Tag Archives: CXP

PRNews

Merck Opens its First Customer Food Safety Studio

– New Food Safety Studio in Bellevue, Washington, serves as global center for innovation and collaboration

– Demonstration and training lab space extends product and process development to customers

DARMSTADT, Germany, Aug. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Merck, a leading science and technology company, has opened its first global Food Safety Studio in Bellevue, Washington for manufacturers of all types of food (beef, poultry, produce, etc.) to collaborate with Merck scientists on developing safety products for rapid detection of foodborne pathogens.

The new 5,300-square foot center gives customers access to a complete food safety workflow, from raw materials testing to finished-product safety testing, to help find, correct and prevent hazards within the food supply chain. The center allows customers to work with many manual or automated food safety products such as testing kits and hygiene swabs that are critical to maintaining safety throughout the manufacturing process.

“The opening of Merck’s Food Safety Studio demonstrates our commitment to ensuring the safety of the global food supply,” said Jean-Charles Wirth, Head of the Applied Solutions business unit, Life Science at Merck. “We are bringing teams together in a workspace designed to foster open innovation and collaboration with the goal of becoming the leader in food safety testing.”

According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 600 million people in the world — almost one-in-10 — fall ill after eating contaminated food, and 420,000 die every year.

Merck, which earlier this year acquired BioControl Systems, a global leader in food safety testing, helps customers protect the global food supply by providing a comprehensive portfolio of state-of-the-art testing technologies.

Customer visits are being scheduled for the new Food Safety Studio, which features a Food Safety Demonstration Center designed with a classroom setting and demonstration lab.

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About Merck
Merck is a leading science and technology company in healthcare, life science and performance materials. Around 50,000 employees work to further develop technologies that improve and enhance life – from biopharmaceutical therapies to treat cancer or multiple sclerosis, cutting-edge systems for scientific research and production, to liquid crystals for smartphones and LCD televisions. In 2016, Merck generated sales of €15 billion in 66 countries.

Founded in 1668, Merck is the world’s oldest pharmaceutical and chemical company. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed corporate group. Merck holds the global rights to the “Merck” name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the company operates as EMD Serono, MilliporeSigma and EMD Performance Materials.

PRNews

Tekni-Plex begins production at new China manufacturing facility

$15 million investment supports Tekni-Plex’s continued commitment to global supply network

WAYNE, Pennsylvania, Aug. 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Tekni-Plex, Inc.’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, near Shanghai has begun production. The company will hold a grand opening celebration on September 19th.


Tekni-Plex, Inc.’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, near Shanghai has begun production. The company will hold a grand opening celebration on September 19th. The facility is producing Natvar’s recently-announced silicone extrusion tubing and Colorite custom compounds for medical device applications. Production will also include Action Technology’s dip tubes for food/beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, industrial and household pump products.

Earlier this year, Tekni-Plex announced a $15 million investment in the facility to support the growing needs of the Asia-Pacific pharmaceutical and medical device market.

The more than 140,000-square-foot (13,000-square-meter) facility has already started manufacturing products for Tekni-Plex’s Natvar, Colorite and Action Technology business units. The facility features three Class 100K cleanrooms to accommodate medical-grade tubing and components production plus one Class 10K cleanroom that will produce Natvar’s pharma-grade tubing.

The facility is producing Natvar’s recently-announced silicone extrusion tubing for catheters, feeding tubes, drug delivery and peristaltic pump applications. Production for microextrusion tubing that targets a wide variety of demanding neurovascular interventional therapies and surgical applications is expected to be onstream early next year. The facility will also manufacture Colorite custom compounds for medical device applications, and Action Technology’s dip tubes used in a wide variety of food/beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care, industrial and household pump applications.

Among those representing Tekni-Plex at the ribbon cutting will be Paul Young, chief executive officer, Russell Hubbard, vice president-international and general manager, Ian Kenny, global managing director, Colorite, and Bob Donohue, general manager of the company’s Natvar business unit.  Local officials are also expected to attend.

For further information about attending the event contact Coco Xu at Coco.Xu@tekni-plex.com.

About Tekni-Plex, Inc.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2017, Tekni-Plex is a globally-integrated company focused on developing and manufacturing innovative packaging materials, medical compounds and precision-crafted medical tubing solutions for some of the most well-known names in the medical, pharmaceutical, personal care, household and industrial, and food and beverage industries. Tekni-Plex is headquartered in Wayne, Pennsylvania, and operates manufacturing sites across eight countries worldwide to meet the needs of its global customers.  For more information visit www.tekni-plex.com.

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Source: Tekni-Plex, Inc.

PRNews

Decision Resources Group Acquires Context Matters to Expand Global Market Access Intelligence Offerings

BURLINGTON, Massachusetts, Aug. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Decision Resources Group (DRG), the life sciences industry’s most trusted provider of market intelligence and global data products and services, today announced that it has completed the acquisition of Context Matters, the innovative data technology start-up that developed a first-of-its-kind global market access integrated data platform. Previously the lead investor in a Series B funding round for the startup last fall, DRG’s full acquisition and planned integration of Context Matters cements its position as the partner of choice for global market access data products, analytics, and strategic guidance.

The acquisition of Context Matters reinforces DRG’s commitment to providing a deep understanding of global market access landscapes which life sciences organizations can leverage to drive profitable asset management from development through commercialization. It will fortify DRG’s global market access portfolio by combining the novel Context Matters data model, which links global regulatory and health technology assessment data to detailed clinical trial data, with DRG’s existing suite of products and services.  The addition of Context Matters will result in a full service global market access and drug value navigation partner to the life sciences industry, with the flexibility to deliver solutions scaled to client needs and timing—from tactical target points to end-to-end enterprise strategy.

“There is an ever-rising demand to optimize global access to treatments for patients in therapy areas that continue to have unmet need. In our increasingly complex and cost-benefit driven markets, it is imperative for healthcare companies to build robust, evidence-based approaches to plan and prepare their assets for successful global market access,” says Peter Hempshall, Senior Vice President of DRG. “With the acquisition of Context Matters, DRG is pleased to welcome an experienced team of pioneering global market access experts. They have been at the forefront of compiling and connecting disparate forms of data to provide life sciences companies with the depth of data and direction needed to plan and implement successful access, reimbursement and asset valuation strategies for varied global markets.”

“Context Matters was created from the idea that data from market access and reimbursement can be used to inform clinical trial design,” explained Yin Ho, M.D., M.B.A., the Founder and CEO of Context Matters. “It has been extremely gratifying to watch Context Matters become a force to change the thinking of the pharmaceutical industry around how to use data to position and honestly evaluate the value of customers’ assets in a global marketplace,” said Dr. Ho. “We have been leaders in the industry and our vision will continue to live on in our products, services, and customers as we move forward with DRG.”

About Context Matters, Inc.

Context Matters modernizes and improves the process of valuing drug therapies, empowering life sciences organizations to achieve optimal reimbursement for their innovation. The Context Matters Market Access Platform (MAP) defines a new product category for global drug valuation — a configurable technology platform linking drug development and market data through a sophisticated model making comparative analysis and contextual views possible to establish reimbursement and market access. The MAP is a disruptive innovation that provides pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies direct access to the insights they need to inform key product development decisions and gain optimal reimbursement value. Visit ContextMatters.com for more information.

About Decision Resources Group

Decision Resources Group, a subsidiary of Piramal Enterprises Ltd., is the premier source for global healthcare data and market intelligence. A trusted partner for over 20 years, DRG helps companies competing in the global healthcare industry make informed business decisions. Organizations committed to the development and delivery of life-changing therapies rely on DRG’s in-house team of expert healthcare analysts, data scientists, and consultants for critical guidance. DRG products and services, built on extensive data assets and delivered by experts, empower organizations to succeed in complex healthcare markets. Please visit decisionresourcesgroup.com for more information.

For press inquiries, please contact Tori Gillern at tgillern@teamdrg.com.

PRNews

Verdezyne Groundbreaking Ceremony in Malaysia Commemorates Initiation Of The World’s First Biobased DDDA Plant

-VerdePalm Plant to Use Sustainable Palm-based Materials to Manufacture Components of FerroShield™ Dibasic Acid Mixture for Superior Corrosion Inhibition

CARLSBAD, Calif. and KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Verdezyne Inc., a synthetic biology company producing biobased chemicals, announced today that a groundbreaking ceremony was held on July 30th for its VerdePalm plant, Verdezyne’s first commercial-scale renewable chemicals manufacturing facility, at the Bio-XCell premier biotechnology and ecosystem park in Nusajaya, Iskandar, in southern Malaysia. The new facility is designed to produce biobased long chain diacids via fermentation of Verdezyne’s proprietary yeast, which has been engineered to use non-food biomass to produce high value chemicals.  The first product produced at VerdePalm will be dodecanedioic acid (DDDA), a 12-carbon diacid that is a component of many consumer products currently made from petroleum.  DDDA is a main building block of FerroShield™, Verdezyne’s nitrate-free dibasic acid mixture used in a variety of corrosion inhibitor applications.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the VerdePalm plant was co-hosted by Chad Waite, Chairman of the Verdezyne Board of Directors, and YBhg. Tan Sri Dato‘ Abdul Ghani Othman, Chairman of the Board of Sime Darby Berhad, the largest investor in Verdezyne Inc.  Attendees included Malaysian dignitaries and representatives from Verdezyne’s partners, Bio-XCell Malaysia and the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation.  The Guest of Honor, YAB Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Chief Minister of Johor, presented the Officiating Speech.

The VerdePalm plant is expected to be completed in 12-18 months.  VerdePalm will be the world’s first biobased plant for DDDA production.  “Importantly, the starting yeast will be made from the spent biomass that results from palm oil processing,” Waite stated.  “Crude palm oil and palm byproducts, as well as other plant-based raw materials, will be used to produce approximately 6,000 metric tons of industrial grade DDDA each year.  Verdezyne’s technology will enable a very low-value by-product of palm oil processing to become a high-value “green” product that reduces the use of petroleum.” 

“We are excited that a product made by Verdezyne and our Malaysian partners will be shipped around the world to be used as an alternative to the typical petroleum-derived intermediate chemicals,” said E. William Radany, Ph.D., President and CEO of Verdezyne. “The VerdePalm plant is part of our comprehensive strategy of expansion into Asia, and represents a major step toward our goal of replacing petroleum-derived chemicals with renewable drop-in replacements,” he noted.

“Malaysia is proud to host Verdezyne’s first commercial manufacturing plant, which is located at the Malaysin Bio-XCell park.  I believe the eco-system provided by the park will be an excellent fit for the VerdePalm facility.  Malaysia will continue to commit to the ongoing advancement of biotechnology in the country.  The groundbreaking ceremony signifies Verdezyne’s readiness to work with Malaysia and marks another milestone in our quest to add value to the palm industry using biotechnology as a catalyst,” said Zainal Azman B. Abu Kasim, Senior Vice President of BioIndustrials, Bioeconomy Corporation in Malaysia.

DDDA is a key component of FerroShield, which can be used in numerous corrosion inhibitor applications including metalworking fluids, engine coolants, metal cleaners, die cast release agents, and aqueous hydraulic fluids.  “Marketing of FerroShield was launched in February of this year,” Dr. Radany added. “The rust inhibition industry is in need of a high-performing dibasic acid mixture that can be easily incorporated into existing customer formulas.  We foresee strong demand for FerroShield in a number of countries in Asia and Europe, as well as in the U.S. and Canada.”

About Verdezyne 
Verdezyne is a synthetic biology company offering biobased chemicals manufactured via fermentation of its proprietary yeast cells. The company has two commercial products, BIOLON™ DDDA (dodecanedioic acid) and FerroShield™ dibasic acid mixture.  Current investors in Verdezyne include BP Ventures, DSM Venturing B.V., OVP Venture Partners, Monitor Ventures, and Sime Darby. For more information, visit www.verdezyne.com or connect with the company on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

For samples, orders or more information about Verdezyne’s FerroShield, please contact:

Verdezyne Media Contact:

Jenna Ngian 
Vice President, Global Sales and Marketing
JNgian@Verdezyne.com  
+1-760-707-5288 

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