Avecia is to sell Avecia Inkjet, the Manchester-based supplier of ink dyes with 340 staff, to Fuji Photo of Japan for £150m. [28-Dec-2005]
AstraZeneca is planning to acquire KuDOS Pharmaceuticals, the biotechnology company with 75 staff in Cambridge and Horsham, for £121m. [28-Dec-2005]
Brunner Mond, the Cheshire-based soda ash manufacturer, has been acquired by Tata Chemicals of India for £65m. [28-Dec-2005]
BioProgress is to relocate its Cambridgeshire-based pharmaceuticals business and 15 staff from the town of March to the Cambridge Science Park in February. [27-Dec-2005]
Torday & Carlisle has sold Solvitol, the Birtley-based manufacturer of household chemicals, to a new company called Fleetness 435 for an initial £3.3m. [22-Dec-2005]
BioProgress is to acquire Dexo, the French pharmaceuticals company, for £8m, and has also announced the formation of a generic medicines joint venture with Crescent Pharma. [22-Dec-2005]
Oxonica is to acquire Nanoplex Technologies, the US-based developer of nanoparticle-based detection systems for the healthcare and security markets with 17 staff. [21-Dec-2005]
Premier Research has acquired IMFORM, the German pharmaceutical services company with 144 staff, for up to £4.7m. [20-Dec-2005]
Cyclacel, the Dundee-based pharmaceuticals company, is planning a reverse takeover of US-based Xcyte Therapies. [19-Dec-2005]
Merck Sharp & Dohme is to shed 60 jobs at its prescription medicines factory in Enfield, and plans are being drawn up to sell or close the site by the end of next year with the loss of the remaining 80 jobs. [15-Dec-2005]
GW Pharmaceuticals is to receive a £12m up-front payment from Almirall Prodesfarma of Spain for a £46m deal to market its Sativex treatment for multiple sclerosis in continental Europe. [13-Dec-2005]
Zenith Hygiene is to acquire GW Chemicals, the Yorkshire-based manufacturer of cleaning and hygiene products with about 90 staff at sites in Elland, Oldham, Stockport and Hertfordshire, for up to £6m. [12-Dec-2005]
Protherics has secured a £7.5m equity investment from AstraZeneca, and AZ will also fund a £16m expansion of Protherics' biopharmaceuticals production facilities. [12-Dec-2005]
LifeScan, the Inverness-based supplier of diabetic testing equipment with 1,500 staff, is considering sites in Europe, the US and the central belt of Scotland for a new factory. [09-Dec-2005]
Hygieia Healthcare, the Bideford-based supplier of antibacterial skin creams, is considering plans for a flotation early next year. [08-Dec-2005]
Ronseal, the manufacturer of wood preservatives, is to invest £8m in a new 90,000 sq ft warehouse at its Chapeltown site in Sheffield, with the creation of about 40 jobs. [07-Dec-2005]
Dermasalve Sciences, the manufacturer of toiletries for people with dry skin, is to float on Aim through a reverse takeover of cash shell Meon Capital. [07-Dec-2005]
Victrex is to invest £75m in the expansion of its thermoplastics business over the next three years, including a new £29m factory at its Thornton Cleveleys site in Lancashire. [07-Dec-2005]
The Department of Health has announced government plans to invest £100m in stem cell research over the next two years, in order to support centres of excellence, the UK Stem Cell Bank, cell production facilities and NHS clinical research. [05-Dec-2005]
ITI Techmedia has announced a £10m research project for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases, in partnership with Axis-Shield, Lab901, Haptogen and the Scottish Centre for Genomic Technology & Informatics. [01-Dec-2005]
One NorthEast is to invest £9.8m in the development of a £25m Institute of Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine in Newcastle. [01-Dec-2005]
Piramed has announced a £134m collaboration with Genentech of the US to fund the development of Piramed's cancer treatments. [30-Nov-2005]
Scottish Enterprise is to provide £1.8m of funding to promote the commercial development of stem cell technology over the next ten years. [29-Nov-2005]
Merck is planning to shed 7,000 jobs in its worldwide pharmaceuticals business, which could affect some of the 1,900 staff at sites in Harlow, Cramlington, London and Hertfordshire. [29-Nov-2005]
Alchemy Laboratories is to relocate from the Dundee Technology Park to a new 6,350 sq ft headquarters at the nearby Medipark by June 2006. [25-Nov-2005]
PolyOne is to close its colour compounds factory in Salford early next year, with the loss of 40 jobs. [24-Nov-2005]
The Prescription Pricing Authority is to cut back its network of processing centres next year, with the loss of up to 600 jobs, due to the introduction of a new computer system to assess how much pharmacists should be paid. [23-Nov-2005]
Provalis is looking to sell its pharmaceuticals business, which includes a range of products to treat osteoporosis, muscular skeletal disorders and other ailments. [21-Nov-2005]
Mitchell Cotts is to close its agrochemicals business in Mirfield, Yorkshire, next year, with the loss of 25 jobs from its 70-strong workforce. [21-Nov-2005]
Vernalis is to acquire Cita NeuroPharmaceuticals, the Canadian neurology and central nervous system disorders specialist, for up to £37m. [21-Nov-2005]
XenoSense, the Belfast-based biotechnology company with seven staff, has been acquired by Biacore International of Sweden. [17-Nov-2005]
Oxford Biomedica is to raise £30m in a share placing to fund the commercial development of its gene therapy research business. [17-Nov-2005]
Skyepharma, the pharmaceutical reformulation company, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. [15-Nov-2005]
De Witt is planning to close its skincare products factory in Runcorn with the loss of 42 jobs, in order to transfer production to Sweden. [14-Nov-2005]
Eastman Kodak is to shed a further 160 jobs at its photographic films factory in Wealdstone. [14-Nov-2005]
Reckitt Benckiser is to relocate about 150 marketing and finance jobs from its recently-acquired Boots Healthcare International business in Nottingham to its UK headquarters in Slough. [11-Nov-2005]
Dow Chemical is to close its polystyrene plant in Barry by the end of the year, with the loss of up to 24 jobs. [04-Nov-2005]
Chiron, the vaccines manufacturer with 600 staff in Speke, is to be acquired by Novartis, after the Swiss company offered $5bn for the remaining 58% stake. [04-Nov-2005]
Elementis is to close 50% of the chromium chemicals production capacity at its Eaglescliffe plant in Stockton-on-Tees, with the loss of 120 of the 230 jobs. [01-Nov-2005]
Gilead, the US pharmaceuticals group, is to relocate its European headquarters from Paris to London by opening a new office for 40 staff near Heathrow next year. [01-Nov-2005]
Avecia is to sell its pharmaceutical synthesis business to Nicholas Piramal India for £9.5m, involving the transfer of 350 staff at sites in Huddersfield, Grangemouth, Billingham and the US. [28-Oct-2005]
The School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool has secured a £18m government grant to build a new international centre for tropical and infectious diseases, which will create up to 640 jobs. [28-Oct-2005]
PRA International, the clinical development company, is to set up a 15,000 sq ft data management office at the Matrix Business Park in Swansea in November. [27-Oct-2005]
Albion Chemicals is finalising plans to shed up to 110 jobs in Sandbach in November. [27-Oct-2005]
PD Logistics has won a £2m contract to provide two 50,000 sq ft warehouses in Billingham for Huntsman's pigments division, which will create eight new jobs. [27-Oct-2005]
Wellcome Trust has awarded £8m to Dundee University's School of Life Science to set up a commercial-style drug development unit with 16 scientists. [26-Oct-2005]
Serologicals of the US is to expand the 200-strong workforce at its life sciences operations in Livingston and Dundee early next year, with the creation of 30 jobs. [25-Oct-2005]
Brian Jones & Associates, the Hertford-based polyurethane chemicals distributor, has been acquired by IMCD, the Dutch company that owns Honeywill & Stein of Sutton, Surrey. [21-Oct-2005]
Abcam is planning to raise £10m in a share placing on Aim, in order to fund the expansion of its Cambridge-based antibodies business. [20-Oct-2005]
Hikma Pharmaceuticals of Jordan is planning to raise up to £70m in a flotation and relocate its headquarters to London. [18-Oct-2005]
Genosis, the developer of fertility testing kits and other consumer health products, is planning to raise £8m in a flotation on Aim. [17-Oct-2005]
Synexus Clinical Research, the organiser of clinical trials for the pharmaceutical industry, is planning to raise £3.5m in a share placing. [17-Oct-2005]
Patheon is to create 50 new jobs at its pharmaceuticals plant in Swindon when a £8m extension opens in spring 2007. [14-Oct-2005]
Cyclacel has secured a £5m investment from Scottish Enterprise to fund the development of new drugs. [11-Oct-2005]
Fresenius Kabi, the developer of nutritional products for intensive care patients, is to set up a £10m headquarters at Manor Park in Runcorn by mid-2006, with the relocation of 350 staff from existing sites in Warrington and Runcorn. [10-Oct-2005]
Liz Earle Cosmetics is to relocate to a new 35,000 sq ft headquarters at the Ryde Business Park on the Isle of Wight in autumn 2006. [10-Oct-2005]
BP is to sell its Innovene petrochemicals and refining business to Ineos for £5bn, having dropped plans for a partial flotation of the business. [10-Oct-2005]
Reckitt Benckiser is to acquire the Boots Healthcare International consumer healthcare division of Boots for £1.9bn, which will involve the transfer of about 2,500 Nottingham-based staff. [10-Oct-2005]
GeneMedix is planning to restructure its Suffolk-based biopharmaceuticals business, in order to raise cash to pay off debts and secure its future. [10-Oct-2005]
Ciba Specialty Chemicals is to shed 77 of the 650 jobs at its organic pigments factory in Paisley in January. [06-Oct-2005]
Wyeth, the US-based pharmaceuticals group, is looking to make "major investments" in university medical research in the UK. [06-Oct-2005]
Cozart has acquired Spinreact, the Spanish medical diagnostics company, for £8.8m. [03-Oct-2005]
Simon Storage, the chemical storage company with sites across the UK, is to be acquired by Inter Pipeline Fund of Canada for £120m. [03-Oct-2005]
DDS Medicines Research, the Dundee-based company with 80 staff, has undergone a management buy-out for an estimated £1m, and will be rebranded as Drug Development Solutions. [03-Oct-2005]
PPD is said to be planning to set up a pharmaceuticals research and development centre at Kings Worthy in Winchester in July. [03-Oct-2005]
Phoqus is planning to raise up to £12m in a flotation on Aim to fund the commercial development of tablets that can be swallowed easily. [03-Oct-2005]
GlaxoSmithKline is said to be considering plans to double its £2.8bn annual research and development budget, although there are no plans for an immediate increase. [03-Oct-2005]
Skyepharma is to raise £35m in a rights issue to fund the development of its Flutiform asthma drug. [29-Sep-2005]
Tracerco is to open a new £1m research and development facility at Belasis Hall Technology Park in Billingham in November, with the creation of up to ten scientific jobs. [26-Sep-2005]
BioFocus, the Saffron Walden-based drug discovery company with 112 staff, is to be acquired by Galapagos of Belgium for £20m. [22-Sep-2005]
Pharmagene, the biotechnology company, has agreed terms for a £13m merger with Asterand of the US, which is expected to lead to the loss of about 23 jobs. [20-Sep-2005]
Talisker Pharma is planning to raise £6m from investors to fund the commercial development of treatments for disorders of the central nervous system. [20-Sep-2005]
Sequence Biotechnologies is planning to set up a nationwide network of up to 40 DNA testing clinics. [16-Sep-2005]
Eastman Kodak is to shed 21 jobs at its synthetic chemicals division in Kirkby, in order to make the site a five-day operation instead of seven. [15-Sep-2005]
Dundee University has received a £11m grant from Cancer Research UK, which will involve the transfer of 11 cancer researchers from the Gray Cancer Institute near London to the Cancer Research UK Molecular Pharmacology Unit at the university. [12-Sep-2005]
GlaxoSmithKline is planning to acquire ID Biomedical Corporation, the Canadian manufacturer of innovative vaccine products, for £0.8bn. [08-Sep-2005]
Idis, the pharmaceuticals importer, has undergone a £22m management buy-out backed by Close Brothers Private Equity. [07-Sep-2005]
Huntsman has won planning permission to build a £200m polyethylene plant at Wilton on Teesside by 2007, with the creation of 120 jobs. [30-Aug-2005]
Inyx is to acquire Celltech Manufacturing Services, the Manchester-based pharmaceuticals development company with 300 staff, from UCB for £19m, and will change its name from CMSL to Ashton Pharmaceuticals. [29-Aug-2005]
DeltaDOT has raised £2.3m in a private equity funding round to finance the expansion of its bioscience research business. [24-Aug-2005]
Zenith Hygiene has acquired Renaissance Laundry & Cleaning Supplies of Ross-on-Wye for £0.5m. [18-Aug-2005]
Numark, the buying group for about 1,700 UK pharmacies, has accepted a £30m takeover offer from Phoenix Medical Supplies. [17-Aug-2005]
Amphion Innovations is planning to raise up to £5m in a flotation on Aim this month, in order to invest in the expansion of its portfolio of life sciences companies. [16-Aug-2005]
The Specials Laboratory is investing £1m in the expansion of its laboratory facilities in Northumberland from 6,000 sq ft to 35,000 sq ft, due to rising demand for unlicensed medical products. [15-Aug-2005]
AstraZeneca has won planning permission from Torbay Council for a new £9m four-storey laboratory building at its site in Brixham, securing the future of 90 jobs. [15-Aug-2005]
Aquapharm Bio-Discovery has secured a £1.5m financing package and is moving its nine staff into the new European Centre for Marine Biotechnology in Oban. [12-Aug-2005]
Creightons is to shed about 20 of the 40 jobs at its cosmetics factory in Storrington, West Sussex, in order to move most of the manufacturing operation to Peterborough. [12-Aug-2005]
Pro2Kem has closed its biotechnology operation in Dundee, with the loss of the remaining five staff. [12-Aug-2005]
Oxford Immunotec has raised £7m of private equity to fund the commercial development of a diagnostic test for TB. [10-Aug-2005]
Pivotal Laboratories, the York-based analytical services company, has undergone a £8m management buy-out backed by Northern Venture Managers. [09-Aug-2005]
Intercytex has raised £12m to fund the commercial development of its biotechnology business, including the ICX-Pro wound healing product. [08-Aug-2005]
ReNeuron has raised £9.5m in a share placing to fund clinical trials for its stem cell business. [08-Aug-2005]
Shire is planning to acquire Transkaryotic Therapies, the US biotechnology company, for about £920m. [28-Jul-2005]
Chalcroft Construction has won a £1.1m contract from UK Radiopharma to build a pharmaceuticals plant at Dinnington near Sheffield. [21-Jul-2005]
Xention Discovery, the Cambridge-based pharmaceutical research company, is said to have secured £11m of venture capital funding. [21-Jul-2005]
Huntsman, the chemicals group, is to set up a new support services centre at its Wilton headquarters on Teesside next year, with the relocation of up to 300 staff from offices and laboratories in Billingham. [21-Jul-2005]
Hexion Specialty Chemicals is to shed up to 50 jobs at its factory in Barry next year, in order to transfer production of phenolic powder to Germany and Italy. [20-Jul-2005]
Arakis, the Saffron Walden-based drug development company, has been acquired by Sosei of Japan for £106m. [20-Jul-2005]
Premier Research Group is to acquire PharmData, the US pharmaceutical services company with 40 staff, for up to £12m. [20-Jul-2005]
Oxonica has raised £7.5m in a share placing on Aim to fund the development of new nanotechnology-based products. [18-Jul-2005]
Quay Pharmaceuticals is planning to relocate its biotechnology business from Bromborough to a 22,000 sq ft laboratory at the Estuary Commerce Park in Speke next year, and the workforce is expected to rise from 20 to 84. [14-Jul-2005]
ICI is to acquire the German emulsion powders business of Celanese for £15m, in order to expand its Elotex polymeric additives business. [11-Jul-2005]
Respironics UK, the supplier of inhaled drug delivery systems with 150 staff, is planning to relocate from Bognor Regis to a new 86,250 sq ft office and warehouse at the Chichester Business Park. [08-Jul-2005]
Disperse Group has acquired Hanworth Laboratories, the Cambridge-based manufacturer of cosmetics and toiletries with 55 staff, for £0.4m. [07-Jul-2005]
Newcastle City Council, One NorthEast and Newcastle University have announced plans for the creation of Newcastle Science City, a government-backed science park that could lead to 5,000 new jobs. [07-Jul-2005]
Vernalis is to acquire Ionix Pharmaceuticals, the Cambridge-based biotechnology company, for £12m. [07-Jul-2005]
Global Aircare is to close its air fresheners factory at Bampton in north Devon with the loss of about 120 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Hull. [29-Jun-2005]
Cardinal Health is to shed 60 jobs at its pharmaceutical packaging site in Corby over the next eight months. [28-Jun-2005]
Microscience, the vaccine developer, has been acquired by Emergent Biosolutions of the US for undisclosed terms. [27-Jun-2005]
Stem Cell Sciences is planning to raise about £10m in a flotation on Aim, in order to fund its research programme for the next two years. [23-Jun-2005]
SR Pharma is planning to acquire Atugen, the German biotechnology company with 30 staff, in a reverse takeover. [22-Jun-2005]
The Centre for Process Innovation is to set up a £6.5m National Industrial Biotechnology Facility at the Wilton complex near Redcar by the end of next year. [21-Jun-2005]
Bodycare International is to shed 90 of the 245 jobs at its toiletries factory in Preston. [20-Jun-2005]
Autotype International, the specialist film coating company with annual turnover of £48m, has been acquired by MacDermid of the US. [20-Jun-2005]
ML Laboratories is to acquire Quadrant Technologies, the Nottingham-based pulmonary drug delivery specialist with 35 staff, for £47m, and has also announced plans to change its name to Innovata. [17-Jun-2005]
Gambro BCT of the US is to invest £7m in the expansion of its recently-acquired Ivex Pharmaceuticals business in County Antrim over the next three years, with the creation of 86 jobs. [16-Jun-2005]
Zi Medical is to acquire Oxford NewTech, the pharmaceutical devices and diagnostics company, for £5m. [15-Jun-2005]
William Ransom & Son is to acquire Optima Healthcare, the supplier of aloe vera products with sites in Cardiff, Bradford and Newbury, for £23m. [10-Jun-2005]
Eastman Kodak is to shed a further 180 jobs at its photographic factory in Wealdstone later this year, including the closure of the graphics sensitising department. [09-Jun-2005]
GreenThumb, the lawn treatment company, is creating 12 new jobs at a new headquarters and training centre at the St Asaph Business Park in Denbighshire. [09-Jun-2005]
Lornamead has bought Vosene shampoo and other personal care brands from Procter & Gamble for undisclosed terms. [09-Jun-2005]
BP's Innovene division has announced plans to build a £1.1bn plastics plant in Saudi Arabia by 2008, in partnership with Delta International. [09-Jun-2005]
Premier Research is to acquire EPA Euro Pharma Auftragsforschung, the German pharmaceutical contract research organisation, for an initial £3.2m. [08-Jun-2005]
The University of Nottingham's School of Biomedical Sciences is to work with Exeter University to develop a £3m scanner to speed up the discovery of new drugs. [08-Jun-2005]
Tristel has raised £2m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its Newmarket-based infection control business. [31-May-2005]
Oxagen has secured a £32m capital investment to fund the expansion of its Oxfordshire-based drug discovery business. [25-May-2005]
BOC Gases is to shed 25 jobs at its depot in Derby, in order to consolidate its dissolved acetylene business in Bristol. [24-May-2005]
United Agri Products, the Cambridgeshire-based supplier of agrochemicals with 250 staff at a nationwide network of sites, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms. [23-May-2005]
Unilever is to sell its worldwide perfume operations to Coty for £438m, including a manufacturing site in the US and a distribution centre in France. [23-May-2005]
PPD is planning to expand its pharmaceuticals factory in Lanarkshire with the creation of 95 jobs, due to rising demand for its drug development services. [19-May-2005]
Eli Lilly is to build a new £20m pharmaceuticals facility at its Windlesham research and development site in Surrey, and construction work is due to start in August. [19-May-2005]
Byotrol is planning to raise £2m in a flotation on Aim to fund the expansion of its Manchester-based biocides business. [19-May-2005]
Colgate, the toothpaste manufacturer, is to close its factory in Salford by the end of 2007, with the loss of 400 jobs. [19-May-2005]
The Biosystems Informatics Institute in Newcastle is setting up a trading arm called Turbinia to boost commercial returns from its bioinformatics research, and up to 30 new jobs are expected this year. [18-May-2005]
Haptogen, the Aberdeen University spin-out, has announced a £1.5m deal with DaeWoong of South Korea to collaborate in the development of new drugs. [18-May-2005]
British Vita is to close its VTS Plastech thermoplastic sheet factory in Widnes by July, with the loss of 46 jobs. [18-May-2005]
DSM is to focus its bulk vitamin C production at its factory in Dalry, Ayrshire, and there will be a £6m Scottish Executive subsidy to help secure the 225 jobs. [16-May-2005]
Axis-Shield is considering plans to expand the workforce at its Dundee factory, due to rising demand for its diagnostic test products, which could involve expanding the building or finding new space. [16-May-2005]
IP2IPO has raised £14m in a share placing to fund the development of a new drug research business called LifeUK, which will act as a link between universities and pharmaceutical companies. [12-May-2005]
Acambis has acquired a US-based 58,000 sq ft vaccine manufacturing facility in Rockville, MD, from BioReliance Corporation for £4m. [11-May-2005]
Pfizer is to shed 29 of the 571 jobs at its pharmaceuticals plant in Morpeth, and is still seeking a buyer for the site. [06-May-2005]
BD Medical is to extend the Preventis hypodermic needle guarding device production line at its site in Swindon by March 2006, with the creation of up to 20 jobs. [05-May-2005]
GlaxoSmithKline is to acquire Corixa, the US vaccines manufacturer, for £160m. [02-May-2005]
Xceleron has secured a £2m investment from Close Venture Management and Foursome Investments to fund the expansion of its York-based business supplying contract research services to the pharmaceutical industry. [28-Apr-2005]
Koppers UK has acquired Lambson Speciality Chemicals of Yorkshire for undisclosed terms, which will involve the transfer of Lambson's glycerine and ammonium sulphate production facilities to Teesside. [27-Apr-2005]
ML Laboratories is to consolidate its pharmaceutical operations onto a single site in St Albans, with the closure of sites in Liverpool, Warrington, Tewkesbury, Keele and Leicester and the loss of about 65 jobs. [26-Apr-2005]
Eurofins Laboratories has acquired Direct Laboratory Services, the Wolverhampton-based testing and research facility with 100 staff, for undisclosed terms. [25-Apr-2005]
Renovo is planning to raise £50m in a flotation to fund the development of an anti-scarring drug. [25-Apr-2005]
Shire Pharmaceuticals is to acquire Transkaryotic Therapies, the US biotechnology company that produces drugs for genetic disorders, for £839m. [25-Apr-2005]
Alizyme is planning to raise £33m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its Cambridge-based biopharmaceutical development business. [22-Apr-2005]
Angel Biotechnology is planning to expand the workforce at its Northumberland-based medical research business from 35 to 42 this year, having secured a number of new contracts. [18-Apr-2005]
Arakis and Vectura are to receive an investment of up to £200m from Novartis of Switzerland for the joint development of a new respiratory treatment called AD237. [14-Apr-2005]
ExpressOn BioSystems, the Midlothian-based genetics research company, is said to be facing insolvency unless a cash injection can be secured. [13-Apr-2005]
Replizyme has raised a further £0.4m from shareholders to expand its York-based drug discovery business. [13-Apr-2005]
Quantum Specials has secured an equity investment from Phoenix Healthcare Distribution to fund the expansion of its newly-created pharmaceutical manufacturing business, and the Tyneside-based workforce should reach 20 by 2006. [11-Apr-2005]
Avecia is to close its biotechnology laboratory at Grangemouth this summer, with the loss of 95 jobs. [11-Apr-2005]
Boots is looking to raise more than £1bn from the sale of its over-the-counter medicines business by the end of the year. [08-Apr-2005]
CellCentric has received £0.25m from the Rainbow Seed Fund to fund the development of its epigenetics business and form a commercial relationship with the Babraham Institute in Cambridge. [08-Apr-2005]
British Vita has acquired the thermoplastic elastomers business of Valerio Franceschetti Elastomeri of Italy for an initial £5.5m. [05-Apr-2005]
Zenith Hygiene has acquired MP Chemical Products, the Northern Ireland-based supplier of cleaning, hygiene and ancillary products, for £0.1m. [04-Apr-2005]
Protensive, the Newcastle-based supplier of process intensification services to the chemical industry, is looking to attract private equity funding of up to £2m, float on Aim and create up to 90 jobs over the next few years. [04-Apr-2005]
Victrex has acquired an oxidation plant at Seal Sands in the north-east from Degussa for £16m, in order to secure the supply of the BDF raw material for the production of its Peek polymer. [04-Apr-2005]
Elementis is to sell its US-based Hardman epoxy and urethane products business to Royal Adhesives & Sealants for £7.8m. [29-Mar-2005]
Degussa is to close its chemicals plant at Miles Platting in Manchester over the next two months, with the loss of up to 43 jobs. [24-Mar-2005]
Torday & Carlisle is to invest £0.6m in a new north-east factory for E Wood, its Northallerton-based specialist surface coatings division. [24-Mar-2005]
Cambridge Biotechnology, the developer of obesity treatments with 29 staff, has been acquired by Biovitrum of Sweden for undisclosed terms. [23-Mar-2005]
British Vita, the chemicals and plastics group, is to be acquired by Texas Pacific Group for £668m. [23-Mar-2005]
The Hannah Research Institute in Ayrshire could be closed next year with the loss of 70 jobs, following the loss of government funding for its biomedical research programme. [22-Mar-2005]
DuPontSA, the chemical manufacturer with more than 350 staff at three sites on Teesside, is to change its name to Advansa, after Sabanci of Turkey became sole owner. [14-Mar-2005]
Sphere Medical has raised £4m from a number of institutional investors to fund the development of its Cambridge-based diagnostic products business. [11-Mar-2005]
Covance Laboratories is to invest £18m in the expansion of its drug development services centre in Harrogate by the end of the year, with the creation of 100 jobs. [09-Mar-2005]
C6 Solutions is to close its chemicals plant in Castleford over the next six months, with the loss of more than 300 jobs. [07-Mar-2005]
Biocompatibles has acquired CellMed, the German medical technology group with 15 staff, for an initial £2m. [07-Mar-2005]
Medical House has raised £1m in a share placing to provide working capital for its drug delivery and orthopaedic devices business. [04-Mar-2005]
Cytomyx Holdings is to sell Cytocell Technologies, the developer of DNA diagnostic products, to a management-led consortium for an initial £0.6m. [02-Mar-2005]
Inverness Medical Innovations of the US is to spend £60m setting up a diagnostic health products manufacturing and research business in Stirling, with the creation of 500 jobs. [01-Mar-2005]
Syngenta is to shed 240 of the 600 jobs at its chemicals plant in Huddersfield over the next 18 months. [28-Feb-2005]
Vernalis, the biotechnology company, is raising £30m in a share placing to strengthen its balance sheet and establish a sales force in the US. [28-Feb-2005]
Ilford Imaging, the Cheshire-based supplier of photographic materials, has undergone a management buy-out for undisclosed terms, securing the future of 380 jobs. [23-Feb-2005]
Micap has acquired Rendel & Scherer, the German developer of microencapsulation solutions, for up to £0.7m. [23-Feb-2005]
Alliance UniChem has acquired Farmaceutica Central, the Spanish pharmaceuticals wholesaler, for £33m. [22-Feb-2005]
Ipsen Biopharm is to invest £5m in a suite of new pharmaceutical laboratories in Wrexham, securing the future of 200 jobs. [18-Feb-2005]
Morgan Crucible is to acquire a 70% stake in Hubei Kailong Chemical, the Chinese ceramic fibres company, for £2m. [16-Feb-2005]
The Specials Laboratory is planning to recruit 40 extra staff at its pharmaceuticals manufacturing business in Northumberland this year. [16-Feb-2005]
Intercell is planning to upgrade its vaccines plant in Livingston over the next few years, with funds coming from a £50m flotation in Austria. [16-Feb-2005]
The Medical Research Council is planning to relocate the National Institute for Medical Research and up to 730 staff from Mill Hill to University College London. [14-Feb-2005]
CellTran has received £0.25m from the Yorkshire & Humber Equity Fund to finance the development of treatments for leg and foot ulcers. [11-Feb-2005]
Edinburgh Instruments is to collaborate with Hannah InterActions and CSS-Albachem in the development of new cancer therapies, having secured a £3.7m grant from the Intermediary Technology Institute Life Sciences of Dundee. [11-Feb-2005]
Johnson & Johnson is to close its healthcare products warehouse in Basingstoke in September with the loss of up to 26 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its site in Warrington. [10-Feb-2005]
PZ Cussons is to close a soap factory in Nottingham by 2007 with the loss of 160 jobs, in order to transfer production to Thailand and Indonesia. [09-Feb-2005]
Ardana Bioscience is considering plans for a flotation next month to fund the expansion of its pharmaceuticals business. [07-Feb-2005]
Thermphos is to shed 30 of the 120 jobs at its phosphates and polyphosphoric acid plant in Widnes. [04-Feb-2005]
The Centre for Process Innovation is planning to expand the workforce at its Teesside-based chemical industry centre of excellence from 25 to 50 over the next two years. [04-Feb-2005]
Altrix of Warrington is planning to raise £5m in a flotation on Aim later this year to fund the development of its drug-testing kits business. [03-Feb-2005]
Phytopharm is to raise £24m in a share placing to fund the development of new plant-based medicines. [03-Feb-2005]
Alliance UniChem has acquired 80% of Alloga, the healthcare wholesaling and logistics company, from Galencia of Switzerland, as part of a strategy to expand its network across Europe. [03-Feb-2005]
York Pharma has acquired Molecular SkinCare, the Sheffield-based developer of dermatology products, in a £5.5m deal. [02-Feb-2005]
SSL International is to close its footcare products factory in Derby later this year with the loss of 124 jobs, in order to transfer production to India. [02-Feb-2005]
EiRx Therapeutics has acquired a 56% stake in Auvation, the Aberdeen-based drug discovery company, for £1.5m. [01-Feb-2005]
Pfizer is to shed 400 jobs at its pharmaceuticals plant in Sandwich and sell off its site in Morpeth, which has 571 staff. [27-Jan-2005]
DanioLabs has raised £3.2m from institutional investors to fund the expansion of its Cambridge-based drug development business. [25-Jan-2005]
Plasso Technology of Sheffield has secured a £1.5m investment from East Hill Management to fund its drug development programme. [21-Jan-2005]
Oxford Biomedica, the gene therapy company with a market capitalisation of £85m, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. [20-Jan-2005]
Lubrizol is to close its oil additives plant in Bromborough over the next two years, with the loss of 69 jobs. [19-Jan-2005]
Biofusion is planning to raise up to £10m in a flotation on Aim to fund the commercial development of medical life sciences research at the University of Sheffield. [12-Jan-2005]
Pharmaceutical Profiles, the Nottingham-based drug development company with 100 staff, has undergone a £10m management buy-out. [12-Jan-2005]
Antisoma is to acquire Aptamera, the US drug developer, for £12m. [11-Jan-2005]
The University of Wales in Swansea and IBM are to establish a £50m Institute of Life Sciences, which is expected to lead to the creation of 238 jobs and 30 spin-out ventures. [10-Jan-2005]
Whatman, the manufacturer of pharmaceutical filters and DNA testing kits, is to shed about 160 of the 1,160 jobs at sites in the UK, Germany and the US. [04-Jan-2005]