on 23 Apr 2001, a portion of its Los Angeles Area Refinery (LAR) was shutdown. There were no injuries associated with the fire. Tosco's LAR Refinery system is comprised of two locations,...

PRESS RELEASE: Schering-Plough annual meeting highlights worldwide performance, commitment to resolving manufacturing issues.
April 30, 2001... Schering-Plough Corp reported at its annual meeting with shareholders that the company is moving deliberately and methodically to address manufacturing issues and improve quality systems on a global basis. The Chairman and Chief...

PRESS RELEASE: Wilkes-Barre, PA, woman in suit alleges antitrust violation against major drug manufacturers.
April 30, 2001... A Wilkes-Barre resident filed a lawsuit against several drug companies alleging that they conspired to keep the price of the prescription drug K-Dur 20 artificially high. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Dawn Maffei of Wilkes-Barre, PA, by...

PRESS RELEASE: Genaissance Pharmaceuticals launches largest personalized medicine clinical study.
April 30, 2001... Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Inc (Genaissance) announced that patient enrolment has started for the largest prospective clinical trial ever conducted to discover how physicians can personalize prescriptions using information about human...

NEUE ZUERCHER ZEITUNG: Results of Novartis above expectations in 1Q 2001. Pharmaceuticals business is booming in the US. [1 table].
April 30, 2001... Swiss pharmaceuticals group Novartis in Basle achieved a turnover increase of 9% to SFR 7.32 bn in 1Q 2001. The pharmaceuticals business achieved higher sales for established and new pharmaceuticals, particularly in general medicine,...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Spolana reports 2000 results.[1 table].
April 30, 2001... Spolana (Neratovice, Czech Republic), chemical company, economic data for 2000, CEK mil: total revenues 9,093.668; total costs 9,344.435; created reserves 472.381; economic result -250.767; total assets 8,232.130; equity capital 1,570.157;...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Velvana restarts search for strategic partner.
April 30, 2001... Velvana (Velvary, Czech Republic), automotive chemicals company, restarted its search for a strategic partner in Apr 2001. On 24 Apr 2001 Velvana's shareholders put the board of directors in charge of the arrangement of agreements on...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Bochemie raises profit due to chloramine.
April 30, 2001... Bochemie (Bohumin, Czech Republic), chemical company, saw a gross profit of CEK 25 M in 1Q 2001, up 38.8% year-on-year. The proceeds for the sales of Bochemie's products and services amounted to CEK 178.8 M in 1Q 2000, up 16%. ...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Diamo completes the wind-up of the Hamr mine.
April 30, 2001... Diamo (Straz pod Ralskem, Czech Republic), state uranium company, completed the wind-up of its underground uranium mine Hamr in Apr 2001. During the 22 years of its existence, the deposit yielded nearly 5 M cu mt of uranium ore. In...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Linde Technoplyn is awarded a contract by Unipetrol.
April 30, 2001... Linde Technoplyn (LT) (Prague, Czech Republic), industrial gases company, has been awarded a contract by Unipetrol (Kralupy nad Vltavou, Czech Republic). By 2003 LT will build an air separation unit at Unipetrol's subsidiary Kaucuk...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Vulkan has a new owner.
April 30, 2001... Vulkan (Hradek nad Nisou, Czech Republic), latex rubber goods company, has a new owner. The company has been acquired by Telnet (US), which bought a 54.15% stake in it for CEK 15.3 M. Telnet wants to hold the shares for only a short...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Ceska Rafinerska plans exports to Poland.
April 30, 2001... Ceska rafinerska (Litvinov, Czech Republic), petroleum refining company, plans to export 260,000 tonnes of petrol and diesel fuel to Poland in 2001. About 150,000 tonnes of the quantity should be sold by its subsidiary CRC Polska...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Fuchs Europlastics to build production unit in Czech Republic.
April 30, 2001... Fuchs Europlastics (Germany), plastic products company, plans to build a production unit in the industrial zone in Zlin, Czech Republic, in 2H 2001. The plastic moulding unit will have nearly 200 employees. In the future the unit...

HOSPODARSKE NOVINY: Aliachem expects a profit in 2001.
April 30, 2001... Aliachem (Prague, Czech Republic), chemical company, expects to generate a profit of CEK 18 M in 2001. In 2001 the firm plans to lower its administrative and fixed costs by 20%, about CEK 0.5 bn. It saw a loss of CEK 2.86 bn in 2000...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Buoyant ethylene & benzene prices. [2 tables].
April 30, 2001... Methanol production in India decreased by 1.1% to 305,285 tonnes, and of phenol by 6.8% to 61,854 tonnes for Apr 2000-Jan 2001 (308,635 tonnes of methanol and 66,337 tonnes of phenol in Apr 1999-Jan 2000). However, ethylene recorded a...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Government defers Solvent Order again.
April 30, 2001... The Government of India has again deferred the implementation and the date of registration under the 'Solvent, Raffinate and Slop (Acquisition, Sale, Storage and Prevention of use in Automobiles) Order 2000' (Solvent Order) till 30 Apr 2001....

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Slump in HDPE production continues. [2 tables].
April 30, 2001... India produced 271,142 tonnes of HDPE, 666,171 tonnes of PVC resins and 264,234 tonnes of LDPE during Apr 2000-Jan 2001 (-19.3% from 335,900 tonnes of HDPE, +5.2% over 632,551 tonnes of PVC resins and +0.8% over 262,159 tonnes of LDPE in Apr...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Haldia Petro posts gross sales of Rup 14 bn for 2000-2001.
April 30, 2001... Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd (Haldia Petro) recorded 152,000 tonnes of polymer and chemical sales for 4Q ended Mar 2001. For year ended Mar 2001, the polymer and chemicals sales stood at 400,000 tonnes. The gross turnover for 2000-2001...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: No signs of natural rubber imports so far.
April 30, 2001... Allowing imports of natural rubber and rubber latex from 1 Apr 2001 along with the international rubber prices being slightly higher than Indian price has not initiated any import of natural rubber and rubber latex from India. According...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: ADD slapped on phosphoric acid imports from China.
April 30, 2001... The Director General of Anti-Dumping & Allied Duties under the Commerce Department has recommended a provisional anti-dumping duty (ADD) of $187/tonne on imports of technical grade phosphoric acid (purity level of 85%) from China in response...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Glaxo-SKB merger to yield cost savings of Rup 500 M.
April 30, 2001... Glaxo India (Glaxo) and SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals India (SKB) will result in cost synergies of Rup 500 M by 2004, according to the Chairman of Glaxo India. The cost savings for 2001 is calculated to be Rup 60 M. The cost...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Zydus to pick minority stake in US start-up.
April 30, 2001... Zydus Cadila Healthcare (Zydus) is negotiating to acquire a minority stake in Onconova Therapeutics, an American research firm. The research firm is involved in research activities and commercialisation of a category of Cox-2 inhibitors,...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: Oil companies may be allowed retail outlets before APM dismantling.
April 30, 2001... The private sector oil companies satisfying the stipulated conditions of the Government of India are likely to be permitted to set up retail outlets for petrol and diesel much before the dismantling of administered pricing mechanism (APM) for...

CHEMICAL WEEKLY: India to develop AIDS vaccine.
April 30, 2001... The National AIDS Control Organisation and Indian Council for Medical Research have signed a memorandum of understanding with the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative to develop an India-specific vaccine for 'subtype C', the strain of HIV...

PHARMA JAPAN: Riken and Takara Shuzo to codevelop gene mutation site detection system.
April 30, 2001... On 29 Mar 2001 the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan, or Riken, announced that it will begin joint development of a large-scale, high-speed gene mutation site detection system in partnership with Takara Shuzo. Specific...

PHARMA JAPAN: Riken invites companies to participate in joint drug discovery project.
April 30, 2001... From 16 Apr to 31 May 2001, the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research in Japan, or Riken, will invite companies to participate in joint drug discovery research based on protein structure and function analysis. Companies...

PHARMA JAPAN: Korosho to withhold approval of gene therapy at Osaka University Hospital.
April 30, 2001... On 29 Mar 2001 Korosho, the Japanese regulatory authority, announced that it will withhold the approval of a gene therapy clinical trial proposed by Osaka University Hospital for the treatment of arteriosclerosis obliterans. On 19 Mar...

PHARMA JAPAN: Kirin-do: double-digit increases in sales and profits.
April 30, 2001... Double-figure increases in both sales and profits in fiscal year ending Feb 2001 has been reported by Kirin-do, a drugstore chain operator based in Suita, Osaka, Japan. Consolidated sales were Yen 28,192 M (up 10.4% year-on-year),...

EUROPEAN PAINT AND RESIN NEWS: Rockwood Specialities formed by KKR.
April 30, 2001... Rockwood Specialities has been established by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts following its acquisition of Laporte's six businesses. The new firm is to be headquartered in Princeton, NJ, incorporating Laporte's electronics business, water...