Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals 2004 - Company News Summary

Penn Pharmaceuticals, the Tredegar-based manufacturer of bespoke unlicensed drugs with 170 staff, has been acquired by Celgene of the US for £62m, and its service division has undergone a secondary management buy-out.
31-Dec-2004

Immunodiagnostic Systems has raised £1.8m in a flotation on Aim to fund the development of a diagnostic test for the MRSA infection.
27-Dec-2004

Sinclair Pharma is to acquire Euroderm, the Italian supplier of dermatology pharmaceuticals with 33 staff, for £4.2m.
23-Dec-2004

Alltracel Pharmaceuticals is to acquire Westone Products, the London-based developer of oral care products, for an initial £4m.
21-Dec-2004

Pharmion, the pharmaceuticals company, is to set up a 20,000 sq ft office at Riverside House in Windsor.
20-Dec-2004

Avecia is to sell its NeoResins coatings and inks business, which has 635 staff at five sites worldwide, to DSM of the Netherlands for £355m.
15-Dec-2004

Montagne Jeunesse is to set up a cosmetics factory at the Baglan Energy Park in Port Talbot early next year, in order to transfer production from Swansea and Horsham.
14-Dec-2004

Premier Research has raised £8m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its Berkshire-based pharmaceutical development outsourcing business.
06-Dec-2004

Strakan has acquired Elfar, the Spanish pharmaceuticals distribution company with 45 staff, for undisclosed terms.
03-Dec-2004

AstraZeneca is to set up a £21m pharmaceuticals manufacturing plant in Egypt in 2007, with the creation of 140 jobs.
02-Dec-2004

ProPharma is planning to double the workforce at its Glasgow-based biotechnology business to 60 over the next three years.
01-Dec-2004

Catapult Venture Managers has helped Food & Drug Analytical Services raise £0.5m to fund the creation of a new Nottingham-based business to provide analytical services for the food and pharmaceutical sectors.
26-Nov-2004

ICI is to sell its National Starch & Chemical polymer operations in North America and Europe to Celanese of the US for £112m.
24-Nov-2004

AstraZeneca is investing £75m in Cambridge Antibody Technology, in order to co-operate in the development of anti-inflammatory drugs.
23-Nov-2004

DuPont is creating 40 new jobs at its Kevlar manufacturing plant at Maydown in Londonderry, having secured £2.5m of financial assistance from Invest NI.
18-Nov-2004

Alcontrol, the environmental and food testing company with 1,500 staff at 26 laboratories in ten countries, has been acquired by private equity firm Candover.
17-Nov-2004

Warwick International has acquired Equest Market Research, the Durham-based supplier of detergent laboratory test products with annual turnover of £2m.
11-Nov-2004

Eclipse Scientific has acquired Silliker, which has 25 staff at analytical laboratories in Swadlincote and Braintree, for undisclosed terms.
10-Nov-2004

Yorkshire Chemicals has gone into receivership through PricewaterhouseCoopers with the loss of 100 manufacturing jobs in Leeds, while the sales and distribution business has been sold to management.
29-Oct-2004

JSC, the Harrogate-based chemical industry consultancy with 20 staff, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms from US parent company Shaw Group.
29-Oct-2004

Syntopix, the Leeds-based life sciences company, has secured a £0.2m capital investment to fund the development of new drugs for dermatological diseases.
29-Oct-2004

Warner Chilcott, the Craigavon-based pharmaceuticals company, has accepted a £1.6bn takeover offer from a private equity consortium of DLJ Merchant Banking and JP Morgan.
28-Oct-2004

Strakan has raised £22m from investors to fund the expansion of its Borders-based pharmaceuticals business, and is interested in product and corporate acquisitions.
27-Oct-2004

Alliance Pharma is to buy various pharmaceutical brands from Unigreg, as well as certain dental assets from CollaGenex International, for a combined £8.8m.
25-Oct-2004

East Anglian Pharmaceuticals, the Norwich-based drugs wholesaler with 130 staff, is to be acquired by Phoenix Healthcare Distribution for undisclosed terms.
25-Oct-2004

Cambridge Biostability has secured £1m of funding from the Department of International Development to develop a new technique that enables vaccines to be stored without the need for refrigeration.
20-Oct-2004

ReGen Therapeutics is to acquire Guildford Clinical Pharmacology Unit, the contract research organisation, for £0.25m.
20-Oct-2004

Synairgen is planning to raise up to £10m in a flotation on Aim to fund the development of new asthma treatments.
13-Oct-2004

Argenta Discovery has merged with Etiologics, creating a combined drug discovery contract research group with 120 staff in Harlow and Slough.
08-Oct-2004

CeNes is to raise £11m in a share placing to fund the development of a pain relief drug.
06-Oct-2004

Lawrence is to acquire the remaining 50% stake in ECO Animal Health, the supplier of veterinary pharmaceutical products, for an initial £8m.
05-Oct-2004

Scottish Enterprise has announced the creation of the Edinburgh Scientific Triangle, in order to unite 3,300 researchers at seven Edinburgh-based life sciences and microchip design institutions under one brand name.
04-Oct-2004

Tor Coatings has bought Blackfriars, the Bristol-based paints supplier, out of administration, securing the future of 45 jobs.
27-Sep-2004

Pfizer is to acquire Meridica, the Cambridge-based drug delivery company, from PA Consulting for £70m.
23-Sep-2004

Browne Group, the Leicester-based chemical instruments company with 65 staff, has been acquired by Steris Corporation of the US for undisclosed terms.
20-Sep-2004

Bachem has set up a new £1.1m pharmaceuticals laboratory in St Helens, with the creation of six jobs.
17-Sep-2004

Huntsman Petrochemicals has announced plans to build a £200m low-density polyethylene plant on Teesside by 2007, with the creation of 117 jobs, and two existing plants will be upgraded.
08-Sep-2004

KHIDI, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, is looking to invest up to £18m in Scottish drug development research projects over the next nine years, having established a new office at the West of Scotland Science Park in Glasgow.
07-Sep-2004

British Vita is looking to expand its chemicals and plastics business by spending £50m a year on acquisitions.
07-Sep-2004

Lloyds TSB Development Capital has backed a management buy-out of the Northumberland-based pharmaceutical business of BASF, creating a new company called Aesica Pharmaceuticals with 140 staff.
03-Sep-2004

Osmetech is to acquire Molecular Sensing, the Melksham-based genetic analysis company, for £3.1m.
02-Sep-2004

Xenova has sold its biopharmaceuticals manufacturing facility in Canada to QSV Biologicals for £3m.
01-Sep-2004

Aroma & Fine Chemicals, the manufacturer of fragrances, has been sold by Close Brothers Private Equity to Octel of the US for £21m.
31-Aug-2004

Albion Chemicals is to build a £1.5m bulk terminal and chemicals distribution centre at the Port of Belfast by next summer.
27-Aug-2004

Upstate, the drugs services group, is to relocate its European operations to a new headquarters at the Invergowrie technical park near Dundee later this year, with the transfer of staff from Milton Keynes and Cambridge.
24-Aug-2004

The Centre for Life in Newcastle is considering plans for a £250m expansion of its medical research facilities, which would involve the development of 500,000 sq ft of additional space over the next ten years.
19-Aug-2004

Physiomics is planning to raise £1m in a flotation on Aim, to fund the development of software that studies cell reaction to various drugs.
16-Aug-2004

ALcontrol Laboratories is to relocate some of its soil contamination laboratory facilities and up to 200 jobs from Cheshire to the new Hawarden Business Park in Flintshire later this year.
13-Aug-2004

North East Lincolnshire Council has approved plans to set up a £6m training centre in Stallingborough by October 2005, in order to train staff for jobs in the chemical industry in the Immingham and Grimsby areas.
12-Aug-2004

Molecular Profiles is to relocate its Nottingham laboratory to a new £2m site on the Nottingham Business Park in October.
02-Aug-2004

Tepnel Life Sciences is to acquire Diaclone Research, the French supplier of monoclonal antibodies, from OPi for £1.6m.
02-Aug-2004

Johnson Matthey is to sell its pigments and dispersions business, which has 280 staff in the UK and Australia, to Rockwood Specialties for £27m.
26-Jul-2004

Cozart has raised £6.7m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its narcotics testing business.
21-Jul-2004

Johnson Matthey is to acquire Lancaster Synthesis, the organic chemicals supplier with manufacturing facilities in Morecambe and 225 staff worldwide, from Clariant for £14m.
14-Jul-2004

Cyclacel is to raise £27m in a flotation to fund the expansion of its cancer drugs business.
05-Jul-2004

PZ Cussons has acquired the Charles Worthington hair care business for an initial £25m.
02-Jul-2004

Biotrace International has acquired Tecra Holdings, the Australian supplier of test kits for food-related pathogens, for £5.2m.
15-Jun-2004

Evolutec is planning to raise £7.5m in a flotation on Aim to fund the development of new drugs.
14-Jun-2004

Great Lakes Chemical Corp has sold its chemicals factory in Holywell to Ian Shott Development for undisclosed terms, and the 57 staff will be retained to offer a range of research and development services.
10-Jun-2004

Strakan Pharmaceuticals is to merge with Proskelia of France, in order to create a combined skin, bone and hormone disorder company with a valuation of £200m.
09-Jun-2004

Bartoline has unveiled plans to build a new £5m 60,000 sq ft solvents factory in Beverley by December, following last year's fire at its previous site.
03-Jun-2004

Ardana, the Edinburgh-based biotechnology company, has secured £9m of new funding to expand its sales and marketing operations and to pursue further licensing opportunities.
28-May-2004

Perbio Science is to create 40 jobs in Cramlington over the next two years, following the £7m expansion at its HyClone bioscience pharmaceuticals factory.
27-May-2004

Profile Therapeutics, the West Sussex-based biotechnology company, is to be acquired by Respironics of the US for £25m.
24-May-2004

Celltech, the biotechnology company, is to be acquired by UCB of Belgium for £1.53bn.
19-May-2004

Chiron has sold its needle-free injection technology to PowderMed, a new company set up by former managers of Powderject.
17-May-2004

AstraZeneca and Royal Cosun are to sell their Advanta seeds business to Syngenta of Switzerland for £280m.
13-May-2004

Galen has sold its UK-based pharmaceutical sales and marketing operation to its founder for £40m, and has also announced the sale of its sterile fluids solutions business to Gambro BCT of the US for £2.5m.
30-Apr-2004

The Department of Trade & Industry is planning to set up a research centre to develop alternatives to animal testing, and the Medical Research Council may be given a leading role in the project.
26-Apr-2004

Elementis is to acquire Sasol Servo, the Dutch surfactants manufacturer with sites in the US, Mexico and Italy, for £32m.
23-Apr-2004

Ultrafine, the Manchester-based provider of contract chemistry services for drug development with 80 staff, has been acquired by Sigma-Aldrich of the US for undisclosed terms.
21-Apr-2004

Shire Pharmaceuticals is to sell its vaccines division to ID Biomedical of Canada for £66m, and Shire will loan about £60m to ID to fund the development of new products.
21-Apr-2004

Angel Biotechnology has raised £1.8m of venture capital funding to set up a clinical manufacturing facility in Northumberland by the end of the year, with the creation of 12 jobs.
20-Apr-2004

James Briggs, the Oldham-based manufacturer of chemical and aerosol products, has been acquired by ITW of the US for £20m.
19-Apr-2004

British Biocell International is planning to raise £3m in a flotation on Aim, in order to fund the expansion of its diagnostics business.
14-Apr-2004

Adprotech, the Cambridge-based drug discovery company with 20 staff, has been sold by Prelude Trust to Inflazyme Pharmaceuticals of Canada for £8.2m.
14-Apr-2004

GlaxoSmithKline has acquired two heart disease drugs from Sanofi-Synthelabo for £297m, including a manufacturing facility in France that employs 650 staff.
14-Apr-2004

British Vita has acquired Atlas, the Australian manufacturer of ceramic tile adhesive, for £1.2m.
08-Apr-2004

Norwood Immunology is planning to raise £15m in a flotation on Aim to fund the development of new treatments to combat immune system diseases.
05-Apr-2004

BP is to sell its global special products business, including production and distribution activities with net assets of £10m, to German speciality products company H&R Wasag.
05-Apr-2004

Lawrence, the supplier of pharmaceutical products for the animal health and farming markets, is to sell its Interpet pet products division to Central Garden & Pet Company of the US in a £16m deal.
02-Apr-2004

Estee Lauder, the cosmetics company, has confirmed plans to relocate up to 300 jobs from Petersfield to a new £10m warehouse, manufacturing and office complex in Fareham early next year.
22-Mar-2004

Acolyte Biomedica has raised £3.7m of venture capital to fund the development of a test for drug-resistant superbugs.
22-Mar-2004

Arakis is looking to raise £25m from investors to fund the expansion of its drug development business.
22-Mar-2004

Pochin has won a £15m contract to build a pharmaceutical production facility for Evans Vaccines in Speke.
18-Mar-2004

De Witt, the Runcorn-based company with almost 100 staff, has expanded its medicated skincare business with the acquisition of T-Zone for undisclosed terms.
17-Mar-2004

Monitor Coatings is looking to more than double the 32-strong workforce at its Wallsend-based coatings manufacturing business, and is relocating to a larger site at the West Chirton Industrial Estate.
17-Mar-2004

GlaxoSmithKline is planning to set up a £76m medical imaging research centre at Hammersmith Hospital in London, in partnership with Imperial College and the Medical Research Council.
17-Mar-2004

AstraZeneca is to invest £16m in new drug discovery facilities at its Charnwood site by 2006, with the creation of 75 scientific jobs, and has also provided details of a further investment at Alderley Park in Cheshire.
17-Mar-2004

Barclays Private Equity is to acquire a majority stake in Dualwise, the manufacturer of skin creams and lotions, in a £135m deal.
15-Mar-2004

Avecia is to sell its biocides business, which has 290 staff at sites in Huddersfield, Grangemouth, Manchester and the US, to Arch Chemicals of the US for £118m.
11-Mar-2004

Astex has announced a multi-million pound collaboration agreement with Boehringer of Germany, which will involve the development of new drugs using Astex's Pyramid technology.
10-Mar-2004

Theratase is to acquire Seravac Biotech, the South African supplier of naturally-derived enzymes to the pharmaceutical industry, for £1.9m.
09-Mar-2004

BioProgress has acquired Aquafilm, the US developer of pill coating products, for £6m, and has also raised £10m in a share placing.
09-Mar-2004

Vortex Group, the Teesside-based sealant and adhesive manufacturer with 17 staff, has been bought out of receivership by Orapi of France for undisclosed terms.
08-Mar-2004

Intercell of Austria has acquired the Excell Biotech manufacturing plant in Livingston in order to develop treatments for infectious diseases and cancer, but 23 of the site's 46 jobs will be lost.
04-Mar-2004

Chiron has started work on the £53m expansion of its vaccine manufacturing plant in Liverpool, in order to cope with rising demand from the US.
27-Feb-2004

Atofina is to reorganise its UK operations by setting up a new sales office in Stalybridge for its petrochemicals business and a new sales office for its chlorochemicals and performance products business in Solihull.
27-Feb-2004

Domantis has raised £18m from 3i and a number of US-based investors to fund the expansion of its drug development business.
23-Feb-2004

Brecon Pharmaceuticals is planning to double the size of its production plant in Hay-on-Wye with the creation of 100 jobs.
19-Feb-2004

Orla Protein Technologies has secured a £0.3m grant from Northern Enterprise to expand its nanobiotechnology business and collaborate with global pharmaceutical groups.
17-Feb-2004

Estee Lauder, the cosmetics company, is to set up a 200,000 sq ft distribution centre in Fareham, Hampshire.
16-Feb-2004

Oxoid, the Basingstoke-based supplier of diagnostic products, has been sold by PPM Ventures to Fisher Scientific International for £177m.
13-Feb-2004

York Inward Investment Board has announced that Efamol is to set up a headquarters for its fatty acids research and marketing business in Selby, with the creation of ten jobs.
13-Feb-2004

Accelrys is creating 30 new jobs at its biotechnology software business in Cambridge.
12-Feb-2004

Alliance Pharma has acquired four Dermapharm dermatology brands for a total £0.9m, while the infrastructure and staff of Dermapharm which will be divested into a new company called Dermapharm Skincare.
11-Feb-2004

ML Laboratories has sold Healthcare Education Services, the St Albans-based provider of pharmaceutical industry training services with annual turnover of £1.2m, to Bridgehead Pharmalicensing Group.
10-Feb-2004

Amersham, the diagnostic imaging company, has announced proposals to build a multi-million pound headquarters and conference centre at its base in Chalfont St Giles.
09-Feb-2004

BBSRC is considering proposals to close the Silsoe Research Institute in Bedfordshire in 2006, with the loss of up to 130 jobs, in order to transfer its agricultural research to other institutes.
09-Feb-2004

Yorkshire Group is to sell part of its US-based textile dyes business to DyStar for £4.8m.
04-Feb-2004

Xcellsyz is looking to raise up to £5m of venture capital to fund its research into diabetes, and expects to increase its Newcastle-based workforce from 10 to 30.
04-Feb-2004

Lab901 has raised £1m in cash and grant assistance to fund the commercial development of its ScreenTape DNA testing equipment, and is looking to recruit six scientists.
30-Jan-2004

BOC has sold its packaged gases business in the US to Airgas for up to £110m, including medical, industrial and speciality gases.
28-Jan-2004

Fruiting Bodies, the Llangadog-based producer of medicinal mushroom extracts, has secured an investment from Finance Wales to expand its facilities and increase its workforce to about 50 over the next three years.
22-Jan-2004

Kidde has acquired the fire-fighting chemicals division of Croda International, which employs 65 people at sites in Kirkby and France, for £4.4m.
20-Jan-2004

Genzyme of the US is to set up a biotechnology research facility in Cambridge this year, with 150 staff.
14-Jan-2004

Pfizer is to close its sales and marketing office in Southampton in March with the loss of up to 115 jobs, while a further 60 staff will relocate to its headquarters in Surrey.
08-Jan-2004

Elan is to sell its European sales and marketing business to Medeus UK, a new pharmaceutical company backed by Apax Partners, for £66m.
07-Jan-2004

Aneda, the biotechnology company spun out from Edinburgh University, has been acquired by QbioCom of Surrey for £1m.
06-Jan-2004

Network Health & Beauty has acquired a number of additional brands for £7.2m, including Harmony hairspray, Bodymist, Amplex and Goldspot.
06-Jan-2004