Chemistry World Blog

— Graphene

Congratulations are in order for Karl Coleman the Chemistry World Entrepreneur of the year 2011. Not for winning our prize (which is great, of course, but we announced that back in July 2011 so it is old news really…) but for securing a significant amount of funding for his spin-off company Durham Graphene Science (DGS).

Coleman who is a reader in the chemistry department at Durham University, UK, and who received last year’s accolade for ‘his development of new intellectual property for the production of graphene ans its commercial exploitation’,  has just received the news that North East Technology fund, IP Group and Northstar Ventures have committed £1.2 million worth of investment money to DGS.

The company, which was founded less than 2 years ago in August 2010, is a spin out of Durham University and was created by Coleman  to commercialise the manufacture of graphene flakes using chemical vapour deposition. For those who may be interested, you can read all about it in the feature we wrote in September. My question for Dr Coleman is: how much closer does this bring us to be making graphene by the kilo?

Bibiana Campos-Seijo

12 February 2012: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…

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New direction for Reckitt – Victrelis warning for HIV patients – And US drafts biosimiliars guidance

CHEMICAL – Dow says that technology in its new line of herbicide products reduces ‘by up to a factor of three’ how much the active chemicals drift away from the sprayed area. The key is ‘2,4-D choline’, the salt produced from 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, an extremely popular herbicide, and choline, an essential nutrient. Dow says that the formulation and the manufacturing process are also important. The company announced that it had begun producing 2,4-D choline at commercial scale in November 2011.

CHEMICAL – Consumer products giant Reckitt Benckiser is planning to merge its North American and European divisions to save money – £30 million per year – and focus attention on emerging markets. The headquarters of the new division will be in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Incoming chief executive Rakesh Kapoor said that the company should increase investment in its health and hygiene products, which represent higher margins and more growth potential.

PHARMACEUTICAL – Merck & Co has warned doctors that recently approved hepatitis C virus (HCV) drug Victrelis (boceprevir) could reduce the effectiveness of certain HIV drugs in patients taking both. Patients with both HCV and HIV infection were given Victrelis with: Norvir (ritonavir) in combination with Reyataz (atazanavir) or Prezista (darunavir); or Kaletra (lopinavir, ritonavir). The company found that the different drugs interacted in a way that could reduce their effectiveness. Victrelis won US marketing approval for the treatment of HCV in May 2011.

PHARMACEUTICAL – The US Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance to industry on biosimilars, which can be thought of as ‘copies’ of biologics in the same that generics are copies of traditional small molecule drugs. The key difference is the degree of complexity. Traditional small molecule drugs can usually be made in many different ways with exactly the same molecule coming out the end of the process. This is much less likely to be true for biologics, which are large and molecularly complex – even small changes in the manufacturing process could change the structure of the product. This has caused concern among regulators (for more information on biosimilars see this feature article in Chemistry World).

CHEMICAL – Is the UK likely to revive banned chemical weapons for use against rioters and protestors? It might seem unlikely but the Royal Society has asked for clarification nonetheless in a recently published report, Neuroscience, Conflict and Security. The report says that the UK government has moved towards a less restrictive interpretation of the 1993 Chemical Weapons Convention that accepts ‘incapacitating chemical agents’ for law enforcement ‘as long as they were in types and quantities consistent with that permitted purpose’. It concludes that ‘the UK government should publish a statement on the reasons for its apparent recent shift in position’.

PHARMACEUTICAL – Eurozone countries now owe pharmaceutical companies €12 billion (£10 billion) for drugs, according to The Guardian. The more cash strapped countries of the eurozone have increasing defaulted on payments as the economic crisis has deepened. The worst offender is Spain, which owes €6 billion according to Bruno Strigini at Merck & Co.

Andrew Turley

When I picked up the JACS paper from Belowich et al earlier this week, I have to admit I got quite excited. Not only was this a collaboration between Fraser Stoddart’s lab in the US and Lee Cronin’s here in the UK, but molecules that seem to almost self-catalyse their assembly are very reminiscent of origin of life ideas, which I love. It’s interesting that using the same kind of interactions that biological molecules use, in fine balance, can result in this cascade that gives you much more complicated chemistry, and I couldn’t help thinking that this was an example of the chemicals outsmarting the chemists. (more…)

Everyone enjoys a nice glass of bubbly – no one more so than us here at Casa del Chemistry World. But some people go that bit further to investigate just what it is that makes a glass of champagne taste the way it does. And in this case it turns out that the glass can make all the difference. (more…)

This week’s Chemistry in its element podcast has a sting in its tail. In fact, to be precise, it’s all about the sting in the tail. Duncan McMillan tells the story of formic acid – the original chemical weapon that’s as versatile as the insects that use it.

Illumina rejects hostile Roche bid – Merck to submit new insomnia candidate – And Indorama buys Old World

PHARMACEUTICAL – Genome sequencing company Illumina has formally rejected the $5.7 billion (£3.6 billion) hostile takeover bid from Roche which it has described as ‘inadequate’. Chief executive Jay Flatley said: ‘Our industry is nascent, with the promise and potential to experience extraordinary growth in the years ahead as genetic information becomes broadly applied beyond molecular biology research, and into medical diagnostics, reproductive health and cancer management.’ When Roche announced its bid, it stated clearly that it would not raise the offer price. It has responded to the Illumina decision with disappointment. ‘We continue to believe that our offer is full and fair and provides a unique opportunity for Illumina’s shareholders,’ said Roche chief executive Severin Schwan. ‘It remains our preference to enter into a negotiated transaction with Illumina and we stand ready to commence discussions at any time.’

PHARMACEUTICAL – Canadian generics firm Apotex has paid $442 million in damages to Sanofi and Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) for patent infringement relating to blood thinner Plavix (clopidogrel). The payment follows an October 2011 ruling in favour of Sanofi and BMS and marks the end of a decade long legal dispute between the companies. Apotex launched a generic version of Plavix in 2006 when the drug was generating sales of about $4 billion per year but it was forced to halt sales shortly afterwards when the courts granted an injunction.

PHARMACEUTICAL – Merck & Co has decided to submit its anti-insomnia drug candidate suvorexant for regulatory approval in the US on the back of results from two Phase III trials. Suvorexant is an orexin receptor antagonist and would be first in a new class of drugs if approved. The company will present the results at a meeting in 2012. In January 2011, GlaxoSmithKline and Actelion abandoned development of almorexant, another orexin receptor antagonist drug candidate, because of disappointing trial data.

CHEMICAL – AkzoNobel and the University of Manchester, UK, have agreed to work together on new coatings to protect a range of materials from corrosion. AkzoNobel says that globally corrosion is a $2.2 trillion problem and that it makes €1.5 billion (£1.3 billion) in annual sales of corrosion inhibition coatings and speciality chemicals. Stuart Lyon will become the AkzoNobel professor of corrosion control at the school of materials and will oversee the research programme.

PHARMACEUTICAL – GlaxoSmithKline is planning to invest $60 million in its site at Boronia in Victoria, Australia, creating 58 new jobs by 2017. The site manufactures a wide range of drugs and related products, including sterile liquid products made using blow fill seal (BFS) technology. The investment will go towards a doubling of the current BFS manufacturing capacity as well as the creation of a pilot plant for new products developed through the ongoing collaboration with the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

CHEMICAL – Thai polymer manufacturer Indorama is to buy the chemical business of privately owned US company Old World Industries. The consumer products business, comprising antifreeze, automotives oils and other automotive products, will continue as a separate entity. The deal is worth $795 million, according to news reports.

Andrew Turley

Last year, we reported on some research that was repurposing personal glucose meters (PGMs; the little devices that detect your blood sugar level) to enable the detection of a variety of other analytes (cocaine and uranium, among other things). Now the same team have adapted the idea to the detection of DNA, with impressive precision and sensitivity.

But before you rush out and set up a street-corner screening service, there’s a little more chemistry involved. (more…)

5 February 2012: Have something to say about an article you’ve read on Chemistry World this week? Leave your comments below…

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India investing big in clean energy – Merck strikes deal with Threshold – And Valeant buys Probiotica (more…)