Friday, April 29, 2005

EU project aims to make nanotechnology safe

from in-pharmatech...

link

look, it's a personal interest thing...even if you find it boring...

Thanks for caring...

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Blogging Interphex...Day 3

Well, two days out of the office turns out to be all I can spare...too busy with project work to attend Day 3, so we'll just have to settle for some general information...

I ran in to someone covering Interphex yesterday...(forgive me for not getting your name...) and she suggested I contact Interphex directly for some information on the success of the event as a whole...

Tricia Hohenstein, Marketing Coordinator for the expocenter was kind enough to provide some general information regarding this year's show...although the final numbers on attendance are not in, there were 954 exhibitors with 1350 vendors. Tricia stated, via e-mail, "Last year we had over 10,000 attendees and this year was just as high or even higher...in addition we had over 115 new conference sessions, morning keynotes and many other special events. The overall impression I got from exhibitors and attendees was that they had a great show and we have had many exhibitors already re-sign for next year." Feel free to contact Tricia at thohenstein@reedexpo.com if you have any further questions...

In my opinion, it was a great event...I had a great time...and will be planning on seeing you next year...

check out a search on interphex on technorati for additional "buzz" on the web...

Blogging Interphex...Day 2

The weather looks a little iffy today, but I made the walk to Javits without getting wet.

An even better crowd today than yesterday...maybe it was Rudy Guiliani's Keynote Address on "Leadership"...I feel like Bill Murray doing his Oscar selection on an old SNL episode..."great movie, but I missed it..." same with me for the speech...people I talked to were very impressed with Rudy's sincerity and overall presentation...and I saw several people with copies of the book.

Back in the booth and got a chance to talk to a lot of people...
and that pretty much described Wednesday...yesterday was all business, seeing people you needed to see, getting info, etc., etc... today seemed much more personal, say hi to people you haven't seen in a while, catch up...find out who is working where...that sort of thing...The adult beverages were flowing pretty early, maybe that helped the mood a little bit...One person from the operations side suggested your project work load determines whether you spend the show racing around getting information you need for work, or just relaxing and visiting...makes sense to me...

I saw about 6 or 7 people with all the stamps necessary to get a shot at the Cooper...Good Luck to all!!!

Novo Nordisk got the Facility of the Year Award...designed by NNE and MT Hojgaard...I had reviewed the early entry information and didn't get any sense of how cool this project was...make sure you see the "post award" brochure...it gives a much better sense of the transparent glass approach to the interior...First Class project, very slick...

Cool Booths/ Give-aways Part 2- Several people from the office had more time (or patience) to walk the floor than I did...Notable for today were the back massage things from Advantapure and Johnson Controls had memory sticks. As far as activities, the booth with the foot massage machine got rave reviews!!! Standing up all day is a drag...

I think next year I need to set aside some more time for conferences and scouting out the activities...

That's all for now...

Blogging Interphex...Day 1

Well, it's that time of year again...Interphex!!!

Great weather for a walk to the Javits Center...sunny and warm...much better than other years...it seems much further from the train station to Javits when it is snowing out...

Working the booth- even though it is early, it seems like a good crowd...I spent the morning working in our booth WGI and, in between providing stamps for the Mini Cooper give-away, met a bunch of nice people...in particular, I noticed a real international presence...members of the Russian Trade Delegation stopped by and several visitors were from South America.

Walking the floor- I didn't get to walk the floor until the afternoon...a whole new section has been added downstairs...I didn't get down there much, maybe tomorrow. I was mostly looking for stuff I need for work, mostly the facility stuff. Had to make sure everyone has my current address information! In talking to the Vendors, everyone wants to know if you're looking in regards to a specific project. Obviously, a real live project is still a rare thing these days and everybody is looking hard...

Equipment- Kudos to the various equipment companies for the amount of big equipment they bring to display...what an effort that must be...IMA wins the prize for "Best Piece of Equipment" with the full vial washer tunnel and filling line they had on display...along with a lot of other equipment. The disposable type equipment is obviously catching on. This equipment is maturing and the amount and variety on display was impressive. I was a bit disappointed that more of the equipment wasn't running in demonstration mode. I realize this is difficult at the show, but it makes for a great presentation...consider it a missed opportunity to show your equipment in the best possible light. The mixing demonstrations in the see-through tanks were very cool.

Cool Booths/ Giveaways- What's really important?...getting the cool give-aways!!! So who had the cool stuff?...the cool activities? Let's get to the bottom of this...Aramark had cool bouncy balls- just the right size...WGI had the cool construction Matchbox trucks- cement mixer/ dump truck/ plow matching set- very popular with people with kids (and immature engineers, just kidding guys...although I've got a set on my desk)...someone had little sticky-dart things- very high cool factor. The booths with activities draw a good crowd...I saw a basketball court which looked fun, a putting green- kind of last year, though, and a arcade-style motorcycle ride game which had people standing in line...

Interphex Connects- I had trouble getting past the login on this thing, as someone else had registered me and I didn't have the right password...the e-mail help function didn't seem to work...neat idea though.

Networking Reception- WGI hosted the Networking Reception and it drew a good crowd...the band was very good, but loud if you want to have a conversation...(did that just make me sound middle-aged?) good turnout with a thought-provoking presentation...oh yeah, we auctioned off an iPod, too...several people thanked us for the reception...I guess a cold beer goes good after a long day of booth-crawling...

Travel Hint- if you come in to the city by train (from the south), don't try to park at Princeton Junction unless you get there real early...

Well this will be posted later, as this all made for a long day...

more tomorrow...

keyword: Interphex blog



Monday, April 25, 2005

Monoclonal antibody cures West Nile virus-infected mice

A mono-clonal antibody that works!!! Good news if you live in New Jersey!!!

(our state bird is the mosquito...just kidding...)

from the Washington University of St. Louis

link

Friday, April 22, 2005

Disposables 'could cut vaccine development time'

industry presentation from Pall

Link

from in-pharmatech

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Patent decision determines future drug R&D

Merck versus Integra LifeSciences...

Link

from in-pharmtechnologist.com

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

A Milestone in Pharmaceutical Packaging Falls...

to a re-design for Target...

link

Did this get covered in any industry magazines, etc?

Tuesday, April 19, 2005

Starting Salaries Remain "Depressed" For 2004 Chemistry Grads

Just in case you think you may have picked the wrong career...


from biospace.com

link

Friday, April 15, 2005

AstraZeneca (AZN) Boss May Move Operations To Asia

from our friends at the Hindu Business Line...

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/businessline/blnus/02151711.htm

I'll bet you didn't think I had any friends at the Hindu Business Line...

DNA project to trace human steps

from our friends at the BBC...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4435009.stm

Breakthrough In Stem Cell Research

from the land down under...

from biospace.com

http://biospace.com/news_story.cfm?StoryID=19671920

Monday, April 11, 2005

Merck Announces the Death of Dr. Maurice R. Hilleman

more vaccine history type news...

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050411/115849.html?.v=1

Salk had Help Developing Polio Vaccine

and we all thought Architect's were the only one's who don't like sharing all the glory...

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050411/ap_on_sc/polio_vaccine_salk_4

Glory?, What Glory?...

Drug Sector Slow Growth of Singapore Economy

from BBC news

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4432033.stm

Northfield Labs Phase lll Trial Continues...

for those who care, deeply, about oxygen therapeutics...

http://biospace.com/news_story.cfm?StoryID=19639320&full=1

Interphex

26th- 28th April- New York City!!!

http://interphex.com/App/homepage.cfm?moduleid=42&appname=100026

yeah, I know, I already posted this...

but I couldn't find it again...

See you there...

Thursday, April 07, 2005

FDA News- COX-2 NSAIDs will get new labels

from FDA.gov

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2005/NEW01171.html

Bextra to be withdrawn from market...

Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Technique to Fix DNA Flaws Is Tested

from the Washington Post.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A23637-2005Apr3?language=printer

The article makes reference to "conventional gene therapy" and it's failings and how this technique represents an improvement...

I guess if enough time goes by, even stuff that doesn't work becomes conventional...

Monday, April 04, 2005

Pfizer Inc. (PFE) Expected To Unveil $2 Billion Cost-Cutting Plan

Pfizer hits the news with tommorrow's financial report

from biospace.com

http://biospace.com/news_story.cfm?StoryId=19574820

Sunday, April 03, 2005

Merck' Creation

by Thomas Ginsberg- Philadelphia Inquirer

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/business/11295681.htm

This was published in the paper hard copy with a fairly lame picture of the West Point site...

with 2 helicopters, I would have thought they could have done better...

unfortunatly, the picture didn't make the online version of the article

Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical and Fujisawa Pharmaceutical Co Unite To Form Astellas Pharma, North American Headquarters To Be In Chicago

a new addition to the Top 20 Big Pharma List...

I guess that means we should post the old Top 20 Big pharms list...

I wonder who it was that lost a spot?


from biospace.com

http://biospace.com/news_story.cfm?StoryId=19563720