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May 12, 2008
No Sugarcoating For Insulin Failures
Major drug companies have a medical flop with inhaled insulin, but one biopharmaceutical firm keeps trying.
Made In Wisconsin
Sigma-Aldrich adds organometallics production, purification at U.S. site.
ExxonMobil Chemical Sticks To The Script
To keep prospering in the cyclical petrochemical industry, the giant invests both in good years and bad.
Business Concentrates
- Merck Cuts Jobs, Halts Natural Products Research — Merck & Co. said last week that it will eliminate 1,200 sales jobs in the U.S. by the end of July. Read more
- Croda Will Sell Oleochemicals Plant — Specialties and oleochemicals maker Croda has agreed to sell its Chicago-based oleochemicals business to private equity firm H. I. G. Capital for about $90 million. Read more
- Pfizer Picks Ireland For Biologics — Pfizer will spend about $300 million in a biologics manufacturing facility in Cork, Ireland, to be located adjacent to its existing site in Ringaskiddy. Read more
- DuPont Spends On Ethylene Copolymers — DuPont will invest some $150 million to expand and upgrade facilities that make ethylene copolymers for applications such as photovoltaics, packaging, and auto manufacturing. Read more
- Solutia To Add PVB Capacity — The Saflex unit of Solutia will expand polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin facilities in Antwerp, Belgium, adding 15,000 metric tons of annual capacity by 2010. Read more
- Invista Files Suit Against DuPont Again — Invista is suing DuPont for a second time. The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. district court in New York City, seeks to force DuPont to provide access to three researchers with information Invista says it needs to argue a patent dispute with the French chemical maker Rhodia. Read more
- Bayer Slates Coatings Expansion — Bayer MaterialScience has earmarked nearly $50 million to expand production of waterborne dispersions that are used, for instance, in compounding industrial coatings. Read more
- LyondellBasell is Closing Plant — LyondellBasell Industries plans to close its 280 million-lb-per-year polypropylene plant in Morris, Ill., by the end of the year. Read more
- DuPont, Dainippon Form OLED Alliance — DuPont and Kyoto, Japan-based Dainippon Screen plan to form an alliance to develop manufacturing equipment for printed organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays. Read more
- Enzon Will Spin Off Biotech Business — Specialty drug manufacturer Enzon Pharmaceuticals will spin off its biotechnology division, which specializes in PEGylation and nucleic acid technology for drug discovery. Read more
- Albemarle Wins Smallpox Contract — Albemarle has won a contract from SIGA Technologies, a New York City-based biotech firm focused on drugs against biowarfare pathogens, to manufacture ST-246, a smallpox antiviral candidate. Read more
- VaxGen Sells Vaccine Program — South San Francisco-based VaxGen has sold its anthrax vaccine program to Rockville, Md.-based Emergent BioSolutions. Read more
- Agilent Buys Dow's Oligonucleotide Assets — Agilent Technologies has purchased the nucleic acid manufacturing assets of Dowpharma for an undisclosed sum. Read more
- Business Roundup — EMD Chemicals, the North American chemicals subsidiary of Germany's Merck, plans to open a research and development lab in Cambridge, Mass. Also news on BASF, DuPont, China National Petroleum Corp., Rohm and Haas, Albemarle, InnoCentive, Wacker Dymatic, Galapagos, and Jubilant Organosys. Read more
May 5, 2008
Top 50 Chemical Producers
Many contestants in C&EN's annual ranking of U.S. company sales hold on to their positions.
C&EN Talks With: Irving Rothman
English professor and scholar of 18th-century literature says business writing is all about clarity and precision.
Business Concentrates
- EU Initiative Targets Pharma Competitiveness — The European Commission and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries & Associations have launched the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). Read more
- Occidental Goes Mercury-Free — Occidental Chemical has converted all of its chlor-alkali production in North America to mercury-free membrane cell technology. Read more
- DSM Opens Plant For New Polymer — DSM has opened a market development plant for polytetramethylene terephthalamide (PA4T), a nylon the company has dubbed "the first new polymer to be introduced in the new millennium." Read more
- Elementis Adds Coatings Resins — British specialty chemical producer Elementis will acquire Taiwan's Deuchem for roughly $80 million. Read more
- AkzoNobel Rebrands AFTER ICI Buy — Following its acquisition of British specialty chemical and paint maker ICI, AkzoNobel has launched a new brand strategy. Read more
- Bayer Advances Natural Polyols — Bayer has developed a process for incorporating high concentrations of vegetable oil into polyols used to produce rigid polyurethane foams. Read more
- Monsanto, Mendel Seek Biofuels Feedstocks — A collaboration between Monsanto and Mendel Biotechnology will give perennial grass seeds a makeover in hopes of creating a more productive biofuels feedstock. Read more
- Lockheed Funds Research At Rice — Lockheed Martin is creating the Lockheed Martin Advanced Nanotechnology Center of Excellence at Rice University in partnership with Rice's Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science & Technology. Read more
- Solvay Will Acquire Innogenetics — Solvay will acquire Innogenetics for about $280 million, a 53% premium to the diagnostics company's stock market value before the deal was announced. Read more
- BASF Sells Plant To India's Dr. Reddy's — BASF has agreed to sell a finished pharmaceutical plant in Shreveport, La., to Dr. Reddy's Laboratories for an undisclosed sum. Read more
- Novo Nordisk Donates Molecule Collection — Novo Nordisk will donate a license to its library of 325,000 small molecules to the National Center for Drug Screening, an affiliate of Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica. Read more
- Pfizer, Universities Research Diabetes — Pfizer has set up a collaboration with Entelos, a Foster City, Calif.-based computer modeling company, and four major research universities: Caltech; MIT; the University of Massachusetts; and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Read more
- Yulex Gets FDA Nod For Rubber Gloves — Yulex has received 510(k) clearance from FDA to market examination gloves made out of rubber extracted from guayule, a desert crop native to the U.S. Southwest. Read more
- Business Roundup — CordEn PharmaChem's plant in Cork, Ireland, has suffered its third explosion since the beginning of the year. Also news on Bridgestone, 3M, IBM, Global Solar Energy, Chemtura, Arch Therapeutics, Wyeth, and Nova Chemicals. Read more
April 28, 2008
Kureha's Gamble
Japanese firm goes to West Virginia to build novel chemical plant.
Vanishing Book
With the advent of digital information, traditional corporate libraries are shrinking or disappearing entirely.
R&D Business Moves To China
Shanghai-based Alputon operates a unique drug development platform it brought from the U.S.
Business Concentrates
- FDA Nixes Genzyme Process — FDA has rejected Genzyme's application to produce large-scale quantities of Myozyme, an analog of a human enzyme to treat Pompe disease, a rare inherited metabolic disorder. Read more
- Intrepid Potash Has Stock Market Debut — Intrepid Potash made its debut on the New York Stock Exchange last week with an initial public offering that raised $960 million. Read more
- Akzo Nobel Raises ICI Synergy Target — Akzo Nobel has upgraded its target for annual cost savings from the acquisition of ICI to some $530 million, a 20% increase from its earlier figure. Read more
- Senomyx Expands Deals With Nestlé, Coca-Cola — Start-up flavor ingredients firm Senomyx has announced two-year extensions to its research and license agreements with Nestlé and Coca-Cola. Read more
- GSK Buying Sirtris For $720 Million — GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to acquire Sirtris Pharmaceuticals, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology firm, for $720 million. Read more
- Judge Rejects Plastic Bag Ban — A California Supreme Court judge has ruled that the city of Oakland cannot ban the use of plastic shopping bags without a thorough environmental review. Read more
- BASF Invests In Biodegradable Polymer — BASF plans to more than quadruple its production capacity for the biodegradable plastic Ecoflex in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Read more
- Unidym Nanotubes Used In Aircraft Engine — Carbon nanotubes produced by Unidym, a subsidiary of Arrowhead Research, have been used in the engine cowling of Avalon Aviation's Giles G-200. Read more
- Archimica Sells Plant To Teva — Germany's Archimica has sold its 5-fluorouracil plant in Puerto Rico to Teva Pharmaceutical Industries of Israel for an undisclosed amount. Read more
- Mitsubishi Closes Research Institute — Mitsubishi Chemical will dissolve the 37-year-old Mitsubishi Kagaku Institute of Life Sciences. Read more
- Genzyme And Syngenta Plan R&D For Beijing — Genzyme will spend about $90 million to build a 350-person research center in Beijing's Zhongguancun Life Science Park. Read more
- GSK And Regulus Seal RNA Drug Pact — GlaxoSmithKline has teamed up with Regulus Therapeutics, a joint venture between Alnylam Pharmaceuticals and Isis Pharmaceuticals, to discover and develop microRNA-targeted drugs. Read more
- Business Roundup — Eni, the Italian energy company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Qatar Petroleum. Also news on Evonik Industries, Ineos, Bayer, Dow Corning, Ranbaxy Laboratories, Praxair, Nicholas Piramal India Ltd., and CuraGen. Read more
April 21, 2008
Moving Forward By Bending Backward
Basell's acquisition of Lyondell is bringing the polyolefins maker new feedstocks and new businesses.
Supplying Drugs To The World's Poor
WTO process enables poor countries to get patented drugs at reduced prices, but it's seldom used.
Cover Story: Lab-To-Market Connection
Specialty chemical companiestry to ward off commoditization of their products with a mix of marketing, formulation, and basic R&D
Buzzword In The Engine
Sustainability push highlights the role of specialty products in consumer and industrial markets
Business Concentrates
- More R&D for Shanghai — Three European chemical makers in widely differing businesses have spelled out plans for their R&D investments in Shanghai. Read more
- Rohm and Haas enters Saudi acrylic project — Rohm and Haas and Saudi Arabia's Tasnee & Sahara Olefins Co. are planning a joint venture to produce 250,000 metric tons per year of acrylic acid and related esters in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Read more
- German solar wafer factory starts up — Wacker Schott Solar, the joint venture of the German firms Wacker Chemie and Schott Solar, has commissioned a plant in Jena, Germany, that produces silicon wafers for the solar energy industry. Read more
- BASF postpones move on coal gasification — BASF has postponed a decision about investing in a $2.4 billion coal gasification plant proposed for its headquarters complex in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Read more
- Germany's CABB buys Indian rival — German specialty intermediates producer CABB will acquire the majority of India's Karnavati Rasayan, a producer of monochloroacetic acid (MCAA). Read more
- Albemarle will acquire mercury control firm — Specialty chemical maker Albemarle has signed a letter of intent to acquire Sorbent Technologies. Read more
- Dow, Indian company plan chloromethanes — Dow Chemical's European subsidiary and India's Gujarat Alkalies & Chemicals are studying the construction of a 200,000-metric-ton-per-year chloromethanes plant in Gujarat, India. Read more
- French chemical makers pursue carbon credits — Arkema expects to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 60% when it begins incinerating HFC-23, a by-product of HCFC-22 production, at its plant in Changshu, China. Read more
- DSM boosts Dyneema — DSM has earmarked up to $450 million to increase production capacity for its Dyneema ultrastrong polyethylene fiber and sheet. Read more
- Lilly to cut jobs in manufacturing — Eli Lilly & Co. says it will eliminate up to 500 jobs at its Indianapolis headquarters. Read more
- Roche will acquire Piramed Pharma — Roche will pay $160 million to acquire Piramed Pharma, a privately owned U.K. biotech company. Read more
- Merck Serono adds U.S. research Jobs — EMD Serono, the U.S. arm of Merck Serono, is investing $50 million to expand its Billerica research center northwest of Boston. Read more
- Pfizer licenses therapeutic vaccine — Pfizer has taken an exclusive worldwide license to a therapeutic cancer vaccine being developed by Avant Immunotherapeutics. Read more
- Business Roundup — Eastman Chemical is exiting the business of making vitamin E TGPS, a pharmaceutical excipient, and plans to close its Wales manufacturing plant. Also news on Merck KGaA, Octal Holding, Ashland, Saudi Basic Industries Corp., Kemira, Cargill, and Sanofi Pasteur. Read more
April 14, 2008
The Acid Touch
Rising prices for sulfuric acid have widespread industrial impact.
Reichhold's Comeback
Two years after a management buyout, CEO John Gaither steers old-line firm in a global expansion.
Petrochemical Futures
Although they have much to worry about, petrochemical makers remain optimistic.
Cover Story: An Uphill Battle
With short lives and uncertain profits, antibiotics are a unique development challenge for drug companies
Imminent Threat
As gram-negative bacteria become resistant to current antibiotics, the search for new drugs accelerates
The Ketek Effect
Biotechs worry that FDA has gotten tougher on approving new antibiotics
Business Concentrates
- European Drugmakers Look East For actives — Two Europe-based drug companies have struck agreements with Asian firms with the goal of lowering their costs for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). Read more
- Jubilant Will Acquire Contract Firm Draxis — India's Jubilant Organosys has agreed to acquire Draxis Health, a Canadian company that provides contract manufacturing of finished drugs and makes radiopharmaceuticals. Read more
- Lonza Will Boost Niacin Capacity — Lonza will increase its production capacity for the B-3 vitamins niacin (shown) and niacinamide by more than 40% with a three-year, $50 million project. Read more
- Rohm And Haas Buys, Sells In Electronics — Rohm and Haas has acquired South Korea's Gracel Display for $40 million. Read more
- Chlorine Leak Settlement Reached — Railroad operator Norfolk Southern has agreed to a confidential settlement of a lawsuit brought by Avondale Mills. Read more
- Another Expansion Set For Abu Dhabi — Borouge, a joint venture between Austrian polyolefins maker Borealis and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., is studying another expansion of its petrochemical complex in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Read more
- DuPont Opens Storm Shelter Test Facility — DuPont has opened its first storm shelter test facility at the Chestnut Run research site in Wilmington, Del. Read more
- Evonik Names Head For North America — Evonik Industries has named Thomas Bates head of its North American operations. Read more
- Praxair Oxygen Will Treat Drinking Water For The Olympics — Praxair has signed an exclusive agreement to supply oxygen to Beijing No. 3 Water Works, which will provide drinking water for the Olympic Games. Read more
- Nektar Ends Inhaled Insulin Programs — Nektar Therapeutics, a developer of drug delivery technologies, has stopped efforts to find a partner for its inhaled insulin program after Pfizer, its former partner, released negative clinical results last week. Read more
- Harvard And Merck Form Research Pact — Harvard University's Office of Technology Development has signed a multiyear license and sponsored-research agreement with Merck & Co. focused on new osteoporosis therapies. Read more
- Biotech Companies Plan Job Reductions — Neurogen has received $30.6 million from private investors that it says will allow it to advance clinical development programs in insomnia, anxiety, restless legs syndrome, and Parkinson's disease. Read more
- Business Roundup — DuPont has raised its first-quarter earnings estimate to about $1.29 per share from a previous outlook of $1.14 to $1.19. Also news on Arkema, Bayer MaterialScience, Rohm and Haas, Aspen Aerogels, BASF, Dow Chemical, and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. Read more
April 7, 2008
A Taste Sensation
Sweet and savory uses for biotechnology inspire flavor start-ups.
Rhodia Reorganized
With asset disposals coming to an end at the firm, CEO Clamadieu shops for deals.
Recycling Pays
Steady, profitable business of sulfuric acid regeneration boosts Rhodia's bottom line. Web Exclusive
Indian Case Tests New Patent Law
In initial ruling, judge weighs in favor of patients' immediate interest.
Business Concentrates
- BASF And Dow Target Wind Turbine Market — The world's two biggest chemical companies have announced initiatives aimed at the growing wind turbine market. Read more
- Evonik And Sibur Eye Russian Joint Venture — Evonik Industries and Russia's JSC Sibur are joining to study the construction of plants in Russia that would make hydrogen peroxide and propylene oxide. Read more
- Aristech Acrylics Is Sold To Investors — SK Capital Partners, an affiliate of the merchant bank Valence Group, has acquired Aristech Acrylics from Mitsubishi Corp. Read more
- Monsanto Will Expand Glyphosate Capacity — Monsanto will invest up to $196 million to expand capacity for the herbicide glyphosate at its Luling, La., site. Read more
- Antioxidants Line Goes Back To Raschig — German specialty chemical firm Raschig has repurchased a phenolic antioxidant business it sold to Evonik Industries predecessor Degussa in 2002. Read more
- Mitsui Joins Vietnam Project — Mitsui Chemicals will take a 5% stake in a $6 billion refinery and petrochemical plant planned for northern Vietnam. Read more
- DuPont Buys Line Of Industrial Apparel — DuPont Safety & Protection will acquire Cardinal Health's line of clean room apparel and other products used in biotech, electronics, and other controlled manufacturing environments. Read more
- Schering-Plough Sets Cost-Cutting Program — Schering-Plough has launched what it calls a "productivity transformation program" to generate $1.5 billion in annual savings and synergies. Read more
- Dicciani Will Retire From Honeywell Post — Honeywell has named Andreas Kramvis president and CEO of its specialty materials business. Read more
- Court Backs GSK On Patent Rule Challenge — The U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Virginia has granted summary judgment to GlaxoSmithKline. Read more
- BASF Will Acquire Majority Of Hte — BASF is increasing its stake in the high-throughput experimentation company hte from 12.7% to 75.0% plus one share. Read more
- Carbogen Amcis Adds High Potency In India — Switzerland-based Carbogen Amcis is adding a high-potency compound manufacturing facility in Bavla, India. Read more
- Business Roundup — Chemizon, a South Korean contract research firm, has taken a stake in Crown Bioscience. Also news on Huber Engineered Materials, Emerald Performance Products, Israel Chemicals, H.B. Fuller, Sasol-Huntsman, Shell, Archimica, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and the Azopharma Product Development Group. Read more
March 31, 2008
Building A Better Nose
Analytical instrument makers sniff out markets where complex aromas matter.
Sweden's Perstorp Springs Ahead
Metamorphosis changes miniconglomerate into a more focused specialties company.
Cover Story: Building Businesses
Turning university research into products takes time, money, and initiative as four nanotechnology companies' experiences show
Stock Market
Indexes Track Pool Of Public Nanotech Companies
Business Concentrates
- Invista Files Suit Against Dupont — Synthetic fiber producer Invista has filed a lawsuit against DuPont in U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York, claiming that the 14 plants it acquired from DuPont in 2004 didn't comply with safety and environmental laws. Read more
- Roche Has Setback In Indian Patent Case — The High Court of Delhi has denied Roche an injunction seeking to stop the Indian generic pharmaceutical producer Cipla from selling its version of Roche's lung cancer drug Tarceva. Read more
- Plastic Bag Recycling Spiked In 2006 — U.S. plastic bag and film recycling reached a record high of 812 million lb in 2006, a 24% increase over 2005, according to a new report commissioned by the American Chemistry Council. Read more
- Arch Boosts Global Biocides Capacity — Arch Chemicals is extending its biocides manufacturing capabilities in Suzhou, China; Rochester, N.Y.; and Swords, Ireland. Read more
- Sasol Offers Stock, Creates Foundation — Sasol, the South African chemicals and fuels company, has launched what it says is the country's largest black economic empowerment (BEE) ownership transaction. Read more
- Lubrizol Invests In Additives Capacity — To keep pace with an expected 1%-per-year growth in demand for lubricant and fuel additives, Lubrizol plans to spend $200 million over the next 10 years to expand existing capacity and to build new additives facilities in China. Read more
- Ube Will Abate N2O In Thailand — In what they say is a world first for a caprolactam plant, the Japanese firms Ube Industries and Mitsubishi will launch a project to reduce the nitrous oxide emissions of Thai Caprolactam, an Ube subsidiary in Thailand. Read more
- ATMI, Ovonyx Develop Phase-Change Pact — Electronics materials firm ATMI and Ovonyx have agreed to jointly develop precursor materials for chemical vapor deposition to create phase-change memory (PCM) products for semiconductors. Read more
- Pharmathene Buys Avecia Vaccines Unit — PharmAthene of Annapolis, Md., has agreed to pay $20 million to acquire Avecia Biologics' biodefense vaccines business. Read more
- Tronox, RTI Sign For Ticl4 Supply — Titanium dioxide producer Tronox has agreed to supply titanium tetrachloride to titanium metal producer RTI International Metals. Read more
- Exxonmobil Debuts New Polyethylene — ExxonMobil Chemical has introduced a new metallocene-polyethylene product line called Enable. Read more
- Business Roundup — Verenium disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission that its auditors have expressed "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue as an ongoing business owing to its past losses and future operating plans. Also news on Israel Chemicals Ltd., Unidym, Honeywell, Suntech Power Holdings, Desotech, FirstNano, and Affymetrix. Read more
March 24, 2008
Eyeing The Move Back To China
Chinese-born chemists confront difficult choices when they consider moving back to their country.
Encapsulating A New Business
In a strategy shift, specialty paper maker Appleton offers encapsulation technology to the market.
Business Concentrates
- European Companies Name New Chairmen — The supervisory boards of three European chemical makers have appointed new chairmen for their firms. Read more
- Schulman Hires UBS To Explore Options — The plastics compounding company A. Schulman has hired UBS Investment Bank to help it explore strategic alternatives, which could include a big acquisition or a sale of the company. Read more
- BASF, Sinopec Move On Nanjing Expansion — BASF and Sinopec have completed a feasibility study begun in 2006 and will proceed with the expansion of their petrochemical complex in Nanjing, China, by 2010. Read more
- Rhodia Will Shed Isocyanates Business — Wrapping up a portfolio restructuring, Rhodia will sell its isocyanates business to Sweden's Perstorp. Read more
- DuPont Boosts Refinery Services — DuPont's Clean Technologies business is adding facilities at two refineries that regenerate spent sulfuric acid and capture sulfur gases. Read more
- Celanese Opens Technology Center — Celanese has opened a 31,200-sq-ft technology center in Houston to house both its emulsion polymers and polyvinyl alcohol R&D and technical services groups. Read more
- Rohm And Haas Hikes Hydroxyalkyl Monomers — Rohm and Haas has expanded capacity for acrylate and methacrylate hydroxyalkyl monomers at its La Porte, Texas, plant by more than 25%. Read more
- Ding! Ding! Ding! Went The Bell — Celebrating their firm's emergence from four years of bankruptcy, Solutia executives rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on March 17. Read more
- New Complex Planned For Abu Dhabi — Austrian polyolefins maker Borealis and its majority owner, International Petroleum Investment Co. (IPIC) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, are planning a "chemicals industrial city" in Abu Dhabi. Read more
- Nuvelo Restructures After Trial Fails — Nuvelo is overhauling its operations after its lead drug candidate, alfimeprase, did not prove more effective in restoring catheter function than the gold-standard product, Genentech's Cathflo Activase. Read more
- Lilly Ramps Up Diabetes Efforts — Eli Lilly & Co. has licensed a new class of diabetes drugs from Toronto-based Transition Therapeutics. Read more
- NicOx Taps Archimica For API Supply — French biotech company NicOx has signed an agreement with the fine chemicals maker Archimica for commercial production of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) naproxcinod. Read more
- Business Roundup — Siam Cement of Thailand is advancing plans with Vietnam Oil & Gas to build a $4 billion petrochemical complex on Vietnam's Long Son Island. Also news on Dow Chemical, Dow Chemical, Agrium, W.R. Grace, Eastman Chemical, Asahi Kasei, Spartech, and AstraZeneca. Read more
March 17, 2008
Building A Towering Success
Swiss chemical industry focuses on innovation to keep one step ahead of competitors.
Business Concentrates
- Chemical Firms Play DHS War Game — Air Products & Chemicals and Dow Chemical just finished participating in a weeklong cyber security exercise conducted by the Department of Homeland Security. Read more
- ExxonMobil Gets New Chemical Head — ExxonMobil's board is appointing Stephen Pryor, 58, president of ExxonMobil Chemical, effective April 1. Read more
- Air Liquide Hikes Monosilane in Japan — Air Liquide will triple monosilane gas capacity at its Denal Silane joint venture with Denka Group in Omi, Japan. Read more
- Mitsui Exits Plasma Display Filters — Mitsui Chemicals will stop manufacturing and selling optical filters for plasma display panels this month. Read more
- BASF To Sell U.K. Site to Ineos — BASF has reached an agreement to sell its Seal Sands site in Teesside, England, to Ineos Nitriles for an undisclosed sum. Read more
- Celanese Opens Technology Center — Celanese has opened a 31,200-sq-ft technology center in Houston to house both its emulsion polymers and polyvinyl alcohol R&D and technical services groups. Read more
- Arkema Makes Deal in Superabsorbents — Arkema will sell its superabsorbent polymers business to the Japanese firm Sumitomo Seika for an undisclosed amount. Read more
- Maryland Bug Boosts Biofuels — Scientists at the University of Maryland are scaling up production of new enzymes that break down cellulose into sugars for subsequent fermentation into ethanol. Read more
- GE Demonstrates Roll-to-Roll OLEDS — GE Global Research has successfully demonstrated what it calls the world's first organic light-emitting diode (OLED) lighting device manufactured in a roll-to-roll process. Read more
- U.S. Drug Sales Inch Up in 2007 — U.S. sales of prescription drugs increased by just 3.8% last year, the lowest growth rate since 1961, according to IMS Health, a provider of health care market intelligence. Read more
- Cancer Drug Test Links Four Firms — Abbott Laboratories' molecular diagnostics business has entered an agreement with Genentech, Roche, and OSI Pharmaceuticals to develop a genetic diagnostic test to assess the clinical response to Tarceva. Read more
- Suven Signs Second Deal With Lilly — Suven Life Sciences and Eli Lilly & Co. have signed a second drug discovery collaboration in the area of small molecules that treat central nervous system disorders. Read more
- British Drug Firm Acquires Cytogen — EUSA Pharma, based in Oxford, England, has agreed to buy Cytogen for $22.6 million. Read more
- Business Roundup — Olin will spend $3 million to close a plant in Dalhousie, New Brunswick, that makes chlorine, caustic soda, bleach, and sodium chlorate. Also news on Reaxis, SiGNa Chemistry, Bayer MaterialScience, Mitsubishi Chemical, Honeywell Performance Products, Clariant, Immunicon, GenTek and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories. Read more
March 10, 2008
Europeans Ring Up 'Unusual' 2007
Chemical companies' sales and earnings show impact of portfolio changes.
Dennis Reilley To Receive SCI Medal
Former Praxair CEO foresees less U.S.-centric industry, but one still essential to life.
China Struggles To Boost Fertilizers
Country introduces controls to cap rising prices for fertilizers.
Business Concentrates
- Hovione, Evonik Boost China Pharma Chemicals — Two European pharmaceutical chemical producers are increasing their presence in China. Read more
- Natural Products Deal For Cognis — Cognis, a Germany-based specialty chemicals player, has acquired a stake in InterMed Discovery, a German firm that develops active ingredients based on natural products. Read more
- Hexion Names Its Leadership Team — Hexion Specialty Chemicals has named a new slate of executives to lead the firm upon the completion of its acquisition of Huntsman Corp. Read more
- New R&D Center Set For Merck — Merck KGaA will invest roughly $70 million in a new chemical R&D center to be built in Darmstadt, Germany, by the end of 2009. Read more
- DSM Invests In Chinese Biomaterials — DSM's corporate venturing unit has joined in a $20 million round of financing in the Chinese firm Tianjin Green Bio-Science (TGBS). Read more
- PDL To Restructure After Sale Failed — PDL BioPharma has ended a strategic review in which it tried to sell itself and will instead remain an independent company focused on developing antibodies for cancer and immunologic diseases. Read more
- Dow Expands Its Executive Team — Dow Chemical has expanded its four-member executive leadership committee, which is responsible for corporate strategy and financial performance, with the addition of three new members who have also been named executive vice presidents of the firm. Read more
- Arkema Boosts Hydrogen Peroxide — Arkema will spend $60 million to double capacity for hydrogen peroxide in Leuna, Germany, to 80,000 metric tons per year. Read more
- Chemtura Makes Portfolio Moves — Chemtura has acquired a 46.5% stake in Baxenden Chemicals from partner Croda for $26 million. Read more
- Chevron, Weyerhaeuser Form Biofuels Venture — Chevron and the paper company Weyerhaeuser have formed a 50-50 joint venture focused on developing transportation fuels from renewable nonfood sources. Read more
- BioVectra Wins Kane Enzyme Contract — BioVectra, a Prince Edward Island-based contract manufacturer, has won a contract to make Kane Biotech's DispersinB, currently in preclinical development for the treatment of chronic wounds. Read more
- Asahi Expands Battery Separators — Japan's Asahi Kasei Chemicals is building a new plant for its HiPore lithium-ion battery separators in Hyuga, Japan. Read more
- Business Roundup — Dyneon, 3M's fluoropolymers subsidiary, has acquired Hitech Polymers, a maker of specialty thermoplastic polymers and provider of toll polymer compounding. Also news on Dow Chemical, Albemarle, BASF, Sichuan Tianhua, Robinson Brothers, Liquidia Technologies, W.R. Grace, GenTek and Dow Chemical. Read more
March 3, 2008
Minding the Gaps
Almac weaves its five divisions into a drug development services network.
Chemistry and Northern Ireland
Allen McClay shares his vision of the pharma services business.
Record Year For Chemical Mergers
Companies pursued change in 2007 in spite of credit market turmoil.
Insights: Reckoning Day
Liveris' predictions for the fine chemicals industry miss the mark.
Business Concentrates
- ID Tags Venture Launched — The German companies BASF, Evonik Industries, PolyIC, Siemens, and Elantas Beck, an Altana subsidiary, have launched an alliance to develop printable radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. Read more
- Dupont Loses Zinc Case On Appeal — A West Virginia circuit judge has upheld a $196 million punitive damage award in a class-action lawsuit against DuPont. Read more
- Solutia Emerges From Bankruptcy — Solutia ended four years under bankruptcy court supervision on Feb. 28 after Goldman Sachs, Citigroup, and Deutsche Bank reversed their decision to deny the company financing. Read more
- Dow Gives To Clean Water Project — In partnership with International Aid, a Christian relief and development agency, Dow Chemical will provide plastic resins. Read more
- Huntsman Eyes New Isocyanates Plant — Huntsman Corp. is mulling the construction of a new plant in Rozenburg, the Netherlands, to make the polyurethane raw material methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). Read more
- Ineos Commits More To Scottish Site — Ineos Polyolefins will extend its polyolefins capabilities in Grangemouth, Scotland. Read more
- Dupont Executive To Take Nalco Helm — Water treatment service provider Nalco Holding has named J. Erik Fyrwald as its chairman, president, and CEO. Read more
- Singapore Is Getting Lanxess Rubber Plant — Lanxess has picked the chemical park on Jurong Island, Singapore, as the site for a previously announced $600 million butyl and halobutyl rubber plant. Read more
- Fujifilm Focuses On Films For Displays — Fujifilm will spend about $61 million to build a plant to make the company's WV Film, which widens the angle at which liquid-crystal displays can be viewed. Read more
- Rohm And Haas, IBM Link For Electronics — Rohm and Haas has signed joint development agreements with IBM in two areas of semiconductor manufacturing. Read more
- Evonik Stock Offer May Be Put Off — German newspapers are saying the summer initial public offering planned for Evonik Industries—parent company of the former Degussa—may be delayed until next year because of the global financial market turndown. Read more
- Business Roundup — W.R. Grace has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., to allow it to sell 10 industrial properties to Environmental Liability Transfer. Also news on GPC Biotech, Bayer, Asahi Kasei, Permira Holdings, Henkel, DuPont, Kuraray, Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. and The Department of Energy. Read more
February 25, 2008
A Revamped Kemira
Kemira's new shape will help it weather challenges of 2008, executives predict.
Chemical Firms Defy Economic Woes
Weakness for the fourth quarter and the year was mostly relegated to North America.
Oil Companies
Chemical earnings sink at petroleum firms.
Pharma's Outlook Sour After Good 2007
Drug firms' new product shortage could lead to a tougher 2008.
Slower Going
As portfolios mature, big biotechs struggle to meet lofty growth of years past.
Business Concentrates
- DuPont Heralds R&D Productivity — DuPont's R&D pipeline delivered better results in 2007 than it did five years ago, says Uma Chowdhry, chief science and technology officer. Read more
- Guangzhou Evicts Polluting Plants — Guangzhou, China's third-largest city, will force 119 manufacturing operations, including 48 chemical plants, to move out by 2010. Read more
- Singapore Water Plan Gets Japanese Help — Mitsubishi Rayon and Nitto Denko will supply membrane bioreactor technology provided by their U.S.-based venture, Kathyd Technology, to Singapore's national water agency. Read more
- Magazine Ad Features Edible Film — Readers of the Feb. 18 issue of People magazine are able to sample Welch's grape juice by tasting a full-page ad. Read more
- University Has New TiO2 Process — Britain's University of Leeds is working with Millennium Inorganic Chemicals to scale up what researchers say is an improved process for making the white pigment titanium dioxide. Read more
- Mexico Revives Chemical Project — Mexican President Felipe Calderón wants to resurrect a petrochemical project involving state oil company Pemex and private partners. Read more
- Dow Corning Boosts Silicon For Chips — Dow Corning will more than double capacity for a silicon polymer used to produce a new bilayer photoresist for semiconductor manufacturing. Read more
- P&G Relaunches PUR Packets In U.S. — Procter & Gamble and partner Reliance Products are selling outdoor recreation and emergency preparedness kits. Read more
- Vernalis Slashes jobs After Setback — Vernalis, a British biopharmaceutical company, is cutting its staff from 210 people to about 90 and is closing its clinical development operations in Canada. Read more
- Bayer Gets Korean Imaging Technology — Bayer Schering Pharma has licensed worldwide rights to a novel fluorine-18 radiolabeling technology from FutureChem. Read more
- Pfizer Will Acquire Biotech Encysive — Pfizer has agreed to acquire Encysive Pharmaceuticals, a publicly held biopharmaceutical company whose product for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was approved in Europe. Read more
- NPIL, Lilly Form Another R&D Pact — Mumbai-based Nicholas Piramal India Ltd. and Eli Lilly & Co. have reached a second drug discovery agreement. Read more
- Business Roundup — Eastman Chemical will sell its pine chemicals product lines to MeadWestvaco's specialty chemicals division for an undisclosed sum. Also news on Dow Chemical, Henkel, Evonik Industries, Invista, Genmab, BASF and Novozymes. Read more
February 18, 2008
Building Business
Custom chemical firms showcase technology and modest expansions at InformexUSA 2008.
The Power Of Pores
New polymer separators are gates to next-generation cars.
Having It All
Chemical makers supplying the detergents industry seek both sales and sustainability.
Business Concentrates
- Ciba Replots R&D — In a revamp of its R&D and innovation strategy, Ciba Specialty Chemicals will consolidate its R&D operations into six centers at yet-to-be-determined locations. Read more
- Quebec's Petromont Will Shut Down — Pétromont, the polyethylene and olefins joint venture of Dow Chemical and Société Général de Financement du Québec, will suspend operations on April 30. Read more
- Two Polyester Resin Makers Target India — Two makers of unsaturated polyester resins plan to establish roots in India. Read more
- Saltigo Outlines Expansion Plans — Saltigo, the fine chemicals subsidiary of Lanxess, is investing roughly $75 million this year and next to boost the efficiency of its division that supplies the pharmaceutical industry. Read more
- University Has New TiO2 Process — Britain's University of Leeds is working with Millennium Inorganic Chemicals to scale up what researchers say is an improved process for making the white pigment titanium dioxide. Read more
- Eliokem Launches Novel Latex Process — The R&D department of Eliokem—a 2001 specialty chemicals spin-off from Goodyear Tire & Rubber—has developed a new process for manufacturing latex by controlled radical polymerization. Read more
- Photo Dyes Producer Changes Hands — British specialty chemicals company Yule Catto is selling its James Robinson subsidiary to India's Vivimed Labs. Read more
- Fujifilm Will Buy Drugmaker Toyama — Film and photocopier maker Fujifilm is entering the pharmaceutical business through the acquisition of most of fellow Japanese firm Toyama Chemical. Read more
- PPG Industries Buys Nanotech Firm — Multinational firm PPG Industries has purchased the assets and intellectual property of NanoProducts for an undisclosed amount. Read more
- Frutarom Opens Flavors Laboratory — Israel-based Frutarom has opened new flavor development laboratories at its North Bergen, N.J., location. Read more
- Nektar And Nastech Both Reduce Jobs — Two biotech firms known for their drug delivery technologies are cutting jobs as they aim to push clinical programs forward. Read more
- AstraZeneca Spins Off GI Drug Programs — AstraZeneca is working with the life sciences investment firm Nomura Phase4 Ventures to spin off a number of its gastrointestinal (GI) drug programs. Read more
- Business Roundup — Dainippon Ink & Chemicals will spend about $33 million to construct a 30,000-metric-ton-per-year printing inks plant in India. Also news on DuPont, Albemarle, Sumitomo Chemical, Air Liquide, University of Pittsburgh, Metabolix, Quotient BioResearch, Sanofi-Aventis and Biocon. Read more
February 11, 2008
Color Challenge
P&G banks on new hair coloring chemistry to reinvigorate a mature market.
Venture Funds Turn to Cleantech
Investors see profits in solar power, renewable fuels, and energy storage.
Business Concentrates
- Partners Debut Method For Purifying Glycerin — Rohm and Haas and France's Groupe Novasep have formed a partnership to market new technology for purifying crude glycerin. Read more
- Solutia Sues Banks Over Exit Package — Solutia has filed suit in U.S. bankruptcy court against Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and Deutsche Bank for withdrawing a $2 billion package that would have financed its exit from bankruptcy. Read more
- Lanxess Is Cutting Jobs In Ontario — Lanxess is planning to cut some 270 positions at its Sarnia, Ontario, rubber facility. Read more
- Argonne Lab Claims New Ethylene Process — Scientists at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have devised a high-temperature membrane that they say can produce ethylene from an ethane stream by removing pure hydrogen. Read more
- Dow Signs Pair Of Energy Agreements ... — Dow Chemical and EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg, one of Germany's leading power companies, are considering building a cogeneration plant at Dow's Stade, Germany, site. Read more
- ... And Plans Texas Chlor-Alkali Plant — Dow Chemical will break ground in Freeport, Texas, this year on a membrane-based chlor-alkali plant scheduled to open in 2011. Read more
- Beijing Unveils Olympic Swim Center — Beijing has unveiled its $200 million National Aquatics Center, the venue in which swimming and diving events will take place at the Olympics this summer. Read more
- Shin-Etsu To Report Accident Close Calls — Shin-Etsu Chemical will begin to publicly disclose the details of operational incidents that were near-accidents. Read more
- Proxy Fight Looms At Biogen Idec — Claiming flaws in Biogen Idec's recent failed attempt to find a buyer, corporate raider Carl Icahn has nominated three people to fill seats on the biotechnology firm's board of directors. Read more
- Dow is Hosting Two Terracotta Warriors — Two authentic Chinese terracotta warrior statues have arrived in Midland, Mich., which is headquarters to Dow Chemical. Read more
- GSK Strikes Deal For Amira Compounds — GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to develop and market Amira Pharmaceuticals' FLAP (5-lipoxygenase activating protein) inhibitors. Read more
- GE Will Buy Filter Company Whatman — GE Healthcare will pay roughly $713 million to acquire Whatman, the Kent, England-based separations technology firm. Read more
- Business Roundup — Omnova Solutions is eliminating 50 million lb per year of latex capacity at its Mogadore, Ohio, plant. Also news on Bayer MaterialScience, Dow Chemical, BASF, Dow Chemical, The National Paint & Coatings Association, A. Schulman, Asahi Kasei and Celanese. Read more
February 4, 2008
Compounding Problems
Makers of plastic compounds feel squeezed between high costs and stalled selling prices.
Insights: Company Of The Year
In a memorable 2007, Dow Chemical was the biggest newsmaker.
Cover Story: China's Pharma Leaps Into Discovery
With breathtaking speed, Chinese contract research organizations have developed drug discovery services that go far beyond basic synthesis.
WuXi PharmaTech
China's Leading CRO Helps Transform The Way Drugs Are Discovered.
Business Concentrates
- Chemtura Will Sell Oleochemicals Business — Continuing a yearlong restructuring, Chemtura has agreed to sell its oleochemicals business to PMC Group North America for an undisclosed sum. Read more
- Sabic, Sinopec To Form Joint Venture — The As expected, Saudi Basic Industries Corp. and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) have signed a preliminary agreement. Read more
- Eastman Chemical Targets Growth — Eastman Chemical plans to double earnings by 2012 to $10.00 per share. Read more
- More Restructuring At Arkema In France — In another step of a restructuring program, Arkema plans to invest roughly $20 million at its plant in Serquigny, France. Read more
- Dow Signs Pair Of Energy Agreements ... — Dow Chemical and EnBW Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg, one of Germany's leading power companies, are considering building a cogeneration plant at Dow's Stade, Germany, site. Read more
- ... And Plans Texas Chlor-Alkali Plant — Dow Chemical will break ground in Freeport, Texas, this year on a membrane-based chlor-alkali plant scheduled to open in 2011. Read more
- Beijing Unveils Olympic Swim Center — Beijing has unveiled its $200 million National Aquatics Center, the venue in which swimming and diving events will take place at the Olympics this summer. Read more
- Shin-Etsu To Report Accident Close Calls — Shin-Etsu Chemical will begin to publicly disclose the details of operational incidents that were near-accidents. Read more
- Proxy Fight Looms At Biogen Idec — Claiming flaws in Biogen Idec's recent failed attempt to find a buyer, corporate raider Carl Icahn has nominated three people to fill seats on the biotechnology firm's board of directors. Read more
- Lonza Signs Deal With Sanofi Pasteur — Custom manufacturer Lonza has signed a long-term agreement with Sanofi Pasteur. Read more
- Pfizer Signs Pact With Washington University — Pfizer has formed a five-year, $25 million research collaboration with Washington University, St. Louis, in the field of immunoinflammatory disorders. Read more
- Appleton, P&G Sign Encapsulation Pact — Appleton, the world's largest producer of carbonless copy paper, has signed an agreement with Procter & Gamble. Read more
- Business Roundup — Tata Chemicals has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the soda ash business of General Chemical Industrial Products for $1 billion. Also news on PPG Industries, Oxea, Evonik Industries, Staxera, Ineos, Hexion Specialty Chemicals, BASF and Pierre Fabre Laboratories. Read more
January 28, 2008
India Gets In The Race
Indian companies make headway in the risky drug discovery business.
Weight To Exhale
Start-up firm develops Dow gas-sensor technology to help monitor weight loss.
Cover Story: Entering The Tiger Cage
Consumer demand for environmentally friendly cleaning products has changed the game for chemical suppliers.
Reaching Common Ground, Globally
Regulatory oversight doesn't mirror the shifts taking place in drug ingredient manufacturing
Optimism Prevails In Fine Chemicals
Signs point to a brighter business outlook, but the glass could be half empty for some custom chemicals firms
Business Concentrates
- Collusion is alleged among pyrethroid makers — The World Bank says it has found evidence of collusion among four European chemical companies that supplied pyrethroid insecticides to a $114 million malaria control project in India. Read more
- EC again fines rubber producers — The European Commission has imposed fines totaling $50 million on Bayer and Zeon Chemicals for fixing prices on nitrile butadiene rubber, used mainly in auto manufacturing. Read more
- La Seda cancels Interquisa deal — Spanish polyethylene terephthalate (PET) maker La Seda de Barcelona has called off its deal to purchase purified terephthalic acid maker Interquisa from Cepsa, a Spanish oil company. Read more
- Electric car uses Exxon film — A new electric car from Toronto-based Electrovaya will incorporate lithium-ion battery separator films from ExxonMobil Chemical. Read more
- Lanxess relocates Indian production — German chemical maker Lanxess plans to relocate its Indian production of rubber additives from Thane to its site in Jhagadia. Read more
- Dow has research setback in India — Protestors have disrupted work on a Dow Chemical R&D center under construction near Pune, India. Read more
- Roche clinches a deal for Ventana ... — After a prolonged takeover battle, Ventana Medical Systems has agreed at last to be acquired by Roche. Read more
- ... and invests at three drug plants — Roche will spend roughly $390 million to expand sites in Switzerland and Germany. Read more
- Atotech joins with University at Albany — Atotech, the electroplating chemicals subsidiary of France's Total, will support a $5 million nanoelectronics research partnership. Read more
- Bristol-Myers shuts Puerto Rican plant — Bristol-Myers Squibb is closing a plant in Barceloneta, P.R., as part of an overhaul of its manufacturing network. Read more
- Teva will acquire biopharma company — Teva Pharmaceutical Industries has agreed to pay $400 million in cash for CoGenesys, a Rockville, Md.-based biopharmaceutical company focused on developing peptide- and protein-based drugs. Read more
- Pfizer sells site to generics firm — Pfizer is selling its pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in Nerviano, Italy, to Actavis, the Icelandic generic drug company. Read more
- Business Roundup — Dow Corning will spend $5 million to expand its silicone compounding operations in Kendallville, Ind. Also news on Perstorp, BASF, Danisco, Honeywell Electronic Materials, Sigma-Aldrich, Syngenta, Nabi Biopharmaceuticals and Süd-Chemie. Read more
January 21, 2008
Hungarians Rebuild Chemical Bridges
After overcoming the collapse of socialism, chemical and drug industries take joining EU in stride.
Cover Story: Greener Cleaners
Consumer demand for environmentally friendly cleaning products has changed the game for chemical suppliers.
Energy Impact
Small Danish Firm Has Big Hit With Cold-Water Formula
Green Advantage
Cognis And Alco Benefit From Natural Chemistry Roots.
Business Concentrates
- EC Launches Inquiry Into Pharma Industry — The European Commission has launched what it calls a sector inquiry into competition in the pharmaceuticals industry, sending teams of inspectors on surprise visits to the headquarters of several drug companies around Europe. Read more
- Cargill Teams Up With Novozymes — Cargill and enzymes specialist Novozymes have signed a joint agreement to pursue production of acrylic acid from fermentation-derived 3-hydroxypropionic acid. Read more
- DSM Snaps Up Resins Maker — DSM has acquired the Rhode Island company Soluol, a producer of high-performance urethane resins with annual sales of $20 million. Read more
- Evonik Adds H2O2 In South Korea — Firmenich, the world's largest privately owned flavor and fragrance company, will collaborate with Senomyx to develop novel flavor ingredients that provide a cooling effect. Read more
- Rohm And Haas To Buy Emulsions Firm — Rohm and Haas has signed an agreement to acquire Finndisp, the water-based paint emulsion operations of Forcit, for $85 million. Read more
- Schulman Loses Proxy Battle — At its annual meeting on Jan. 10, A. Schulman's shareholders rejected management entreaties and elected two nominees backed by activist investor Ramius Capital Group to the company's board of directors. Read more
- BASF Materials Aid 'Green' Home — BASF provided construction chemicals to the National Homebuilder Mainstream GreenHome recently built in Raleigh, N.C. Read more
- DuPont Licenses Auto Paint Process — DuPont has licensed its EcoConcept coating technology to Bollig & Kemper, a German auto coatings producer that will make base coats used in the process. Read more
- ICL Will Acquire Henkel Water Unit — Israel Chemicals Ltd. is acquiring Henkel's industrial water treatment business for roughly $90 million. Read more
- Calgon Carbon Adds Activated Carbon — Calgon Carbon will spend $20 million to restart an idle production line at its Big Sandy activated carbon plant in Catlettsburg, Ky. Read more
- SABIC May Join Saudi Project — Saudi Basic Industries Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding to become a partner in OSOS Petrochemicals, a chemical project planned for Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Read more
- Wyeth Plant Goes To Newcomer Akrimax — Wyeth has sold its finished drug manufacturing and packaging plant in Rouses Point, N.Y., to Akrimax Pharmaceuticals. Read more
- Ineos Buys More BP Businesses — Privately held chemical maker Ineos has agreed to buy BP's vinyl acetate and ethyl acetate businesses. Read more
- Business Roundup — Yuntianhua International Chemical, a state-owned Chinese firm, lost five people in a fatal sulfuric acid plant explosion on Jan. 13. Also news on Lanxess, Galapagos, Merck KGaA, Linde, NanoGram, Syngenta and Pfizer. Read more
January 14, 2008
Rethinking The One-stop Shop
Aptuit is assembling the parts of what it hopes will be a full-service partner for drug companies.
Specialties Bounce
Micro X tennis ball is a little ambassador for a transformed Akzo Nobel.
Cover Story: World Chemical Outlook
The subprime mortgage mess and $100-per-barrel oil are making the economic picture at the turn of the year look like a small white ball bouncing on a roulette wheel.
United States
Economic woes may impact chemical industry growth, but a major downturn is unlikely.
Canada
Despite mixed results, the industry is optimistic about the future.
Latin America
Chemical projects abound in the fast-growing region.
Europe
Chemical industry rides the crest of the business cycle but readies for possible slowdown.
Asia-Pacific
Although region is still going strong, outlook darkens.
Business Concentrates
- Suit Accuses IBM Of Dumping Chemicals — More than 90 current and former residents who have lived near IBM's original site in Endicott, N.Y., have filed suit against the computer maker alleging it released millions of gallons of industrial chemicals. Read more
- DuPont and Eastman Raise Earnings View — Citing a strong fourth quarter, DuPont has increased its outlook for 2007 earnings and raised its expectations for 2008. Read more
- Akzo Nobel Sets Fast Pace On ICI — Akzo Nobel CEO Hans Wijers says 2008 will be "another vital year" for his company following completion of the acquisition of ICI on Jan. 2. Read more
- Firms Collaborate For Cool Flavors — Firmenich, the world's largest privately owned flavor and fragrance company, will collaborate with Senomyx to develop novel flavor ingredients that provide a cooling effect. Read more
- Gevo Licenses UCLA Biofuel Patents — Gevo has acquired an exclusive license to a method developed at UCLA for modifying Escherichia coli bacteria for use in biofuel development. Read more
- Cabot Purchases AP Materials — Cabot has acquired the assets and technology of AP Materials, a St. Louis-based producer of high-purity metal powders. Read more
- Bayer And Partners Explore Jatropha — Bayer CropScience will work with agricultural processor Archer Daniels Midland and automaker Daimler to jointly develop biodiesel made from jatropha nut kernels. Read more
- Biodiesel Spurs Two Agreements — Two pairs of companies have signed agreements intended to increase the availability and stability of biodiesel fuels. Read more
- Cool Pix from BASF — BASF is showing off the artistic side of chemistry. Read more
- Roche Expands AIDS Drug Network — Roche has signed AIDS technology transfer agreements with local manufacturing companies in Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Read more
- Novozymes Will Close Hyaluronic Acid Plant — Novozymes is closing a plant in Shandong province, China, that produces hyaluronic acid via Streptococcus bacteria fermentation. Read more
- Pfizer Inks Two Collaboration Pacts — Pfizer and Japan's Taisho Pharmaceutical have finalized an agreement under which they will develop TS-032, a Taisho schizophrenia drug candidate now in preclinical development. Read more
- Cambrex Acquires Estonian R&D Firm — Cambrex Karlskoga, the Sweden-based active pharmaceutical ingredients subsidiary of Cambrex, has agreed to purchase ProSyntest, a private API R&D company in Tallinn, Estonia, for an undisclosed sum. Read more
- Business Roundup — Hikal, a custom chemical manufacturer in India, has signed a long-term agreement to supply active pharmaceutical ingredients to Pfizer. Also news on Perstorp, Nova Chemicals, BASF, ChemDiv, DSM and Peakdale Molecular. Read more
January 7, 2008
Cool Comfort
The race to find a replacement auto refrigerant heats up in Europe as a ban on HFC-134a looms.
Free Trade Or Fair Trade
The chemical industry would benefit from international standards of environmental and safety compliance.
Business Concentrates
- Newcomers Acquire Drug Production Plants — Two relatively new entrants to the pharmaceutical chemicals business are buying plants that are being sold by drug firms as they restructure their manufacturing operations. Read more
- Akzo and Basell Complete Big Buys ... — Akzo Nobel completed the $16 billion takeover of ICI on the first business day of 2008. Read more
- ... As Other Deals Are Wrapped Up — The completion of three midsized chemical deals was also announced on 2008's first business day. Read more
- DuPont Picks Site For Kevlar Plant — DuPont has picked its Cooper River, S.C., site to build a $500 million plant making Kevlar-brand p-aramid fiber. Read more
- Four Die In Mitsubishi Fire — A Dec. 21 fire at Mitsubishi Chemical's Kashima, Japan, complex killed four workers and knocked out 500,000 metric tons of Japan's ethylene capacity. Read more
- Eastman Advances Exit From Polyester ... — Eastman Chemical confirms that it has entered a definitive agreement to sell its polyethylene terephthalate-related businesses in Europe to Thailand's Indorama Polymers. Read more
- ... As Spanish Business Changes Hands — Barcelona-based La Seda has acquired Interquisa, a subsidiary of the Spanish oil company Cepsa, in a deal valued at roughly $760 million. Read more
- Oxea to Boost Output of Neopentyl Glycol — Oxea, one of the world's leading makers of oxo chemicals, says it is has improved the manufacturing process at its Oberhausen, Germany, facility. Read more
- PPG Buys a Business, Can't Sell Another — PPG Industries has completed the $3.2 billion purchase of Dutch paint maker SigmaKalon Group from private equity firm Bain Capital. Read more
- Merck Signs Second Deal With Addex — Merck & Co. has signed a second drug development deal with the Swiss biotech firm Addex Pharmaceuticals. Read more
- Cubist Acquires Illumigen Biosciences — Cubist Pharmaceuticals has acquired Illumigen Biosciences, which specializes in the use of human genetic mutations in drug discovery and development. Read more
- Kalexsyn Opens New Medchem Labs — The contract medicinal chemistry firm Kalexsyn has opened new laboratories at Western Michigan University's Business Technology & Research Park. Read more
- Business Roundup — Arkema plans a reorganization of its organic peroxides business in Crosby, Texas. Also news on GenTek's General Chemical, Bayer, Kemira, Metabolic Explorer, Asahi Kasei, Boston-Power, Evonik Industries, Pfizer, and Lonza. Read more
