Pharmacentral Writers Archives

Opinion | What Does the Recent Pig-to-Human Kidney Transplant Mean for Tissue Therapeutics?

October 29, 2021

In a pioneering procedure, a team of surgeons at New York University Langone Health Grossman School of Medicine in New York City managed to attach a pig kidney to a human patient. The kidney functioned normally for 54 hours.

Last week, a team of surgeons in New York City were to able to successfully attach a pig kidney to a human patient and watch the organ function normally for a whole 54 hours. While procedures of this kind are not new in nonhuman primates, it is the first time that a pig kidney has been transplanted into humans and not been immediately rejected.

The process of transplanting living cells, tissues or organs from one species into another is what scientists call xenotransplantation. However, owing to genetic differences between species, past xenotransplantation efforts have not been successful, leading to immediate organ rejection by the human immune system.

The breakthrough procedure, which was announced at a news conference and widely reported in the media on October 21, represents a giant step towards the aim of increasing availability of life-saving organs for transplantation. Waiting list for donated organs around the world are in the millions, and demand is not expected to drop anytime soon despite a rise in organ donation registrations.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a nephrologist at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis, MN said the fact that transplant survived three days with full function and no signs of rejection was an “incredible achievement,” and gives fresh confidence that “patients will have access to additional sources of organ for transplantation in the near future”.

However, several years of more of research, clinical trials and regulatory scrutiny are required before we can start to see pig kidneys on surgical tables.

In a press release, Robert Montgomery, MD and chair of the department of surgery at NYU Langone and director of the NYU Langone Transplant Institute, noted that the future of this work is not limited to kidneys.

“Transplanting hearts from a genetically engineered pig may be the next big milestone,” he said. “This is an extraordinary moment that should be celebrated — not as the end of the road, but the beginning. There is more work to do to make xenotransplantation an everyday reality.”

Why pigs?

In the quest to address the chronic shortage of organs, scientists have long sought the use animal organs. Pigs have emerged as an interesting choice because their organs are anatomically similar to those of humans, and they can be easily bred in a highly controlled manner.

However, it is more that ease of breeding. In the mid-20th century, xenotransplantation scientists noticed that transplanted animal organs quickly turned black, a phenomenon known as hyperacute rejection.

As knowledge has improved, scientists have been able to use genetic engineering to overcome some of these challenges. For example, it was found that aggressive immune responses seen after a pig xenotransplant was due to antibodies detecting alpha-gal, a sugar moiety found on porcine vasculature.

Disabling the gene that codes for alpha-gal was key to addressing hyperacute rejection of pig organs. Until now, a test of this sort of transplant hadn’t been done successfully in humans.

So what did the New York University Langone Health team do?

In order to overcome the many ethical hurdles of performing such an operations in humans the surgical team approached the family of a woman with brain stem death kept alive on a ventilator. Although the woman was an organ donor, her organs were not suitable for donation.

Over a period of several hours, the surgical team worked to attach the pig kidney, which had been genetically engineered to remove the alpha-gal sugar to blood vessels, in the upper leg of the patient. The kidney was kept outside of the body so the team could assess its function in real time.

In order to improve chances of acceptance, the team also transplanted the animal’s thymus gland, which aids the education of the immune system to recognize the kidney as part of the body. The patient was also given specific drugs that suppress the immune system.

Within minutes, the kidney started producing large amounts of urine and showed other signs of normal functioning. The pig kidney functioned just like a human kidney transplant. The research team stopped monitoring at 54 hours in line with IRB ethical guidance.

The patient was taken off life support after the procedure.

What’s next for these sort of transplants?

To survive 54 hours represents a significant development but to become mainstream, animal kidneys will need to survive for years not days. For this to happen, researchers will need to show that these organs can withstand immune system attacks for years in the human body.

A key aspect of this journal is to show that transplants are safe in the long-term and obtain approval from health authorities, including the U.S. FDA and the European Medicines Agency.

Are there any ethical concerns about breeding pigs for organ harvesting?

Using any animal for the sole benefit of humans raises important ethical questions. Advocates for xenotransplantation argue the potential benefits of expanding the organ supply are worth any potential harm done to animals.

The jury is still out on how acceptable the idea of breeding millions of pigs in order to harvest organs for human transplantation is.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), a campaigning organisation against the use of animals in research, contests the whole idea that we should consign animals as sources of spare parts for humans (see their statement through this link).

Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at editor@pharmacentral.com.

Sources

NYU Langone Health. Progress in xenotransplantation opens door to new supply of critically needed organs. Published online October 21, 2021.

What does COP26 mean for the pharmaceutical sector?

October 29, 2021

The stakes for this year’s UN Climate Change Conference couldn’t be higher. But what can we expect from the talks in Glasgow? And how will the summit impact industry?

From the 31st of October to the 12th November 2021, the United Kingdom and Italy will jointly host the 26th UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP26) in Glasgow. Heads of state, climate scientists and other stakeholders will gather to flesh out and agree on joint steps to combat climate change.

What is a COP?

‘COP’ simply means ‘Conference of the Parties’. In the world of climate change, ‘the Parties’ are the governments that have signed the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The COP brings these signatory governments together once a year to discuss how to jointly address climate change crisis.

COP conferences are attended by world leaders, ministers, and negotiators but also by representatives from civil society, business, international organizations, and the media.

The COP is hosted by a different country each year and the first such meeting – ‘COP1’ – took place in Berlin, Germany in 1995.

COP26 is the 26th climate change COP. It is being co-hosted by the UK and Italy. COP26 was originally scheduled to take place in November 2020 in Glasgow, UK but it was postponed by one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now due to take place 31 October-12 November 2021.

The ‘pre-COP’ (a preparatory meeting) took place in Milan, Italy, from 30 September-2 October.

COP26 builds on the Paris Agreement, an international treaty signed by almost all countries in the world at COP21 in Paris in 2015. This landmark treat aimed to keep the rise in the global average temperature to ‘well below’ 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, strengthen the ability to adapt to climate change and build resilience; and align all finance flows with ‘a pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development’.

The Paris Agreement has a ‘bottom-up’ approach, namely, each signatory country was to decide by how much it would reduce emissions by a certain year. These countries communicate these targets to the UNFCCC in the form of ‘nationally determined contributions’, or ‘NDCs’.

Goals of COP26

COP26 arrives at an important time in the global climate action debate. If the world is to have a chance of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees, emissions must halve by 2030 and reach ‘net-zero’ by 2050. Unprecedented action is needed if this goal is to be achieved.

It has long been argued that the NDCs submitted in 2015 were not ambitious enough to limit global warming to ‘well below’ 2 degrees, never mind 1.5 degrees. The signatories of the Paris Agreement are, however, expected to submit new – and more ambitious – NDCs every five years, known as the ‘ratchet mechanism’.

COP26 is the first test of this ambition-raising function. One of the main ‘benchmarks for success’ in Glasgow is that as many governments as possible submit new NDCs and, when put together, these are ambitious enough to put the world on track for ‘well below’ 2 degrees, preferably 1.5.

As of September 2021, 86 countries and the EU27 have submitted new or updated NDCs to the UNFCCC.

A few governments, like China and Japan, have pledged new 2030 targets but are yet to submit them officially.

The UK has, for instance, pledged to reduce emissions by 68 per cent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, and 78 per cent by 2035. The European Union (EU) is aiming for a reduction of at least 55 per cent by 2030 relative to 1990 levels, and the US target is ‘a reduction of 50-52 per cent’ compared to 2005 levels.

However, the NDC updates only narrow the gap to 1.5 degrees by 15 per cent at most.

Around 70 countries are yet to communicate new or updates targets. And several – Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland and Vietnam – have submitted without raising ambition.

A successful outcome in COP26 is for developed countries to honour a 2009 pledge of mobilising $100 billion per year by 2020 to support climate action in developing countries. This goal has not been met to date.

The recent announcement by President Joe Biden to double US climate finance has been welcomed but more will need to be done to restore credibility and strengthen trust between developing and developed nations.

No doubt discussions at COP26 will focus on mobilizing finance but other issues will be touched upon, especially how best to operationalise the Paris Agreement’s.

Against this background, here below are COP26 main goals:

Securing net-zero by the middle of the 21st century in a bid to keep global temperature increases below the critical 1.5C threshold.
Making progress on climate adaptation measures to protect lives, ecosystems and economies from the impact of global warming.
Mobilising private finance to address the climate challenge.
Fostering international collaboration to accelerate progress on climate goals.

Ways your pharmaceutical business can get involved

The World Economic Forum has identified environmental degradation, climate and environmental disruptions (like extreme weather, droughts, wild fires and resource depletion) as the greatest dangers to businesses going forward.

This is because of the ability of these factors to reduce the availability of raw materials, disrupt supply chains, wither demands for goods and services, and change resource availability while increasing costs.

The New York Times referenced a study which asked companies to calculate how climate change could affect their business financially. After analyzing submissions for 215 of the world’s 500 biggest corporations, it was potentially put at $1 trillion in costs related to climate change.

But it’s not just the Fortune 500 firms that face substantial losses, because when the environment loses, the whole world loses. According to a report by insurance giant Swiss Re, the world’s global domestic product (GDP) could drop up to 18%, or $23 trillion, by 2050 if no action is taken.

Experts agree the poorest nations would be most adversely affected by climate change, although even the major economies would suffer irreparable harm. The U.S. GDP could dip as much as 10.5% by 2100.

This is not just an issue for companies that rely on oil, natural gas, or other natural resources. Any business that uses petroleum-based plastics (over 99% of plastic is produced using fossil fuels) along its supply chain or generates greenhouses gases has a part to play. The pharmaceutical industry is not immune – the vast number of precursors used in synthesis are petroleum derived, not to mention the energy used as well as other inputs need to make pharmaceutics.

This is why every company, irrespective of size, influence, or availability of resources, can and should make a collective effort to address climate change.

So here’s how pharmaceutical businesses can join the climate action plan and do their bit:

Set science-based and net-zero targets

Setting a net-zero target in line with a 1.5°C future is necessary for businesses to make a dent in limiting the worst impacts of climate change. Join the Business Ambition for 1.5°C, which is an urgent call to action from a global coalition of UN agencies, business and industry leaders, in partnership with the Race to Zero.

Take the lead by going 100% renewable

While many companies are already reducing their carbon emissions, they could go further and commit to using 100% renewable power and resources.

Switch to electric transportation

Keeping global average warming below the 1.5°C thresholds requires a large shift in the way companies operate. Making the switch to electric vehicles is something that many companies should immediately consider, if they have not yet done so.

Reassess supply chain choices

All good charity starts at home, and while companies can concentrate on their own internal practices, greater change can be achieved if businesses reach out across their value chains, and probe the environmental commitments of suppliers and partners to ensure they are aligned with their own environmental goals

Prepare to be held accountable

All around the world, people want companies to lead on climate change instead of waiting for governments. They expect CEOs to speak out and champion change and not just talk the talk. But expectations come with accountability, and businesses can soon expect the public to start demanding answers.

Final thoughts

Pharmaceutical businesses can play a pivotal role in achieving new climate targets, and also integrating needed changes. Climate changes creates risks to all businesses regardless of the exact outcome of the conference, with changes needed within corporate strategy, governance, finance and operations.

We hope that COP26 acts as a catalyst for businesses to set the new standards on climate stewardship, with a specific focus on practices and encourage them to step up to the challenge, tackling climate risk head-on.

Resources:

UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) at the SEC Glasgow 2021 (https://ukcop26.org/uk-presidency/what-is-a-cop)

How to navigate the global chip shortage crisis if you buy pharmaceutical equipment

August 1, 2021

Thinking of purchasing new pharmaceutical equipment? These are our tips on how you can minimise the global chip shortage impact on your operations.

The global chip shortage crisis is already being felt across many industries. While most of the news has focussed on the auto industry, industries ranging from medical devices to home appliances and consumer electronics are experiencing a crunch. In this article, we provide a status update on chip shortages and pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers.

By Emma G McConnell, Science Reporter

What’s driving the global semi-conductor shortage?

In a nutshell, a surge in demand from the consumer electronics industry and supply-side disruptions.

With up to 75% of global chip supply coming from Asia, some of the supply-side disruption can be tracked back to COVID-19. But the problem of chip shortages in all equipment categories (automotive, medical, home appliances, etc) we’re experiencing runs deeper than the pandemic.

The main issue is one of raw material shortage. Imagine all the devices and equipment that use chips, not just the pc or laptop or mobile device you’re using to read this but countless other smart devices. Audio, Wi-Fi chips, imaging devices, process control modules, and displays. All these compete for the same semi-conductors and materials as they rely on the same technological underpinnings. So as chip usage has grown, raw materials shortages have become an increasing problem.

A few companies have exacerbated the crisis by stockpiling chips

It has been widely reported that a few companies—for example, in China—embarked on stockpiling chips in the hope of riding out the chip shortages. Unfortunately, this action has only compounded shortfalls, making it difficult for other equipment manufacturers to get in chips they require.

“Pharma equipment manufacturers are have reported no supply disruption”

What are the long-term consequences of chip shortages?

The good thing is manufacturers of pharmaceutical equipment have been aware of microchip shortages and have been exploring ways to avert any potential disruptions. All the companies we recently spoke to, including IMA, GEA and Agilent said they were not experiencing supply disruptions and delays. A sales manager at Freund Vector echoed the same sentiment when asked by PharmaCentral.

Things may be different with other companies so it’s important to assess how microchips are relevant to the company and how shortages may affect you as an equipment buyer. Speak to sales managers and ask them to confirm whether you may expect:

Longer wait times to have orders fulfilled and shipped
Specific brands shortages meaning that you may have to select alternative brand or model
Price increases

For now, the message we’re getting is that there’s no need to panic, even though many experts believe the impact may carry into 2022.

As a buyer of equipment, what practical steps can you take to mitigate the impact of pharmaceutical equipment microchip shortages?

PharmaCentral recommends several proactive steps you can take today to help minimize the potential impact of chip shortages and manage challenges.

Plan well ahead

The number-one recommendation for buyers of pharmaceutical equipment is to plan ahead. If you expect needing equipment within the next 6 to 12 months, consider ordering it now—so you’re at the front of the line as companies work through their production backlog.

It is advisable to take time assessing whether you need to acquire new technology as part of your ongoing hardware lifecycle management, perhaps to support projected growth, or to have inventory on hand to replace non-functioning equipment. This prevents having to compromise or troubleshoot around a long-term delays .

Factor in some delays

Even if you place an order now, fulfilment times may be longer than expected. So it’s advisable to plan for delays. Communicate with your vendor to have visibility of timelines, and manage expectations with your stakeholders accordingly.

Be flexible

As a company or individual buyer, you may have a preference for specific brand or model of equipment. This is understandable. However, you should be open to being flexible if the brand or model of equipment you always buy is on backorder. Consider other brands and models even if they are not the exact model or brand you are familiar with so as to minimise disruptions.

Evaluate other options

Purchasing hardware isn’t always the only option. Remember, the main reason for acquiring equipment is to support a specific process or objective. This business objective can be supported through leasing or outsourcing. The decision should be based on detailed assessment of requirements and all options carefully costed.

While pharmaceutical equipment chip shortages are yet to be felt, the global crisis will likely linger a little longer. It is likely that pharmaceutical equipment buyers will see some impact over the next several months. The message, though, is that if you’re looking to buy equipment, there is no need to panic. Be proactive, flexible, and think strategically ahead.

European Patent Office 2020 Annual Review report published, reveals successful year, despite COVID-19 challenges

July 8, 2021

The European Patent Office published its Annual Review 2020 report on 29 June 2020. The report which was accompanied by a video, reveals a year of accelerated change as the organisation seeks to adapt to many challenges from COVID-19 pandemic.

The Annual Review 2020 shows that demand for European patents has remained nearly on a par with last year. A total of 180 250 European patent applications were received, representing a 0.7% drop compared with 2019. In addition, the Office published 133 715 European patents in 2020, -3% compared with 2019, but well above its target of 120 000.

The pandemic arrived at a time the Office was in the midst of implementing its Strategic Plan 2023. So it was necessary for the organisation to switch to a mostly virtual working model and be highly flexible. The review recognises the significance of these two factors to many of the main achievements and activities of 2020, which are outlined in the review under each of the Strategic Plan’s five clear goals.

You can find all details about this report on the EPO website or through this link.

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Your FAQs Answered: What you need to know about Aducanumab, the recently approved Alzheimer’s drug from Biogen

June 14, 2021

Last Monday, the US Food and Drug Administration granted approval for Aducanumab, the first new drug treatment for Alzheimer’s disease in 2 decades. Here, I attempt to provide answers to common questions on this landmark new drug, also known as Aduhelm.

What is Aducanumab?

Aducanumab is a monoclonal antibody therapeutic. Monoclonal antibodies are man-made proteins designed to act like human antibodies. Aducanumab is designed to bind to and help destroy amyloid beta (proteins) from the brain. Amyloid beta is thought to be involved in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

How does it work?

Aducanumab works by eliminating beta-amyloid plaques in the brain — a process that, according to Biogen, slows down the ability to destroy brain cells. Whether this alone is enough to slow down cognitive decline is not clear for now. Assessments, based on tests of cognition and function, for Aducanumab and a placebo showed only marginal improvement.

Who can get the drug?

Aducanumab was approved using the accelerated approval pathway. The drug was tested in patients with mild cognitive impairment, so is now approved for all patients with Alzheimer’s. But there is a catch. Post-approval trials will still be needed. Patients will need regular monitoring after starting treatment) and if post-approval trials fail to show the drug works as intended it could be pulled from the market.

How much does it cost?

According to Biogen the yearly cost for a maintenance dose, based on an average patient’s weight, will be $56,000. This is the list price, not the price paid by patients or government agencies like the NHS. The final cost of treatment will depend on many other factors.

How is the drug administered?

Aducanumab is given by IV over about an hour once every four weeks.

What can patients expect?

Aducanumab is not a cure and it does not reverse the disease’s progression. In clinical trials, success was measured not by cognitive improvement but by slowing in the rate of cognitive and functional decline.

Any side effects?

In two clinical trials, about 40% of clinical trial patients who got the approved dose of Aducanumab developed painful brain swelling. Symptoms included headache, dizziness, visual disturbances, nausea, and vomiting; about 17% to 18% of patients had microhemorrhages in their brains.

When will the drug be available?

Biogen expects to start shipping supplies in about two weeks across the U.S. International shipments will likely take longer pending approval, if and when it happens.

Why has this drug been so controversial?

For several reasons: First, Biogen had to stop two trials of Aducanumab in March 2019 after independent monitors, looking at data during an interim analysis, concluded the drug was unlikely to benefit patients. Second, and perhaps most importantly, the amyloid hypothesis, on which this drug is premised, has yet to be proven. It’s not clear if amyloid plaques, or tangles of another protein called tau, are causes or effects of Alzheimer’s. Finally, many experts are concerned that the desperate need for new treatments might be leading regulators to accept limited evidence of efficacy.

What other drugs are available now?

Three acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, donepezil (Aricept), galantamine and rivastigmine and memantine (Ebixa), a glutamate receptor antagonist, are all approved for managing mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.

What else is in the pipeline?

As of May 2021, there are over 120 agents in clinical trials. Most drugs in trials aim to achieve disease modification by targeting the underlying biological processes of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Subscriptions for the European Pharmacopoeia 10th Edition, Supplements 10.6-10.8 now open

June 6, 2021

2022 subscriptions to the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) are now open, the EDQM announced on 29^th April 2021. Purchases can be made directly on the EDQM WebStore.

The 2022 subscription includes three non-cumulative updates (10.6, 10.7 and 10.8) and provides access to the Ph. Eur. online archives until 31 December 2022.

As has been the case in previous instances, two subscription formats are available:

Electronic (bilingual English/French): This allows authorised access to the entire 10th Edition of the Ph. Eur. until 31 December 2022.

For each licence purchased, subscribers can choose their preferred option: individual licence or shared licence.

Individual licence gives a single user access in three ways: online, from any computer; offline, by downloading it onto one computer or mobile access by downloading it to one USB stick

Shared licence provides access from one shared computer or from one USB stick.

Print (Hard copy)

This is available in English or French (EDQM permits translations into other languages by the member states themselves).

Expect to pay Euro 540 for a single licence (electronic) and Euro 600 (includes a Euro 60 handling fee) for the hardcopy. Special prices are available for multiple and unlimited electronic versions and packages including both formats.

The first edition of the European Pharmacopoeia was published in 1969. A new edition of the European Pharmacopoeia is now published every three years and has been made available in print and electronic for over a decade now.

How does NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter flight benefit lifesciences?

June 6, 2021

NASA’s Ingenuity helicopter made history by flying on Mars on April 19. At 10:49 am (PDT), the tiny helicopter spun its carbon fibre rotor blades and lifted itself into the thin Martian air, rising to a height of about three meters above the ground, before settling back down to the ground. Since this ground breaking flight, a further three flights have been completed, with the latest one taking place on 30^th April.

But given the huge costs of this mission (and many others like it planned), many have been asking what the benefits to humanity are and whether or not the huge sums used to fund these programmes could be better spent on more urgent needs?

Ingenuity’s flight is the culmination of more than seven years of conceptualisation, building, testing and hope by the flight team. originally scheduled for April 11, the flight has to be delayed to permit an update of the helicopter’s software. A high-speed spin test on April 16 showed the change would work, setting the stage for the April 19 flight.

With the successful completion of test flights, NASA has indicated it will be scheduling in more tests to figure out the full operational capabilities of the chopper.

“The Ingenuity technology demonstration has been a resounding success,” associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen said in a statement Friday.

“Since Ingenuity remains in excellent health, we plan to use it to benefit future aerial platforms while prioritizing and moving forward with the Perseverance rover team’s near-term science goals,” he added.

While NASA’s Perseverance rover, which successfully landed on February 18, has a clear goal, which is to study rocks and soil samples found on the planet to establish if previous life existed there billions of years ago, the objective of Ingenuity helicopter are not clear cut.

Originally, the Ingenuity helicopter’s task was to show its flying ability, given the differences in atmospheric pressure and gravity found on the planet compared to Earth. The air’s density of the red plan is only about 1 percent that at sea level on Earth. This makes it incredibly difficult for the helicopter’s blades to push against that thin air hard enough to get off the ground. The success of these test flights proves that powered flight is possible in Mars’ thin atmosphere.

Which is all well and good. But what does it mean for those living on Earth right now? The contention being that space exploration of this scale is unnecessary given the humanitarian problems, from COVID 19, the environment catastrophe, hunger and malaria that Earth is facing in this current moment? Perhaps these huge sums could be better spent to solve these humanitarian problems.

However, this argument fails to address the fact that the research and development that goes into these massive projects inevitably benefits Earth, directly and indirectly. True, we may not be able to visualise right now the direct healthcare benefits of Ingenuity helicopter’s ‘wow’ moments but make no mistake, there is much behind-the-scenes preparation and research into materials and software that has gone into this program that is bound to trickle back and benefit us all.

If in doubt, just think of the knowhow that previous space exploration has generated which has in turn been applied to healthcare and lifesciences, from digital imaging technologies, prosthetic limbs, heart pumps, cochlear implants, freeze drying, HACCP and water purification. NASA played a large part in their research and development.

Amcor’s innovative recyclable blister packaging moves closer to commercialization AmSky blister system aims to eliminate PVC from blister packaging

May 6, 2021

Enabling pharmaceutical customers to improve packaging recyclability

Amcor, the Zurich-based packaging technology provider, announced on 29^th April the start of customer trials of its highly anticipated recyclable polyethylene-based thermoform blister packaging, The new packaging is designed not only to meet the stringent standards of pharmaceutical packaging it also creates a more sustainable alternative for this highly demanded packaging type.

According to the company, AmSky™ achieves up to 70% reduction in carbon footprint, when compared to packaging alternatives on the market today. This is achieved by eliminating polyvinyl chloride and substituting it with a Polyethylene (PE) thermoform blister and lidding film.

The use of polyvinyl chloride makes attempts to recycle packaging more difficult. By removing it – while retaining all the benefits of pre-existing blister packaging – Amcor hopes to avail a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution.

To speed up up development, Amcor has elected to co-develope and trial AmSky with a number several large pharmaceutical companies. It is expected that AmSky will be available in the second half of 2022.

Peter Konieczny, Amcor’s Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Amcor is deploying our unique innovation capabilities to solve the biggest and most significant issues in packaging today. With AmSky Amcor has signalled our commitment to breakthrough innovation in the healthcare space.”

William Jackson, Amcor’s Chief Technology Officer for Flexibles, commented: “This exciting solution is a result of Amcor’s continued focus on advanced technology and growth, using the entire power of our global R&D network to bring recyclable solutions to our customers.”

Ashland completes purchase of Schülke & Mayr personal care business

May 6, 2021

The €262.5 million all-cash acquisition was announced April 30, 2021

Ashland has completed its acquisition of Schülke & Mayr GmbH’s personal care business, the company announced 30th April. The news follows the announcement in January 2021 by Schülke & Mayr GmbH to focus on its core business of infection prevention and hygiene solutions and exit personal care.

Schülke & Mayr GmbH is a long-established business that develops, produces and distributes antiseptics for wound care, disinfectants and medical and cosmetic skin care products and preservatives. The company offers its customers innovative products, solutions and services in the professional healthcare business, over the counter (OTC) and hygiene solutions for the pharma sector.

The completion of the purchase is aimed at strengthening Ashland’s consumer business portfolio and beef up its specialty additives business while also growing the company’s biotechnology and microbiology technical offerings.

Guillermo Novo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ashland was quoted as saying “I am excited to welcome the Schülke and Mayr personal care employees to Ashland. They will help broaden our specialty additives solutions and expand our biotechnology and microbiology technical capabilities, We will continue driving our strategy and focusing on bolt-on acquisitions that create new sustainable solutions in broader fields of application to deliver value to our customers.”

“Completing this acquisition supports our strategy to strengthen the profitable growth of our personal care and household business unit,” said Xiaolan Wang, senior vice president and general manager, personal care and household, Ashland. “It is my pleasure to welcome our new solvers to Ashland who will further help our customers’ brands differentiate and grow in a constantly changing market space.”

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