Industry News
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BASF divests ConstructionChemicals business ASF has closed the
divestiture of its Construction Chemicals business to an affiliate of global private
equity firm Lone Star. The purchase price on a cash and debt-free basis is €3.17 billion and the Co nstruction Chemicals business now forms the newly founded MBCC Group, headquartered in Mannheim, Germany.
The divestment of the assets and liabilities of the Construction Chemicals business and the related disposal gain will be reflected in BASF’s financial reporting in the fourth quarter of 2020. Payments received in the context of the transaction until September 30 will be included in cash flows from investing activities in the Q3 2020
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Airedale Chemical invests in equipment for production of new biocide
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BASF chemicals were used in the construction of the 18 kilometre-long Storebaelt Bridge linking the western and eastern parts of Denmark.
Statement of Cash Flows. On December 21, 2019, BASF and an affiliate of Lone Star had signed a purchase agreement
for the acquisition of BASF’s Construction Chemicals business. With around 7,500 employees, the Construction Chemicals business
operates production sites and sales offices in more than 60 countries and generated sales of about €2.6 billion in 2019.
Italy and India the only pharma economies to improve their CPhI Pharma Index score in 2020
Italy and India were the only pharmaceutical economies to improve their CPhI Pharma Index score in 2020. The Index is an aggregated confidence score across the five main small- molecule categories in each of the largest economies, compiling the findings from a survey of more than 550 executives, and this year sees an overall score decrease of 0.86% across all nations for the first time. Informa Markets, the compiler of the survey, says this is perhaps to be expected given the global impact that COVID-19 has had, but that
overall, the Index shows the pharmaceutical sector to be in a strong position and that, globally, the industry has weathered the impact of the pandemic well. The survey shows that many of the leading pharmaceutical economies have again scored strongly under ‘innovation’ and ‘pharmaceutical quality’ and observes that the slight fall on 2019 results reflects reduced confidence in growth rather than quality. The major exception to the overall trend was Italy which has seen a dramatic increase of nearly 6.3% in overall score, with
its API industry widely perceived to be a primary beneficiary of global shifts in ingredient sourcing strategies. China’s overall score has fallen (by 5.9%) for the first time, but the report predicts a likely dramatic recovery in 2021, citing a gradual shift towards a pharmaceutical economy led by domestic, rather than international –sales. One notable finding from the executive survey is that global pharma executives have shifted focus towards securing increased supply side partners, with 84% of the industry actively searching
Perstorp launches renewable oxo products
Perstorp Polyols has launched the first partly renewable carboxylic acid products, 2-Ethylhexanoic Acid Pro and Valeric Acid Pro with 2-EHA Pro being based on 25% renewable raw materials, and Valeric Acid Pro containing 20% renewable content. These renewable materials consist of biogas, replacing natural gas
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using the mass balance concept. The company says the products provide the same benefits as its existing 2-EHA and Valeric acid products, with the additional benefit of a lower carbon footprint. The renewable oxo portfolio will also include oxo aldehydes and alcohols.
Over the past few years, Perstorp has expanded its portfolio of Pro- Environment products, produced from renewable and/or recycled raw materials, to cover both base polyols, speciality products, a deicer,a plasticizer and now acids, aldehydes and alcohols. All Pro-Environment products are ISCC
PLUS certified, meaning that all the sustainable raw materials are certified in all parts of the value chain back to the point of origin. All Pro Environment customers are also given information about the GHG-value of the product and their contributions to reduced CO2 emissions.
- Autumn 2020
for new partners. Interestingly, in terms of starting materials, the market remains ambivalent as to whether it would be beneficial to bring these home to domestic markets. Respondents were nearly equally for and against, with 48% believing domestic production is ‘desirable’, 37% stating ‘No - it’s too disruptive to a complex industry’ and a further 15% ‘No - and it’s not desirable’. The full survey findings are available for download at the Festival of Pharma as part of the CPhI Annual Report. For more information visit
www.cphi.com
K industrial chemicals specialist Airedale Chemical has invested more than £50,000 in new production equipment following an agreement to manufacture a new biocide for water treatment chemicals supplier Chemiteq. Airedale Chemical has also agreed to distribute the product direct to Chemiteq’s customers.
Oxyl-Pro is Chemiteq’s new hydrogen peroxide-based hand and surface biocide that has disinfectant applications across all public and manufacturing areas including educational settings, retail facilities, offices, sports and leisure clubs, agriculture and the food and beverage sector. It is effective against all envelope viruses including coronavirus.
A non-alcohol based formulation, Oxyl-Pro is odourless, non- flammable and has no allergens. It is fully biodegradable and breaks
LSI Chemical introduces new cold flow improver for diesel fuel
down to water and oxygen, so it is not harmful to the environment, waterways or organisms and can be safely used in fogging machines. Airedale Chemical’s investment has been used to install new de-ionizing tanks, doubling the company’s capacity and opening
Almac Sciences launches Biologics Testing Solutions
Almac Sciences has expanded its existing suite of analytical solutions to include biologics testing. The new offering follows the expansion last year of the company’s laboratory in Athlone, Ireland from which Almac Sciences now provides a comprehensive range of pharmaceutical testing services to support clients’ drug development programmes complying with industry regulations including FDA, EMA and PMDA, and under GMP standards Almac’s new services include GMP lot release and stability testing to support clients’ drug substance and drug product programmes for both novel biologics and biosimilars; fit-for-purpose analytical method development / phase-appropriate method
Autumn 2020
validation; and raw material testing for microbial and mammalian expression systems that comply with pharmacopeial requirements and clients’ specifications. The expansion of the company’s biologics analytical testing solutions complements its already established range of analytical services offered from the Athlone facility as well as its global headquarter campus in Craigavon, Northern Ireland and its facility in Souderton, Pennsylvania, USA. Currently employing more than 150 scientists globally, the company says this investment will see an increase to its existing workforce to meet continued client demand. In addition, in order to provide additional leadership and site management to ensure the
continued execution of this expanded offering, two key appointments have been made within the Past six months: Simon Cocks has been appointed as Athlone Site Manager and, with a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Loughborough University, brings more than 25 years’ industry experience to the role including in discovery and development, manufacture, clinical analysis and commercial supply of both small and large molecules in all of the GxP regulatory sectors; and Pavan Kumar Kunala has been recruited as Biopharma Lab Manager, also based at Almac’s Athlone facility. He has a strong background in analytical development for biologics, with over a decade of experience.
up additional opportunities in the production of biocides, with the potential to produce up to 800 tonnes of product a week. In addition, Airedale Chemical’s fleet of vehicles will be used to transport Oxyl-Pro direct to Chemiteq’s customers across the UK.
LSI Chemical is now offering a cold flow improver diesel fuel additive that can be added to any diesel or biodiesel blend to significantly improve cold-weather performance. LSI Chemical says the new additive significantly improves the operation of any diesel engine in extreme temperatures by improving two crucial indicators of performance in diesel fuel, the cold filter plugging point and the pour point to prevent gelling and icing.
In a third-party test performed in August 2020, a baseline fuel was pulled from a Marathon station in Fredericktown, Ohio, USA and after adding ArcticArmor523, the pour point of the fuel was improved from -20°F / -28.9°C to -75°F / -59.4°C and the cold filter plugging point (CFPP) improved from -20°F / -28.9°C to -45°F / -42.8°C. LSI Chemical says this significant difference in CFPP and PP ensures improved diesel engine operation in freezing and Arctic climates, especially in relation to stability. The ArcticArmor523 product works by solubilizing paraffin nuclei as they begin to crystallize and modifies the growth of paraffin crystals as they precipitate, thus allowing fuel lines and filters to stay clear and operational even at extremely low temperaturess.
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