27.05.2010

Using Ingenuity

Global Player - Dow Corning's chairman, president and CEO, Dr. Stephanie Burns, has become something of a regular in Washington, D.C., where she works together with the nation's leaders on ideas to encourage innovation and to create more jobs in the chemical industry. But her efforts don't stop at the U.S. border; Dow Corning is internationally active, and Burns says she believes governments all over the world play an important role in helping accelerate emerging technologies, particularly in the area of alternative energy. more26.05.2010

CFO: Saudi SABIC 'Not Desperate' for Bond Issue

The chief financial officer of chemical maker Saudi Basic Industries Corp (SABIC) on Tuesday said the firm was "not desperate" to issue a bond, as jittery investors continue their sell-off in global markets. Sabic Capital, a unit of the largest listed company in the Gulf Arab region, concluded investor roadshows on Tuesday for a benchmark dollar bond issue which was expected to price midweek. "Thank goodness SABIC is not in a bind. Markets right now are very volatile. We are happy that we are not desperate," CFO Mutlaq al-Morished told Reuters in a phone interview. more26.05.2010

U.S. Warns Perrigo Over Ongoing Manufacturing Lapses

Perrigo has repeatedly failed to correct multiple manufacturing violations at its Allegan, Mich., facility that have resulted in drug mix-ups and contamination, according to U.S. health regulators. Shares of the drug manufacturer and distributor fell 6% to $53.61 in early trading on the Nasdaq after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released its warning letter to the company citing the problems. more26.05.2010

Teva Tests Biosimilar Version of Roche's Rituxan

Israel's Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is developing a generic version of Roche's blockbuster antibody drug Rituxan, highlighting the race to produce so-called biosimilar medicines. Teva is recruiting 60 patients in Germany and Hungary into a clinical trial comparing Roche's original product with its copy, known as TL011, in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. more26.05.2010

FDA: J&J Unit Needs More Inspection After Lapses

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is calling for further inspection and an outside audit of a Johnson & Johnson unit following manufacturing lapses. The FDA, in a warning letter made public on Tuesday, cited multiple problems at Advanced Sterilization Products, a division of J&J's Ethicon, including failures to verify design changes needed to make sure devices work properly. The division also did not ensure that finished devices met necessary requirements, among other violations, the FDA wrote March 12. more26.05.2010

BP Tests Tricky 'Top Kill' As Obama Exerts Pressure

BP began critical testing on Tuesday of its "top kill" plan to plug the gushing Gulf of Mexico oil well while President Barack Obama vented frustration over the energy giant's inability to contain what is likely the largest
U.S. oil spill ever. Five weeks into an environmental disaster with no end in sight, Obama has told aides to "plug the damn hole" and plans to make his second visit to the Louisiana Gulf coast on Friday. more26.05.2010

‘An Unforgettable Experience’

One thing up front: Terry Gilhooley's favorite sport is not soccer. "Rugby," says the manager of Protective Coatings South and East Africa for Akzo Nobel subsidiary International Paint, "is a true gentleman's sport." This, however, didn't stop Gilhooley from coordinating the gigantic undertaking of providing the coatings for five of the 10 FIFA 2010 World Cup stadiums in South Africa. "It's a project I will remember all of my life," he said. more25.05.2010

New Water-Splitting Catalyst Found

Expanding on work published two years ago, MIT's Daniel Nocera and his associates have found yet another formulation, based on inexpensive and widely available materials, that can efficiently catalyze the splitting of water molecules using electricity. more