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How to ensure high quality plastics are delivered on time

During Covid-19, magnetic separation, metal detection, and conveying products are essential because they support the plastics processing industry and protect plastic from metal contamination.




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Ventilators from Dyson are 'no longer required' in UK

The Dyson CoVent ventilators are no longer required in the UK, according to a statement from Sir James Dyson.




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How manufacturers can ensure quality of plastic components

Stephen Sanderson, group inspection product manager and Guven Turemen, group metrology product manager, both from manufacturer Vision Engineering, discusses how manufacturers can ensure the quality of plastic components.




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Q&A: How SweynTooth medical device hackers can be thwarted

Ian Bolland spoke to Chris Risley, CEO at Bastille Networks, about medical devices at risk of being compromised by SweynTooth vulnerabilities, highlighting how hackers can be combatted from targeting devices and healthcare systems.




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Mitsubishi Chemical America acquires Gelest

Mitsubishi Chemical America has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Gelest Intermediate Holdings, the parent of Gelest, and a portfolio company of New Mountain Capital.




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Morning Break: Is the IRS an Obamacare Savior? No Mugabe at WHO; Price on HIV Quarantine

Health news and commentary from around the Web gathered by the ALLMedPage Today staff




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Morning Break: Black Licorice Warning; Obamacare Questions; Haunted Hospitals

Health news and commentary from around the Web gathered by the ALLMedPage Today staff




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Stemline Slated for Acquisition by Menarini in Deal Worth Up to $677M

Stemline Therapeutics, whose drug for a rare, aggressive type of acute leukemia was approved by the FDA about 18 months ago, has signed an acquisition deal with Italian biopharma Menarini Group. Stemline (NASDAQ: STML), a New York-based company, developed the first FDA-approved drug for blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm, or BPDCN. The drug, tagraxofusp (Elzonris) […]




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PTC Therapeutics to Acquire Censa Pharma for Mid-Stage Rare Disease Drug

PTC Therapeutics has reached an agreement to acquire Censa Pharmaceuticals and its lead asset, an experimental metabolic disorder therapy that is now being prepared for a pivotal study. The deal, announced after the market close Wednesday, will bring South Plainfield, NJ-based PTC (NASDAQ: PTCT) another compound for its pipeline of rare disease drugs. Wellesley, MA-based […]




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Bio Roundup: Acquisitive Alexion, CRISPR on COVID, C. diff Success & More

Alexion Pharmaceuticals CEO Ludwig Hantson has made no secret that he wants to diversify his company’s drug portfolio and he has shown willingness to open the corporate checkbook to accomplish that goal. Last October, Alexion (NASDAQ: ALXN) struck a $930 million deal to acquire Achillion Pharmaceuticals, a biotech whose lead drug complements the Boston company’s […]




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Novartis acquires digital therapeutics specialist Amblyotech

The pharmaceutical firm has purchased the company, which specializes in advancing treatments and diagnostics for ocular disorders.



  • Markets & Regulations


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To Prevent the Next Pandemic, End Unequal Access to Natural Resources

Safeguarding public health requires rethinking our relationship to the environment and the inequities that drive its destruction

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




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UK Government focus on strengthening clinical research amidst unique challenges of Brexit

The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) convenes discussion series that seeks to advance an industry with important health and economic impacts...




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Dr. Cynthia Verst of IQVIA Elected 2019 ACRO Chair

Washington DC – The Association of Clinical Research Organizations (ACRO) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has elected Dr. Cynthia Verst,...




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ACRO offers unique insights on risk-based monitoring of clinical trials, calls for adoption of RBM as a best practice

Following meetings with then-Commissioner Scott Gottlieb and senior leadership from the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research on the role of CROs and technology companies in designing and implementing risk-based monitoring (RBM) of clinical trials, ACRO this week submitted extensive comments on recent FDA Guidance.Increasing the use of innovative RBM technologies helps make clinical trials safer, more efficient and higher quality. ACRO’s comments offer unique insights into the recent expansion of RBM implementation and call for further increasing the use of these oversight technologies.




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New ACRO Report Quantifies Benefits of RBM for Quality Reviews

A new report based on a survey of ACRO members reveals that Risk-Based Monitoring (RBM) makes clinical trial quality review more efficient...




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A Consistent Approach to Risk Based Quality Management: Collaboration is Key

Developing, executing and overseeing clinical trials is a complex process. Yet it is essential to gain reliable evidence from clinical trials to...




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Bayer donates 8 million chloroquine tablets to the German Federal Government

Additional donations of chloroquine sent to governments in numerous other countries / Various clinical and preclinical studies investigate the efficacy and adverse effects in COVID-19 infections / Bayer plans considerable expansion of production capacities in the event that the efficacy of chloroquine is proven for COVID-19




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Remdesivir: early findings on experimental coronavirus drug offer 'quite good news'

Preliminary results of US government trial show patients who received drug recovered faster than others

Hopes of an effective drug treatment for coronavirus patients have risen following positive early results from a trial of remdesivir, a drug first tried in Ebola patients.

Data from the trial on more than 1,000 severely ill patients in 75 hospitals around the world show that patients put on the drug recovered 31% faster than similar patients who were given a placebo drug instead. Remdesivir cut recovery time from a median of 15 days to 11.

Related: World's stock markets soar on coronavirus treatment hopes

Continue reading...




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FDA urges close monitoring of COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine

The FDA has released a safety communication reiterating the need for doctors to closely monitor COVID-19 patients who are treated with either hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine.




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Reinventing the value equation

There is a duty to ensure access to innovative treatments for patients with unmet need, but a health service gatekeeper must commit to efficient use of limited resources. Matt Fellows looks at how real-world evidence could be the key to reassessing how we determine the value of these drugs and ensure their swift availability.




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Arizona GOP lawmakers and AAPS say hydroxychloroquine has 90% chance of helping COVID-19 patients, but data is not based on clinical trials

The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) wrote a letter to Republican Arizona Governor Doug Ducey urging the wider use of hydroxychloroquine, based on data they have collected.




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Two studies reveal "positive" data for Gilead's remdesivir in hospitalised COVID-19 patients

The first findings of two new studies have been revealed detailing the efficacy of Gilead’s antiviral therapy remdesivir in the treatment of patients hospitalised with COVID-19.




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ALK Abello outperforms expectations in strong 1st-qtr

Shares of Danish allergy immunotherapy specialist ALK Abello were up almost 10% at 1,788.00 Danish kroner…



  • Acarizax/ALK Abello/Denmark/Financial/Immunologicals/Itulazax/Pharmaceutical

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Stockpiling spurs sales at Novo Nordisk in first quarter

Pandemic-based stockpiling among people with diabetes helped lift revenues beyond analysts’ expectations…



  • Biotechnology/Denmark/Diabetes/Financial/Management/Novo Nordisk/Ozempic/Research/Rybelsus/Tresiba/USA/Victoza

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PTC Therapeutics to acquire Censa Pharmaceutical

In another strategic M&A deal announced so far this month, PTC Therapeutics has entered into an agreement…



  • Biotechnology/Censa Pharmaceuticals/Companies
  • mergers and acquisitions/Metabolics/PTC Therapeutics/Rare diseases/sepiapterin/USA

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Teva soars as 1st-qtr beats expectations

Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries today reported results for the quarter ended March 31, 2020,…



  • Ajovy/Analgesia/Austedo/Copaxone/Financial/Generics/Israel/Musculoskeletal/Rare diseases/Teva Pharmaceutical Industries/Treanda

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B-MS’ quarterly financials exceed estimates

US pharma major Bristol-Myers Squibb saw its revenue reach $10.8 billion in the first quarter of 2020,…



  • Bristol-Myers Squibb/Cardio-vascular/Celgene/Eliquis/Financial/Hematology/Immuno-oncology/Immunologicals/Management/Oncology/Opdivo/Orencia/Pharmaceutical/Pomalyst/Revlimid/USA

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Recordati 1st-qtr revenues rise 12% as income leaps more than 20%

Italian drugmaker Recordati has reported consolidated revenues for the first quarter of 2020 are 429.2…



  • Financial/Italy/Pharmaceutical/Recordati/Signifor

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BRIEF—AbbVie finally completes acquisition of Allergan

US pharma major AbbVie has finally completed its $63 billion acquisition of Ireland-incorporated Allergan,…



  • AbbVie/Allergan/Companies
  • mergers and acquisitions/Ireland/Legal/Pharmaceutical/USA

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Ousted BARDA director pushed back on chloroquine claims and faced whistleblower retaliation, complaint says

After his surprise removal from HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority—a key agency partnered with pharma companies on COVID-19 drugs, vaccines and diagnostics—former Director Rick Bright is alleging whistleblower retaliation by HHS leadership. 




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Bristol Myers Squibb's blood thinner Eliquis soars on COVID-19 demand, but Opdivo could suffer: execs

Bristol Myers Squibb CEO Giovanni Caforio credited COVID-19-related stocking for high sales of some products in the first quarter, including Eliquis, a blood thinner that's being snapped up to reduce clotting risk in patients with the virus. But the pandemic has limited access to oncology clinics and other non-COVID-19 services, raising challenges that could impact sales later this year.




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Early missteps, transparency questions dog U.S. government's remdesivir rollout: reports

When Gilead Sciences scored a groundbreaking FDA emergency use authorization for COVID-19 therapy remdesivir, the company made the unusual move of handing distribution rights to the U.S. government. But the federal rollout has gotten off to a rocky start. 




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FDA commissioner in self-quarantine after exposure to person with COVID-19

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn is in self-quarantine for a couple of weeks after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, an FDA spokesman told Reuters late on Friday.




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FDA grants emergency use authorization to Quidel for first antigen test for COVID-19

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday approved emergency use authorization (EUA) to Quidel Corp for the first COVID-19 antigen test.




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APL Ltd. to Pay U.S. $26.3 Million to Resolve Fraud Allegations for Inflated Shipping Costs to Military in Iraq and Afghanistan

APL Limited has agreed to pay the government $26.3 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false claims to the United States in connection with contracts to transport cargo in shipping containers to support U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Resolves Lawsuit with State of Vermont Regarding Reporting Requirements of Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act

The Department announced today the resolution of the lawsuit filed by the United States against the state of Vermont to enforce the reporting requirements of the Uniformed Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). UOCAVA is designed to ensure that members of the uniformed services and overseas citizens may effectively participate in federal elections.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Iraqi-Born Dutch Citizen Pleads Guilty to Terrorism Conspiracy Against Americans in Iraq

An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen today pleaded guilty to conspiring with others to murder Americans overseas, including by planting roadside bombs targeting U.S. soldiers in Fallujah, Iraq, and by demonstrating on video how these explosives would be detonated to destroy American vehicles and their occupants.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Department of Justice FY 2010 Budget Request

The President released the Administration’s FY 2010 top-line budget proposal today which includes $26.5 billion for the Department, a 3.5 percent increase more than the FY 2009 budget. The Department’s budget includes enhanced funding for: national security and intelligence; combating financial fraud; hiring additional police officers; civil rights enforcement; securing our nation’s borders; and for federal detention and incarceration programs.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Three Defendants Sentenced in "Advance-Fee" Fraud Scheme That Cost Victims More Than $1.2 Million

Three defendants were sentenced to prison today after pleading guilty in January 2008 to federal charges of running an “advance-fee” scheme that targeted U.S. victims with promises of millions of dollars.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Bristol-Myers Squibb Senior Executive Pleads Guilty for Role in Dishonest Dealings with the Federal Government

A former senior executive of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (BMS), Andrew Bodnar, pleaded guilty for his role in BMS’s dishonest dealings with the federal government relating to a patent deal involving the popular blood-thinning drug Plavix. This plea agreement follows BMS’s June 11, 2007, agreement to plead guilty and pay a $1 million criminal fine – the maximum fine permitted by statute – for misleading the government about the Plavix patent deal.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Quest Diagnostics to Pay U.S. $302 Million to Resolve Allegations That a Subsidiary Sold Misbranded Test Kits

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated and its subsidiary, Nichols Institute Diagnostics (NID), have entered into a global settlement with the United States to resolve criminal and civil claims concerning various types of diagnostic test kits that NID manufactured, marketed and sold to laboratories throughout the country until 2006. The payment of $302 million will resolve these allegations and represents one of the largest recoveries ever in a case involving a medical device.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Justice Department Requests Extension of Microsoft Final Judgment

The Department told the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today that it is necessary to extend the term of certain portions of the Microsoft final judgment by at least 18 months. The Department said that an extension is necessary to ensure the quality of the technical documentation Microsoft provides to licensees.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Iraqi-Born Dutch Citizen Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Terrorism Conspiracy Against Americans in Iraq

An Iraqi-born Dutch citizen was sentenced to 25 years in prison today for conspiring to murder Americans overseas, including by planting roadside bombs targeting U.S. soldiers in Fallujah, Iraq, and by demonstrating on video how these explosives would be detonated to destroy American vehicles and their occupants.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Individual Charged with Participating in Scheme to Steal Large Quantities of Fuel from U.S. Army in Iraq

A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging Robert Jeffery, 55, with conspiracy and theft of government property in connection with a scheme to steal large quantities of fuel from the U.S. Army in Iraq.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Members of U.S. Army Plead Guilty to Role in Scheme to Steal Equipment from the U.S. Military in Iraq

Elbert Westley George III, 36, a U.S. Army captain who was stationed in Iraq, pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to steal U.S. government equipment and sell it to a local Iraqi businessman.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Al-Qaeda

Mohammed Abdullah Warsame, a 35-year-old resident of Minneapolis, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al-Qaeda.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Two Former Military Officials Charged with Participating in Scheme to Steal Large Quantities of Fuel from U.S. Army in Iraq

A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment today charging Robert Young, 56, a former captain in the U.S. Army, and Robert Jeffery, 55, a former master chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy, with conspiracy and theft of government property in connection with a scheme to steal large quantities of fuel from the U.S. Army in Iraq.



  • OPA Press Releases

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Former Ft. Campbell Soldier Convicted on Charges Related to Deaths of Iraqi Civilians

A federal jury that convicted Steven D. Green, a former Ft. Campbell, Ky., soldier of charges arising out of the rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the murder of the girl and her family today said it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on whether the defendant should be sentenced to death. Because the jury did not unanimously reach a decision on the death penalty, U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell will sentence Green to life without parole.



  • OPA Press Releases