Genosys, the Cambridge-based gene discovery company, has been sold to Sigma-Aldrich for £24m. [30-Dec-1998]
Akzo Nobel is setting up a headquarters for its new Acordis fire-retardant chemicals business in Derby, and 220 jobs will be transferred from London, Coventry and the Netherlands over the next 18 months. [30-Dec-1998]
BP Chemicals is said to be considering plans to build a pipeline across the Humber to provide a link between its Saltend works to sites west of Immingham. [29-Dec-1998]
Laporte is to sell its hygiene chemicals division to management for £31m, which means its disposals programme is nearly complete. [24-Dec-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has won US approval for a vaccine against Lyme disease. [23-Dec-1998]
Shell Chemicals is to buy a Teesside ethoxylation plant from ICI, but ICI will continue to operate the plant on Shell's behalf. [23-Dec-1998]
Cantab Pharmaceuticals is forming an alliance with ImmuLogic Pharmaceutical of the US to develop vaccines against nicotine and cocaine. [22-Dec-1998]
Axis Genetics is to move to a new R&D facility at Granta Park in Cambridge in early 2000, from where it will develop edible vaccines from plants. [17-Dec-1998]
Rhodia is to restructure its Avonmouth chemicals plant by creating a new company called Rhodia Organique Fine and giving the site more autonomy. [17-Dec-1998]
Sanofi is to invest £69m at its Tyneside pharmaceuticals plant, which should secure the future of 580 jobs. [17-Dec-1998]
Brent International, the chemicals company, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company. [17-Dec-1998]
Chiroscience has won regulatory approval for its Chirocaine local anaesthetic in Sweden, which is said to be the first time a UK biotechnology company has won a licence for a significant new drug. [17-Dec-1998]
Millennium Chemicals has completed a £75m expansion at its Stallingborough plant, which will increase titanium dioxide output from 109,000 to 150,000 tonnes per year. [14-Dec-1998]
Oxford Biomedica is forming an alliance with Rhone Poulenc's RPR Gencell division in the US to develop gene therapy technology for heart disease. [14-Dec-1998]
Proteus International has formed an alliance in which US-based ChemBridge will market its molecule design software. [12-Dec-1998]
Organon of the Netherlands is to open a laboratory in Newhouse, Lanarkshire, to develop treatments for diseases of the central nervous system, creating 60 jobs. [11-Dec-1998]
Bioglan Pharma is planning to raise £18m in a flotation, and some of the proceeds will be used to finance acquisitions in dermatology and drug delivery. [11-Dec-1998]
Bimeda, part of the Dublin-based Cross Vetpharm group, is to set up a £3.6m veterinary products manufacturing plant and distribution depot on Anglesey, creating 72 jobs. [10-Dec-1998]
ICI's Quest International subsidiary is selling its Natural Colours operation in Ireland to Christian Hansen of Denmark for £33m. [10-Dec-1998]
Zeneca is to merge with Astra of Sweden in a £21bn deal, and the new group will have a London headquarters with the main R&D centre being in Sweden. [10-Dec-1998]
Vanguard Medica has reached agreement with 3M Pharmaceuticals to develop an oral treatment for liver infection caused by hepatitis C, but has abandoned the development of a treatment for kidney failure. [10-Dec-1998]
Ascot is acquiring Haltermann, the German provider of chemical processing services, for £90m. [09-Dec-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome Egypt has acquired Amoun Pharmaceutical Industries for $117m, which will make it the largest pharmaceutical manufacturer in Egypt. [09-Dec-1998]
Blagden Industries has ended merger discussions with an unnamed company, and will now focus on growing its speciality chemicals business through acquisition. [08-Dec-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is acquiring joint commercial rights for a lymphoma treatment from Coulter Pharmaceutical of the US at a cost of up to £80m. [05-Dec-1998]
Peptide Therapeutics has announced a research agreement with Novartis Pharma of Switzerland for the development of protease inhibitor drugs. [05-Dec-1998]
Johnson & Johnson is considering plans to close its toiletries factory in Portsmouth, putting 167 jobs at risk. [04-Dec-1998]
Meristem, the chemicals company, is closing its Wetherby head office and moving staff to another site in Doncaster. [03-Dec-1998]
Powderject Pharmaceuticals has won a European patent for its DNA vaccine technology, which involves propelling DNA into the body using a helium jet. [02-Dec-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has applied for US FDA approval to market its new diabetes treatment Avandia. [01-Dec-1998]
Albright & Wilson is considering plans to switch chemicals distribution from road to rail, by reopening a disused line to link its Whitehaven factory to Widnes and Crewe. [27-Nov-1998]
Lever Brothers is to cut 150 jobs at its Port Sunlight factory. [27-Nov-1998]
BOC has agreed the sale of its German and Benelux gases operations to Air Liquide of France for £112m. [27-Nov-1998]
ICI is selling its Teesside utilities business, which provides support services to companies operating at Wilton, to Enron of the US for £300m. [27-Nov-1998]
Paterson Zochonis has completed a new £9m soap manufacturing facility at its Cussons plant in Nottingham, which it claims will make the complex the biggest such plant in Europe. [27-Nov-1998]
Brenntag has acquired Midlands-based chemical distributor Farleyway, as part of a plan to build up a £100m chemical distribution business in the UK. [26-Nov-1998]
Johnson Matthey is considering plans to spin off its electronic materials division in order to boost its share price by focusing on catalysts and speciality chemicals. [26-Nov-1998]
ICI is to sell its 50% stake in a Japanese polytetrafluoroethylene business to its joint venture partner Asahi Glass for undisclosed terms. [25-Nov-1998]
Antisoma is planning to raise £10m in a share placing in order to fund the development of Theragyn, its tumour-targeting antibody. [25-Nov-1998]
The government is considering plans to introduce new legislation to enforce the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme, which is currently a voluntary system. [24-Nov-1998]
Yule Catto is to close the sulphur dye business of its James Robinson subsidiary with the loss of more than 30 jobs in Huddersfield. [21-Nov-1998]
Novara is selling its pharmaceutical wholesale business to Phoenix Pharmhandel of Germany for £22m, and has also announced plans to replace all of its warehouses with one new facility near Nottingham. [21-Nov-1998]
Lubrizol International Laboratories of the US is looking to shed about 10% of the 240 staff at its chemical research plant in Hazelwood, Derbyshire. [20-Nov-1998]
BOC expects to announce the sale of its German and Benelux gas assets early next year, but other sites could be closed as no buyers have been found. [18-Nov-1998]
Novartis of Switzerland has acquired a 2% stake in Skyepharma in a £6m deal that will give it access to the UK company's dry powder inhaler technology. [18-Nov-1998]
Scotia Holdings has sold its Efamol nutrition business to Nutricia for £16m, and has also announced plans to restructure its Canadian research facilities in order to save about £1m a year. [17-Nov-1998]
Phytopharm is raising £2.2m in a share placing in order to fund the development of plant-based pharmaceuticals. [17-Nov-1998]
The government has banned the testing of cosmetic ingredients on animals, and all companies with permits have surrendered them. [17-Nov-1998]
Quadrant Healthcare is to move from Cambridge to Nottingham following its acquisition of Andaris, the Nottingham-based drugs developer, but it is yet to decide how many of the 65 staff will move with it. [16-Nov-1998]
British Biotech has dropped plans to build up an international sales operation and will instead use a major pharmaceuticals group to sell its marimastat cancer treatment. [14-Nov-1998]
Wellcome Trust is waiting for government approval to build a science park on a greenfield site near its Hinxton Hall genetics research centre in Cambridge. [13-Nov-1998]
Zeneca has put its speciality chemicals division up for sale in response to the sector's accelerating consolidation, and it could fetch more than £1bn. [13-Nov-1998]
L'Oreal, the French cosmetics company, is planning to set up a UK headquarters in Hammersmith, London, by the middle of next year. [13-Nov-1998]
PPL, the biotechnology company, is raising £20m in a rights issue in order to help fund the development of its most advanced product, the human protein alpha-1-antitrypsin. [12-Nov-1998]
Peptide Therapeutics is planning to acquire OraVax, the US developer of vaccines, for £9m. [12-Nov-1998]
ICI is to stop producing solid reagent chemicals on Teesside and will sell the customer base to DuPont of the US for undisclosed terms. [11-Nov-1998]
BP is to close its chemicals plant at Baglan Bay, near Port Talbot, with the loss of 250 jobs. [10-Nov-1998]
Ciba and Clariant, the Swiss speciality chemical companies, are planning to merge, which could result in job losses among the 5,200 staff the two companies employ in the UK. [10-Nov-1998]
BP is to spend £500m upgrading its UK petrochemical operations, and 225 jobs will be created at new plants in Grangemouth and Hull. [10-Nov-1998]
Astra Charnwood is planning to build a new pharmaceutical laboratory in Loughborough, and up to 100 jobs will be created over the next three years. [09-Nov-1998]
Bioglan Holdings is planning to raise £20m in a flotation in order to reduce debt, fund expansion into the US and Europe, and help it make acquisitions in dermatology and drug delivery. [09-Nov-1998]
Laporte is looking to sell its hygiene chemicals business and has identified four potential bidders. [07-Nov-1998]
ICI is investing £10m on a computerised control system at its Wilton cracker on Teesside, which is up for sale. [06-Nov-1998]
Peptide Therapeutics has announced a collaboration with Eli Lilly of the US, in which they will undertake research into the disabling of harmful enzymes in the body. [06-Nov-1998]
Shell is devising plans to further rationalise its chemicals business and to close more refineries. [06-Nov-1998]
Phytopharm is linking up with Heska of the US to develop a number of its plant-based medicines. [05-Nov-1998]
Zeneca is planning to cut 130 jobs over the next three years at its agrochemicals plant in Yalding, Kent. [04-Nov-1998]
Holchem Laboratories is to move into a new building in Haslingden early next year in order to expand production of detergents and disinfectants for the food processing and brewing industries. [03-Nov-1998]
Albemarle of the US has acquired BTP's oilfield chemicals business and the manufacturing site at Teesport for £8.4m. [03-Nov-1998]
Laporte has sold its US mining chemicals business to Henkel of Germany for £10m, and more disposals are expected to follow as it aims to focus on life science and niche industrial products. [30-Oct-1998]
Zeneca has won US approval to sell Nolvadex, the world's first drug to prevent cancer. [30-Oct-1998]
Ato Findley UK has bought Cementone, the building chemicals division of the Philip Johnstone Group, for an undisclosed sum and the business will be merged with Stafford-based Evode. [28-Oct-1998]
W Canning, the Birmingham-based chemicals company, is being acquired by MacDermid of the US for £89m. [27-Oct-1998]
Therapeutic Antibodies is raising £7.5m in a share placing and has also announced plans to register as a UK rather than a US company as most of its operations are based in the UK. [27-Oct-1998]
Ethical Holdings of Ely has been rescued in a £10m deal that will give Elan Corporation control of the company. [26-Oct-1998]
Kvaerner Process has opened a £10m technology centre at Teesdale, Thornaby, which will focus on improving chemical manufacturing processes for its clients. [23-Oct-1998]
W Canning has sold Levenit Chemical, its Italian lubricants business, to Houghton Europe of the US for £5.7m. [23-Oct-1998]
Akcros Chemicals has awarded a £3.6m contract to Amec for the upgrading of its phosphite plant at Eccles, Manchester. [22-Oct-1998]
Alizyme claims to have discovered a new compound for the treatment of obesity, and expects to begin clinical development next year. [22-Oct-1998]
McBride is acquiring Globol, the manufacturer of home fragrancing products, for £7.3m. [22-Oct-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is to invest £200m in the expansion of its drugs plant in Cork, Ireland, in order to meet rising demand for its Seroxat anti-depressant, and 320 jobs will be created. [21-Oct-1998]
Skyepharma is planning to acquire DepoTech, the US biotechnology concern, for up to £33m. [20-Oct-1998]
Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation of the US has acquired a 15% in Kalibrant in order to help the UK company commercialise a faster technique for analysing blood samples. [20-Oct-1998]
Shell Chemicals and ICI Polyurethanes are forming a production and marketing alliance in rigid polyurethane foam. [17-Oct-1998]
Zeneca is planning to expand its pharmaceutical headquarters in Alderley Park, Cheshire, with the creation of up to 300 jobs. [16-Oct-1998]
ICI has announced that a deal to sell its Crosfield subsidiary to WR Grace for about £272m has collapsed due to regulatory issues in the US. [15-Oct-1998]
Blagden Industries, the chemicals company, is in merger talks with a number of undisclosed companies. [14-Oct-1998]
Air Products, the industrial gases company, has set up a new direct marketing and account management operation at the Crewe Business Park, employing 30 staff. [14-Oct-1998]
Laporte, the chemicals company, is to reorganise its electronics division and cut 200 jobs, mainly in the US. [13-Oct-1998]
Wellcome Trust is to set up a £20m fund called Catalyst Biomedica in order to develop university-based medical research into commercial projects. [13-Oct-1998]
Galen, the Irish drugs company, has ended merger discussions with Ferring Pharmaceuticals of the Netherlands due to current market conditions. [13-Oct-1998]
Brent International is selling its imaging business to Weir Holdings for £17m, in order to focus on surface coatings. [13-Oct-1998]
Chiroscience is to move into a new £14m facility at Granta Park in Cambridge in early 2000, and it will include offices and laboratories. [12-Oct-1998]
Skyepharma is to collaborate with Sepracor of the US to develop a new treatment for asthma. [10-Oct-1998]
Vanguard Medica has awarded North American distribution rights for its frovatriptan migraine drug to Elan of Ireland. [10-Oct-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has won UK approval to use its best-selling Seroxat drug to treat people who suffer from social anxiety disorder. [09-Oct-1998]
Shell Chemicals is planning to sell its PVC and VCM business operations to Shin-Etsu Chemical of Japan. [09-Oct-1998]
Albright & Wilson is expected to cut 50 jobs at its Oldbury chemicals plant over the next two years, in order to improve competitiveness. [09-Oct-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is to invest $50m in a new joint venture pharmaceuticals plant in north-eastern China, plus $25m in a plant in Shanghai. [08-Oct-1998]
Unilever is to licence hair follicle research to Bristol-Myers Squibb of the US, and BMS will aim to develop a prescription compound to prevent hair loss. [07-Oct-1998]
Zeneca is investing £18m at its Macclesfield site in order to produce a potential treatment for cancer. [06-Oct-1998]
Quadrant Healthcare has acquired Andaris Group, the private drug delivery company, in a £13m deal. [03-Oct-1998]
Pfizer, the US healthcare company, is planning to set up a European headquarters in Reigate which will employ 900 people. [03-Oct-1998]
Oxagen has agreed a five-year research deal with Astra of Sweden to isolate drug targets linked with atherosclerosis. [02-Oct-1998]
Zeneca is expected to announce up to 200 jobs losses at its Huddersfield factory due to the loss of a major contract to supply textile dyes to BASF. [02-Oct-1998]
William Blythe is to cut up to 25 jobs at its chemical plants in East Lancashire due to the effect of the strong pound on exports. [02-Oct-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome is facing an inquiry by the Dutch health ministry over the way it uses marketing bonus deals to encourage pharmacies to take its products, and the practice may be banned. [01-Oct-1998]
Akzo Nobel is to close its newly-acquired Courtaulds Fibres factory in Coventry with the loss of up to 200 jobs, and the business will be transferred to Spondon in Derbyshire. [01-Oct-1998]
Chiroscience claims to have discovered the gene the controls the autoimmune system, which could lead to the development of treatments for a wide range of diseases. [30-Sep-1998]
Oxford Molecular is to acquire the remaining stake in Cambridge Combinatorial for £12m. [30-Sep-1998]
Brent International is planning to sell its imaging business to a management team for £16m, in order to focus on surface coatings. [30-Sep-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is buying a 65% stake in Europharm, the Romanian pharmaceuticals group, for £18m, and has an option over the remaining shares. [28-Sep-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has applied for regulatory approval to market its Relenza flu drug in Europe and Canada, following trials that show it to be effective in preventing and treating infection. [25-Sep-1998]
Boots is to form a joint venture with Nicholas Piramal India to develop and market over-the-counter drugs in India. [24-Sep-1998]
Oxford Glycosciences has been awarded a £16m five-year research contract by Pioneer Hi-Bred of the US that will involve identifying plant genes that improve the quality of seeds. [23-Sep-1998]
Zeneca is to invest £50m in the development of new wheat varieties in collaboration with the John Innes Centre, and a new laboratory will be set up in Norwich. [17-Sep-1998]
McBride is acquiring Vitherm, the French detergent maker, for £3.5m. [17-Sep-1998]
W Canning is looking for a merger partner in order to help fund expansion, and meanwhile it is offering its additives division for sale. [17-Sep-1998]
Courtaulds has started production at its new £120m factory in Grimsby, which will manufacture Tencel advanced fibre. [17-Sep-1998]
Cortecs has announced that Laphal Laboratories of France will distribute its Macritonin osteoporosis treatment. [16-Sep-1998]
English China Clays has acquired Minco, the US fused silica and magnesia producer, for $28m. [15-Sep-1998]
Hammerite, the Northumberland-based paints maker, is to create a further 40 jobs over the next 12 months to cope with rising sales. [15-Sep-1998]
Morgan Crucible is looking to sell its speciality materials division in order to focus on its core ceramics and carbon operations. [15-Sep-1998]
The Technology Partnership is planning to build a £5m office and laboratory complex at the Melbourn Science Park in South Cambridgeshire, and is recruiting a further 60 people this year. [14-Sep-1998]
GR Advanced Materials has completed a new £3m ink processing plant at its Stirling factory, which will produce more than 5,000 tonnes of ink per year. [14-Sep-1998]
Albright & Wilson is to move more of its chemicals production outside the UK into regions such as Latin America and Asia in order to reduce costs. [10-Sep-1998]
Kiotech is planning a joint venture with Imperial College for the commercial development of a breathalyser to diagnose illnesses. [10-Sep-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has won approval to sell its Seretide asthma treatment in Sweden, and approval for the rest of the EU should follow within 90 days. [08-Sep-1998]
Burmah Castrol is considering plans to sell off non-core businesses in order to focus on lubricants and chemicals. [08-Sep-1998]
British Vita is to acquire Doeflex, the industrial plastics company, for £66m, as part of a strategy to equalise the sales of its three divisions - foams, industrial polymers, and fibres and fabrics. [08-Sep-1998]
Chiroscience is linking up with Maruishi Pharmaceutical for the development and marketing of its Chirocaine anaesthetic in Japan. [08-Sep-1998]
Vanguard Medica has reached agreement with Roche for the development of the VML588 treatment for kidney failure and brain haemorrhage. [08-Sep-1998]
Amoco's polypropylene weaving mill in County Durham is up for sale at £1.5m, following the recent decision to close the site with the loss of 260 jobs. [08-Sep-1998]
Zeneca has completed the acquisition of the pharmaceuticals business of Orica, formerly ICI Australia, for £117m. [05-Sep-1998]
Cambridge University scientists have developed an "alloy paint" which could revolutionise the way electronic equipment is made by enabling parts to be painted on an assembly line. [04-Sep-1998]
The government's medical advisory committee has proposed measures that would see a reduction of up to 30% in the £220m of antibiotics prescribed by family doctors each year, and the use of antibiotics to promote animal growth would be stopped. [04-Sep-1998]
Skyepharma is discussing the possible acquisition of companies and products in the US drug delivery sector, as it believes that they are currently undervalued. [03-Sep-1998]
ICI is planning to base the headquarters for its new Synetix division on Teesside, and it will be responsible for running the following businesses - ICI Katalco, ICI Tracerco, and Vertec. [03-Sep-1998]
Shield Diagnostics has won US regulatory approval to market its AFECTA test for the risk of cardiovascular disease. [02-Sep-1998]
Therapeutic Antibodies, the biotechnology company, is hoping to raise £20m to support it until it becomes profitable, and is considering plans to move its headquarters from Tennessee to the UK. [02-Sep-1998]
Zeneca is set to lose a multi-million-pound textile dyes contract from BASF, which could threaten jobs at its Huddersfield plant. [31-Aug-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has won US regulatory approval for its Lamictal epilepsy tablets. [28-Aug-1998]
ICI is forming an alliance with Dongsung Chemical of South Korea, in which its National Starch subsidiary will take a 70% stake in Dongsung's footwear business and ICI Polyurethanes will link up with the shoe system division. [28-Aug-1998]
Celltech has won US regulatory approval to market its Remicade treatment for Crohn's disease, and the product will be sold by the US biotechnology company Centocor. [26-Aug-1998]
Kalon, the paint manufacturer, is planning to expand its chain of trade centres from 183 to 324 outlets by 2000, with most of these being in the UK. [26-Aug-1998]
Quintiles Transnational Corporation has acquired Royce Consultancy, the Edinburgh-based pharmaceutical sales recruitment and contract organisation, for undisclosed terms. [25-Aug-1998]
Zeneca is building a £2m pilot fermentation plant at its Billingham site that will act as trouble-shooting facility in the manufacture of drugs. [25-Aug-1998]
BASF is planning to build a £10m acetonitrile plant at Seal Sands in a joint venture with BP Chemicals. [25-Aug-1998]
Phytopharm has awarded marketing rights for its P57 plant-based appetite suppressing compound to Pfizer of the US, and will receive up to £19m in licensing fees and milestone payments. [25-Aug-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has won regulatory approval to market Zeffix, its oral treatment for chronic hepatitis B, in the Philippines. [21-Aug-1998]
Medeva is to sell its International Medication Systems manufacturing facility in California to Amphastar Pharmaceuticals of the US for £3.6m. [20-Aug-1998]
Proteus International is set to receive £390,000 from the Department of Health to set up a research laboratory in Leeds to develop a blood test for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. [19-Aug-1998]
Hexagen, the UK biotech concern, is to be acquired by Incyte Pharmaceuticals of the US for £25m in order to create a major force in the genomics sector. [18-Aug-1998]
Xenova, the bio-pharmaceutical group, is looking for ways to raise funds in order to stem ongoing losses. [14-Aug-1998]
BOC, the industrial gases company, has announced a worldwide restructuring programme in order to save £120m a year, which will result in 3,700 job cuts including 500 in the UK. [12-Aug-1998]
Amersham Pharmacia Biotech is acquiring Molecular Dynamics, its US partner, for £160m, in order to help it compete in the development of DNA sequencing and genomics. [11-Aug-1998]
Ascot is acquiring a 30% stake in Chirotech Technology, the Chiroscience subsidiary, for £30m, in order to develop a partnership that can both develop and manufacture compounds for pharmaceutical companies. [11-Aug-1998]
Production of Shire Pharmaceuticals' Arenol hyperactivity drug could be halted for up to 10 months following an explosion at a US factory. [07-Aug-1998]
Laporte is to acquire Inspec, the speciality chemicals business, for about £611m, thereby creating a leading European supplier to the pharmaceutical, agrochemicals and life sciences sectors. [06-Aug-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome is to end its over-the-counter drugs marketing joint venture with Warner-Lambert, and will regain the rights for Zantac 75 in all markets outside North America. [04-Aug-1998]
Croda International has acquired Westbrook, the manufacturer of lanolin and its derivatives, for £10.6m. [04-Aug-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome is planning to run TV campaigns in Europe to outline the diseases its products are used to treat, but it remains illegal to advertise these prescription drugs directly. [31-Jul-1998]
Amberley Group is acquiring DS, the Sweden-based supplier of chemicals to the German printing industry, for up to £12m. [30-Jul-1998]
Scotia is to set up a £2.5m manufacturing facility at its site on the island of Lewis, Scotland, to make Foscan, its anti-cancer drug. [29-Jul-1998]
Oxford Asymmetry, the biotechnology company, has announced a three-year contract to supply Monsanto and a preliminary agreement to supply DuPont Agricultural Enterprise. [29-Jul-1998]
ICI is planning to sell its US tioxide operations to NL Industries for £150m, while ICI's former tioxide plant at Grimsby is being sold by DuPont to NL. [25-Jul-1998]
ICI has issued a profits warning due to the strength of sterling, the Asian financial crisis and a downturn in bulk chemicals. [24-Jul-1998]
PPL Therapeutics has reached agreement with ProBio America for the licensing of the Honolulu mouse-cloning technique, and aims to adapt it to clone pigs. [24-Jul-1998]
Applied Extrusion Technologies of the US is to buy the European and Australian polypropylene film business of Montell, the plastics subsidiary of Shell, for $220m. [23-Jul-1998]
Alizyme has announced a licensing agreement with SmithKline Beecham for the development of a new treatment for irritable bowel syndrome. [23-Jul-1998]
Boots is buying a throat-care drug and an oral painkiller from Klosterfrau of Germany for almost £16m, and has also agreed a distribution deal in which Klosterfrau will act as Boots' agent in Germany. [22-Jul-1998]
Weston Medical has agreed a deal with Hoffman-La Roche for its needle-free injection technology to be used with Hoffman's Pegasys treatment for hepatitis C. [21-Jul-1998]
Zeneca has launched its Accolate oral preventative treatment for asthma into the UK market. [21-Jul-1998]
Shire Pharmaceuticals has announced encouraging early results from trials of its galantamine treatment for Alzheimer's disease, indicating that it helps to slow memory loss. [20-Jul-1998]
Skyepharma has raised £22m in a share placing in order to fund the acquisition of new drug technologies. [18-Jul-1998]
Akzo Nobel is buying out the Elementis share of their Akros Chemicals joint venture for £66m, and Elementis will use the proceeds to cut borrowings. [17-Jul-1998]
Therapeutic Antibodies has announced that the US FDA has accepted a licence application for its new anti-venom product, and it hopes to win approval by next April. [14-Jul-1998]
Ellis & Everard is acquiring Performance Polymers, the US polymer distributor, for £7.8m, as part of a strategy to reduce its dependence on the more cyclical commodity chemicals sector. [14-Jul-1998]
The government has announced a joint initiative with the Wellcome Trust to invest an extra £1.1bn in science and engineering research over the next three years, which will include the building of new university laboratories. [14-Jul-1998]
The Chemical Industry Association is launching a new initiative called Confidence in Chemicals that will identify and restrict dangerous chemicals, in order to prevent the introduction of new EU legislation. [14-Jul-1998]
Brent International is looking to sell its inks and coatings and imaging management businesses in order to focus on surface coatings, its most profitable division. [10-Jul-1998]
BTP has acquired Bactria Biocides from Revertex Chemicals for £6m, and will integrate the business with its Nipa Laboratories fine chemicals division. [10-Jul-1998]
PPL Therapeutics is looking for partners to help with the development of its alpha-1-antitrypsin treatment for cystic fibrosis, and the results of phase II trials are expected by the end of the year. [09-Jul-1998]
Sutcliffe Speakman has bought Aegis Trading, the manufacturer and distributor of flame retardants, smoke suppressants and colour dispersions, for £3.2m. [08-Jul-1998]
BTP is acquiring Archimica, the Italian fine chemicals company, for £100m, which will enable it to move into higher-value manufacturing of final ingredients for the pharmaceutical sector. [07-Jul-1998]
Kiotech International is planning to launch the world's first drug that works through smell, and is starting clinical trials for odour treatments for anxiety and sleeping disorders. [06-Jul-1998]
ICI has extended the deadline for the completion of the sale of its Tioxide business to DuPont by six months to the end of December, due to an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission. [01-Jul-1998]
Oxford Molecular is to invest £2.5m in MicroGenics, a new company set up to develop screening systems for antibiotics. [29-Jun-1998]
Meconic, the pharmaceutical chemicals manufacturer, has received a number of takeover approaches for its Phoenix Chemicals subsidiary, but it has no plans to sell the business. [27-Jun-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has submitted abacavir, its new Aids drug, for regulatory approval in North America and Europe. [26-Jun-1998]
ML Laboratories hopes to start selling its Icodial renal dialysis treatment in the US by 2000, as its licensee Baxter Healthcare is applying for US marketing approval. [25-Jun-1998]
Galen Holdings of Ireland is discussing plans for a reverse takeover by Ferring, the Dutch pharmaceuticals concern, which would give it access to Ferring's international sales network. [24-Jun-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is planning to sell its Bencard Allergy business to management for £20m. [22-Jun-1998]
British Vita is acquiring Hyperlast, the polyurethane business, for £35m, in order to strengthen its industrial compounds division. [19-Jun-1998]
Phytopharm is in negotiations to licence its drugs to a number of multinational companies, and interest is said to focus on its P45 treatment for baldness and its P54 treatment for osteoarthritis. [18-Jun-1998]
Proteus International is in discussions to licence a potential treatment for the prevention of blood clots, having isolated inhibitors of the Factor 10a enzyme. [18-Jun-1998]
British Vita is increasing its stake in Spartech, the US thermoplastics company, by 11% to 43.5% at a cost of £39m. [16-Jun-1998]
Alliance UniChem has offered to buy the remaining 60% of Safa Galencia, its Spanish affiliate, for up to £23m in order to expand its European drugs wholesaling business. [13-Jun-1998]
GW Pharmaceuticals has been awarded the first government licence to test the use of cannabis as a medicine, and hopes to win approval to sell it within four years. [12-Jun-1998]
PowderJect Pharmaceuticals has announced the formation of partnerships with Zeneca and an unnamed Japanese company to collaborate on the development of its painless injection system. [09-Jun-1998]
Goldshield, the pharmaceuticals company, has confirmed plans for a flotation that will value it at £58m and raise £5.2m. [05-Jun-1998]
ICI has announced that the sale of its Crosfield catalyst business to WR Grace is being delayed by an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission in the US, and the deal may not now be completed until the third quarter of this year. [05-Jun-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is to restructure its UK pharmaceuticals business at Welwyn Garden City, which could result in a move to new offices in Brentford and the loss of 123 jobs. [05-Jun-1998]
Skyepharma is to raise up to £31m in a share offering on Nasdaq in order to expand its drugs R&D programme and to benefit from the higher rating it expects its shares to receive in the US. [04-Jun-1998]
Cortecs is setting up a new company called Oratol in order to develop remedies for allergies and auto-immune diseases. [04-Jun-1998]
Medeva has had its AD32 drug rejected by the US FDA as a treatment for some forms of bladder cancer. [03-Jun-1998]
Akzo Nobel of the Netherlands is set to go-ahead with its £1.83bn takeover of Courtaulds, having agreed to sell two of Courtaulds smaller coatings businesses to the rival bidder PPG Industries of the US. [03-Jun-1998]
Pfizer, the US pharmaceuticals company, is planning to build a £50m European headquarters near Reigate, employing 900 people. [01-Jun-1998]
ICI is planning to invest £100m in a joint venture with BASF to build a £390m polyurethane plant near Shanghai, due to open by 2004. [01-Jun-1998]
BTP is to acquire Hexachimie, the French fine chemicals business, from Bristol-Myers Squibb of the US for £53m, in order to improve its position in the manufacture of chemicals for use in the drug and agrochemicals sector. [27-May-1998]
The UK chemical industry is said to be facing further consolidation as the launch of the Euro and the strength of sterling will prompt more acquisitions, according to a report from Dresdner Kleinwort Benson. [25-May-1998]
Biocompatibles International is to raise £49m in a share placing in order to fund the development of coatings that prevent the biological rejection of medical products, and has also awarded Boston Scientific of the US exclusive rights to use the coatings for synthetic grafts. [23-May-1998]
Therapeutic Antibodies is to collaborate with GD Searle in the development of an antibody-based drug, and any future revenues will be shared between the two companies. [22-May-1998]
Sutcliffe Speakman is to be renamed Banner Chemicals, and will focus on its chemicals distribution business following the sale of its carbons and environmental engineering divisions to Waterlink of the US. [21-May-1998]
Nycomed Amersham is selling its chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing operations in Puerto Rico to Searle for £40m. [21-May-1998]
Celltech is hoping to file its CMA 676 bone marrow cancer drug for regulatory approval in the US in early 1999, following encouraging preliminary tests. [19-May-1998]
Goldshield, the medicines and vitamins company, is to raise £6m in a flotation next month, in order to make product acquisitions and expand its sales network into continental Europe. [19-May-1998]
The US Federal Trade Commission is understood to be seeking a third-party sale for at least one of Tioxide's titanium dioxide plants in Europe, before it will approve DuPont's $750m acquisition of Tioxide from ICI. [18-May-1998]
Cortecs has agreed a £8m deal with Glaxo Wellcome for the marketing of its Macritonin osteoporosis drug in Greece, and is said to be in discussions with a number of other companies to licence the drug in other European countries. [18-May-1998]
The Wellcome Trust charity is to spend £110m over the next seven years to join the race to unravel the entire human genetic code, as it is concerned about the commercial sector filing patents on DNA sequences. [14-May-1998]
Unilever has acquired AmeriClean Systems, the US cleaning products group, in a deal thought to be worth up to £30m. [14-May-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has decided not to proceed with plans to sell a new migraine treatment that has been developed by Vanguard Medica, and Vanguard is now looking for another marketing partner for the drug. [14-May-1998]
Mitsubishi Chemical is to provide funding for a new Genetic Therapies Centre at Imperial College, London. [13-May-1998]
Abbot Group is acquiring the non-destructive testing and technical welding department of ICI Chemicals and Polymers for £2.8m. [13-May-1998]
Citicorp Venture Capital is to re-acquire Brunner Mond, the soda ash company that it floated two years ago, for £145m. [13-May-1998]
Sun Chemical of the US is to acquire Gibbon, the UK printing inks company, for £26m. [13-May-1998]
BOC, the industrial gases concern, is planning a range of cost-cutting measures following a fall in profits, but is still looking for acquisitions in specialist markets such as bottled gases. [13-May-1998]
The European Parliament has approved measures to bring European biotechnology patent laws into line with those in Japan and the US, despite opposition from environmental and other groups. [13-May-1998]
Akzo Nobel's £1.8bn takeover of Courtaulds could be under threat from a new approach by PPG International of the US, and a bidding war could develop. [12-May-1998]
The government is to press ahead with plans to abolish price-fixing in over-the-counter medicines, prompting fears among some small pharmacists that they could be forced out of business. [09-May-1998]
IWP of Ireland is acquiring Jeyes, the cleaning fluids company, for £51m, which should improve its sales leverage with supermarket chains. [08-May-1998]
Phytopharm is to begin human trials for a curcuma-based anti-arthritis drug, and hopes to win full UK approval by 2002. [07-May-1998]
ICI has acquired Mona Industries, the US-based surfactants business, for about £25m. [06-May-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has agreed a $200,000 contract with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology for research into medicinal chemistry. [04-May-1998]
Thompson Acquisitions has acquired Usborne, the fertiliser company, for £10.7m. [01-May-1998]
Elan Corp of Ireland has acquired Neurex, the Californian developer of acute care drugs, for $700m. [30-Apr-1998]
Chiroscience has applied to the US FDA for permission to market its Chirocaine local anaesthetic, and a ruling is expected within a year. [30-Apr-1998]
Peptide Therapeutics has awarded Pasteur Merieux OraVax of the US an exclusive option on a worldwide licence for an oral delivery anti-ulcer vaccine, and the US company will pay the full cost of development. [29-Apr-1998]
UK pharmaceutical exports reached a record £5.5bn last year, and drugs company investment in R&D reached £2.2bn, according to the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry. [28-Apr-1998]
The Standing Medical Advisory Committee is expected to issue tough guidelines in July to restrict the use of antibiotics to conditions for which they are absolutely necessary, in order to prevent serious diseases from becoming increasingly resistant to them. [24-Apr-1998]
Unilever is looking to sell Plant Breeding International Cambridge, which could attract interest from a number of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. [24-Apr-1998]
Elan Corporation of Ireland is acquiring Carnrick Laboratories of the US from GWR Health for $150m. [23-Apr-1998]
Proteus International is raising £7.6m in a rights issue to fund the development of its vaccine against high blood pressure and to fund trials of asthma and blood clotting products. [23-Apr-1998]
Akzo Nobel of the Netherlands has launched a £1.8bn agreed takeover bid for Courtaulds, which will make it the largest paints company in the world. [21-Apr-1998]
PPL Therapeutics is developing a treatment to enable chronically underweight people to gain weight using an enzyme called BSSL, in conjunction with Astra of Sweden. [21-Apr-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome is developing a new treatment for hepatitis B called the lamivudine oral anti-viral treatment. [17-Apr-1998]
Electrophoretics International is to offer the first commercial testing service for Creutzfeld Jacobs disease, but it will only be available to specialist hospital consultants. [16-Apr-1998]
Croda International has sold its industrial paints operation to Ameron International of the US for £28m in order to focus on oleochemicals, and is also in discussions to sell its paints joint venture with Hoechst. [15-Apr-1998]
Biocompatibles International is considering a rights issue to provide funding for the commercialisation of its stents, and is also looking at the possibility of licensing the development of some applications of its coatings. [15-Apr-1998]
Skyepharma is considering plans to raise its profile with US investors through a share placing of about £15m, and would use the proceeds to acquire companies to increase its range of drug delivery methods. [15-Apr-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has expressed confidence in its future as an independent company following the recent collapse of merger talks with Glaxo Wellcome, and has outlined plans for new treatments for diabetes, osteoporosis, asthma, anxiety, and the narrowing of coronary arteries. [15-Apr-1998]
Inspec is selling its Antwerp-based commodity chemicals business, which makes ethylene oxide and glycol, to management for £82m, and is likely to use the proceeds to make acquisitions in speciality chemicals. [15-Apr-1998]
The Roslin Institute in Scotland has set up a new biotechnology company called Roslin Bio-Med to commercialise its nuclear transfer cloning technology. [09-Apr-1998]
Watts Blake Bearne is looking to expand its ceramic clays business into Brazil, China and eastern Europe, through joint ventures and acquisitions. [08-Apr-1998]
Oxford Glycosciences is to raise £30m in a flotation, and some of the shares will go to Pzifer and Incyte Pharmaceuticals of the US. [08-Apr-1998]
Yorkshire Group is looking to invest up to £100m in the creation of a global dyes business, and is seeking acquisitions and joint venture partners in the US and Asia. [07-Apr-1998]
Oxford Molecular is set to acquire Chemical Design Holdings, the pharmaceutical software company, for about £6m. [06-Apr-1998]
Oxford Glycosciences has reached agreement to conduct research into Alzheimers disease on behalf of Pfizer, and will receive up to £30m in payments including royalties on any new drugs that result. [06-Apr-1998]
Akzo Nobel of the Netherlands is said to be planning a bid for Courtaulds in order to create the largest paints group in the world. [03-Apr-1998]
ICI is planning to sell Crosfield Group, the maker of catalysts for detergents and silicas, to WR Grace of the US for £272m. [03-Apr-1998]
Peptide Therapeutics has been given the go-ahead from the US FDA to run a series of tests on its oral typhoid vaccine, that should enable the vaccine to reach the market in 2001, two years ahead of schedule. [03-Apr-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome's Spanish subsidiary is under attack from a group of local wholesale distributors over claims that it has a policy of setting different prices for exports as it sets for the domestic market. [03-Apr-1998]
Norbrook Laboratories, the animal health concern, is planning to buy J Webster Laboratories, the Canadian anti-bacterials company, from Merial for about £17m. [01-Apr-1998]
Chiroscience has announced a deal in which Zeneca will commercialise its Chirocaine anaesthetic, which should generate at least £200m of additional revenue for Chiroscience. [01-Apr-1998]
ICI has acquired Acheson Industries, the US speciality chemicals company that makes coatings for TVs and lubricants, for £333m, and will merge it with its National Starch & Chemical division. [31-Mar-1998]
ACM Wood Chemicals of Greece is said to be planning a flotation in London in order to fund the construction of factories and Greece and Australia to make additives for resins used in wood board production. [30-Mar-1998]
ICI is acquiring most of the European home improvements business of Williams for £350m, as part of a strategy to focus on specialist chemical products and consumer goods. [27-Mar-1998]
Brunner Mond, the soda ash producer, has received a takeover approach from an unnamed company thought to be FMC of the US. [25-Mar-1998]
KS Biomedix is raising £6m in a share placing to fund its biotechnology development work over the next two years. [25-Mar-1998]
Croda is in discussions over the sale of its industrial paints business, which is thought to be worth about £40m. [25-Mar-1998]
Courtaulds has bought a South African protective coatings business from Plascon. [24-Mar-1998]
BP is looking to buy the remaining 80% of ICI's petrochemical plant at Wilton, although ICI is also thought to be negotiating with other companies who may be interested in buying both the cracker and associated product plants. [23-Mar-1998]
Scotia has raised £50m in a share placing in order to fund the development of a number of key projects, including photodynamic therapy, a cancer treatment and the Olibra food ingredient. [23-Mar-1998]
Astra of Sweden is considering plans to move some of its drugs research activities into the UK and the US due to high taxes and a shortage of scientists in Sweden. [23-Mar-1998]
Therapeutic Antibodies is planning to raise £20m to fund its progress until it becomes profitable, and later this year expects to apply for US approval to sell two new drugs for malaria and viper bites. [20-Mar-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has won European approval to sell its Combivir Aids drug, which reduces the number of tablets a patient has to take each day. [19-Mar-1998]
Vanguard Medica has awarded European and Latin American marketing rights for its VML 262 treatment for psoriasis to Stiefel Laboratories of the US, and is planning to sign a partner for the US market after phase II trials in the autumn. [17-Mar-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has agreed a deal with Boehringer Ingelheim of Germany to jointly develop and market BI's telmisartan drug for high blood pressure. [14-Mar-1998]
Skyepharma is planning to list its shares in New York by July, and has also announced a deal with Astra of Sweden to develop new drug formulations. [13-Mar-1998]
Cortecs has announced encouraging phase II trials for its Pseudostat chronic bronchitis vaccine, and hopes it will be ready for sale by 2000. [11-Mar-1998]
Oxford Asymmetry, the biotechnology company, has raised £18m in a share placing that will enable it to invest in new staff, premises and technology. [11-Mar-1998]
Laporte is looking to acquire speciality chemical companies with leading market shares, and has funds of about £130m. [10-Mar-1998]
The Ministry of Defence is to set up a science park for biotechnology companies at the Porton Down germ warfare research centre near Salisbury, as part of a strategy to increase technology transfer with industry. [09-Mar-1998]
ICI's planned sale of its remaining industrial chemicals operations is said to have attracted interest from BP and Huntsman Chemicals, with BP interested in petrochemical cracking and Huntsman interested in bulk chemicals. [09-Mar-1998]
Elementis, the chemicals company formerly known as Harrisons & Crosfield, is to focus on two divisions - colourants and additives and chrome chemicals - and has ruled out any further large acquisitions this year. [06-Mar-1998]
Government plans to do away with price-fixing in over-the-counter medicines have been hit by a defeat in the House of Lords that could mean that the Office of Fair Trading will have to delay its legal challenge until 2004. [06-Mar-1998]
Powderject Pharmaceuticals has agreed to collaborate with Glaxo Wellcome on the development of DNA vaccines, and it could receive up to £180m in licence and milestone payments over the next 5-10 years. [05-Mar-1998]
Inspec is looking to sell its ethylene oxide/glycol business in order to focus on speciality chemicals. [04-Mar-1998]
Chiroscience is setting up a new subsidiary called Rapigene to market its DNA analysis technology, and expects sales of up to £24m within five years. [04-Mar-1998]
Brunner Mond has completed the acquisition of the soda ash business of Akzo Nobel of the Netherlands, which makes it the second largest soda ash producer in Europe. [03-Mar-1998]
Oxford Biomedica is planning to raise £6m in a rights issue, and plans to begin clinical trials on two cancer drugs this year. [27-Feb-1998]
Seton Healthcare is to buy SmithKline Beecham's Resolve cure for hangovers and indigestion for £4.75m, including the trademark, plant, machinery and stock. [26-Feb-1998]
Courtaulds is planning to sell off its polymers division for up to £300m and split the remaining business into two - fibres and coatings - with each having a separate stock market listing. [26-Feb-1998]
Scotia has dropped plans to launch its Amelorad treatment for radiotherapy burns as the European Medicines Evaluation Agency has said there is insufficient evidence that it works. [25-Feb-1998]
Skyepharma has announced that the US FDA is to consider an application for the launch of a new slow-release formulation for its Paxil anti-depressant. [25-Feb-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham have called off their merger discussions having failed to agree on the management structure of the combined group. [24-Feb-1998]
Core Group, the drug delivery company, has been forced to delay the introduction of its morphine suppository as further studies have been demanded by regulators. [21-Feb-1998]
Quadrant Healthcare, the drug delivery company, has raised £20m in a share placing, £10m short of its target, and it will join the stock market on February 27. [20-Feb-1998]
Xenova has reached agreement with Eli Lilly to develop drugs that reduce the risk of blood clots, and will receive research funding, licence fees and milestone payments from the US company. [19-Feb-1998]
SmithKline Beecham and Glaxo Wellcome are planning to announce details of their £100bn merger next month. [18-Feb-1998]
Skyepharma has raised about £10m in a debentures placing in the US, which will enable it to complete a French factory and fund its drugs development programme until March 1999. [17-Feb-1998]
Oxford Asymmetry International has announced a £9m deal that will enable it to use Bayer's proprietary chemicals as building blocks to produce new chemicals that may have medical potential. [17-Feb-1998]
Therexsys, the gene therapy company, is to change its name to Cobra Therapeutics following the acquisition of Birmingham University-based Cobra Biosciences. [16-Feb-1998]
Oxford GlycoSciences, the biotechnology concern, is planning to raise about £15m in a flotation to help fund its drugs research programme. [13-Feb-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome is buying a number of Aids drugs from HMR and Bayer of Germany for an initial undisclosed payment and royalty fees. [13-Feb-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome has won US FDA approval for its naratriptan migraine drug, and it will be sold under the Amerge brand name. [12-Feb-1998]
Chiroscience is linking up with Bristol-Myers Squibb of the US to develop cancer drugs, with BMS contributing to the costs of Chiroscience's technology. [12-Feb-1998]
Powderject Pharmaceuticals has won FDA approval to begin clinical trials in the US on its technique for painlessly injecting anaesthetic. [11-Feb-1998]
LJ Specialities of Japan is to build a chemical dyestuffs plant in Chesterfield, creating 20 jobs. [09-Feb-1998]
BOC Gases is planning to build a £40m gas plant at Margam in South Wales, in order to supply oxygen to British Steel's steel products plant at Port Talbot. [07-Feb-1998]
British Biotech has announced it will have to wait at least another year until it can launch its Zacutex treatment for acute pancreatitis, as it has to complete phase III trials before the European Medicines Evaluation Authority will consider it. [06-Feb-1998]
Intercare has acquired Freeman Pharmaceuticals for £3.4m. [06-Feb-1998]
ICI has sold its polypropylene films business to UCB of Belgium for an estimated £25m, and the addition of the plants in Dumfries and Ghent will make UCB the fourth largest producer in Europe. [05-Feb-1998]
Zeneca has been granted a US patent until 2015 for a new formulation of its Diprivan anaesthetic that is designed to cut the risk of accidental contamination of the drug. [04-Feb-1998]
Cortecs has obtained positive results from clinical tests for its Macritonin oral treatment for osteoporosis, and is already in discussions with large drug companies about distribution deals. [04-Feb-1998]
KS Biomedix has announced encouraging results from trials of its CBF-BS2 rheumatoid arthritis drug, and is now looking for a marketing partner. [04-Feb-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham are planning a £100bn merger to create the largest pharmaceuticals company in the world, thereby putting an end to SmithKline's plans to merge with American Home Products. [31-Jan-1998]
Quadrant Healthcare is planning to raise £30m in a flotation for the development of its drug delivery system based on sugars found in desert plants. [31-Jan-1998]
Glaxo Wellcome is acquiring an 80% stake in Polfa Poznan, the Polish drugs company, for £132m as part of a strategy to expand in emerging markets. [29-Jan-1998]
Courtaulds, in collaboration with Nippon Paint Marine Coatings of Japan, has developed a new anti-fouling marine paint that does not cause damage to marine life. [28-Jan-1998]
Roche is planning a £120m upgrade of its vitamin C plant in Ayrshire to utilise the latest technology and extend the life of the plant. [27-Jan-1998]
Oxford Biomedica is to undertake joint research into gene therapy with Rhone-Poulenc Rorer of the US, and hopes to reach similar agreements with other US companies. [27-Jan-1998]
Cookson has acquired the jewellery components division of Inverness Corp of the US for an initial £24m in order to increase the value-added activities of its precious metals business. [24-Jan-1998]
Shield Diagnostics has announced a licensing agreement with Abbott Laboratories of the US which will involve Abbott using Shield's heart disease predictor test. [24-Jan-1998]
Ciba Specialty Chemicals of Switzerland is to acquire Allied Colloids in a £1.42bn deal, having outbid Hercules of the US. [22-Jan-1998]
ICI is considering the introduction of pan-European paint brands in order to benefit from European monetary union. [22-Jan-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has confirmed that it is in merger discussions with American Home Products to create the world's largest pharmaceuticals group with sales of about £16bn. [21-Jan-1998]
Oxford Asymmetry, the speciality chemicals company, is planning a flotation in order to raise £20m to invest in laboratories, technology and new staff. [20-Jan-1998]
Reckitt & Colman is to open a factory in China to make Dettol antiseptic and Pif Paf insecticides. [20-Jan-1998]
Scotia has won approval for new versions of its treatments for eczema and mastalgia, which allow patients to take one spoonful a day instead of a number of capsules. [20-Jan-1998]
The government has decided not to intervene in the hostile takeover bid by Hercules of the US for Allied Colloids, and the UK chemicals company has issued its final defence document pointing to strong profits forecasts and planned capacity increases. [17-Jan-1998]
BOC, the industrial gases group, has won shareholder approval to use the proceeds from the planned sale of its Ohmeda healthcare business to buy back shares, and negotiations for the sale are now at an advanced stage. [17-Jan-1998]
SmithKline Beecham is discussing a tie-up with American Home Products, probably in consumer medicines. [17-Jan-1998]
Xenova is to collaborate with the Institute of Grassland Research in Aberystwyth to identify chemical compounds in plants that can be used against disease. [16-Jan-1998]
KS Biomedix has announced that its work on sheep monoclonal antibodies will go into phase II clinical trials within a year. [15-Jan-1998]
UK chemical production fell 0.2% in 1997, due to a 1.5% fall in the contribution from pharmaceuticals, according to a conference of the Chemical Industries Association. [15-Jan-1998]
Yule Catto has taken control of Holliday Chemical having received 76% acceptances from shareholders following last month's £256m recommended bid. [10-Jan-1998]
SmithKline Beecham has settled a patent dispute with Lek, which will allow the Slovenian drug company to sell a version of SmithKline's Augmentin antibiotic throughout Europe from 2000. [10-Jan-1998]
Celsis International has reached agreement to licence its adenylate kinase assay technology for the screening of pharmaceutical and other products to the government's Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [09-Jan-1998]
Seton Healthcare has bought three over-the-counter pharmaceutical products from Whitehall Laboratories for £3.65m, including Anbesol, Compound W, and Relaxyl. [09-Jan-1998]
Courtaulds has ended a four-year dispute with Lenzing of Austria over the rights to the Lyocell man-made fabric, with the two companies agreeing to share all relevant intellectual property although they will not co-operate on manufacturing know-how or on commercial issues. [08-Jan-1998]
Celltech has sold the remaining 25% stake in its Biologicals manufacturing arm to Alusuisse-Lonza of Switzerland for £10.5m, enabling it to focus on drug development. [07-Jan-1998]
Quadrant Healthcare, the biotechnology company, is planning a flotation in order to raise £30m to expand its inhaler research team and to take some products through clinical trials. [07-Jan-1998]
Peptide Therapeutics has awarded an exclusive option on a worldwide licence for a veterinary allergy vaccine to Pfizer of the US. [06-Jan-1998]
McLeod Russel is acquiring Eurogard, the Dutch surface coatings business, from GE Plastics for £4.7m. [06-Jan-1998]
Zeneca is planning a £11m investment in the expansion of facilities to produce its Zomig migraine treatment, and a new plant will open in Macclesfield early next year. [06-Jan-1998]
MA Hanna, the US speciality chemicals concern, is looking to acquire European companies in preparation for the introduction of the single currency, and aims to double its non-US sales to about $1bn. [05-Jan-1998]
ICI has completed the sale of its polymer and intermediates business in the UK and the US as well as its 70% stake in a PTA joint venture in Taiwan to DuPont for £1.4bn, as part of its strategy to exit the bulk chemicals market. [03-Jan-1998]
Holliday Chemical is acquiring an Italian manufacturer of cephalosporins, aminoglycosides and other pharmaceutical intermediates from Hoechst Marion Roussel for £9m. [01-Jan-1998]