The QMN Weekly Bulletin

BASF, a chemical manufacturer, increased prices for all of its pharmaceutical excipient products by up to 9 percent, as contracts allow. Higher energy, transportation and raw materials costs were cited as reasons for the price hikes.

Pharmaceutical manufacturers could retain 6 percent of revenue through cost savings in production efficiencies by using process analytical technologies (PATs) and lean manufacturing principles, making them as productive as firms in other industries, according to a recent study. Much of the savings result from reduced inventories.

Firms that comply with good practices may be rewarded with fewer inspections if the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) implements a new proposal.

China’s food and drug safety agency has revoked the license of a company responsible for making tainted leukemia drugs blamed for causing leg pains and partial paralysis among dozens of patients.

A pharmaceutical company will pay more than $20 million for multiple Clean Water Act violations stemming from three chemical spills, one of which killed more than 1,000 fish and forced the city to temporarily shut off drinking water intakes.

American and Chinese regulators signed an agreement to strengthen regulation of drugs and medical devices exported to the United States.

Merck announced that the Company has initiated a voluntary recall of 11 lots of its haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, Pedvaxhib [(haemophilus b conjugate vaccine (meningococcal protein conjugate)], and two lots of its combination haemophilus influenzae type B/hepatitis B vaccine, Comvax [haemophilus b Conjugate (meningococcal protein conjugate)].

China launched a nationwide recall system that shifts responsibility to companies to recall harmful drugs after U.S. and Chinese officials signed an agreement on the safety of medicine and medical devices.

UAE-based Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar) plans to invest Dhs1.23bn ($335 million) over the next three years to build new factories and expand abroad, reported Gulf News.