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Air Liquide Electronics, a leader in industrial and medical gases and related services, and Aviza Technology, Inc., a supplier of advanced semiconductor capital equipment and process technologies for the global semiconductor industry and related markets, have extended their joint development agreement (JDA). The JDA, which now has been extended through 2010, centers on advanced films and process development for semiconductor fabrication. The original agreement between the two companies was announced on April 4, 2005.

“We joined forces with Aviza as a partner for innovative materials development and integration so that we could offer chipmakers manufacturing-worthy process solutions to meet their roadmap requirements,” says Christophe Fontaine, vice president of Air Liquide Electronics. “The JDA has proven to be a mutually beneficial partnership for both companies and we look forward to continuing our development efforts with Aviza.”

Continuous integrated circuit (IC) device scaling poses certain critical manufacturing challenges, with new materials playing an integral role in successful sub-90-nm IC production. Ongoing industry collaboration is important for early development of process and technology solutions to overcome these next-generation challenges. Aviza and Air Liquide’s collaborative partnership enables the companies to combine their knowledge in the areas of advanced films, process technology, and hardware to help address deposition challenges for increasingly smaller and more complex IC devices.

As part of the JDA, Air Liquide’s ALOHA™ organization will produce the chemicals, perform the associated analyses and characterizations, and evaluate them through its Precursor Screening Program when necessary. Aviza will use selected precursors in developing fully characterized films to support advanced applications for sub-90-nm manufacturing.

“To date, Aviza has experienced quite a successful collaborative partnership with Air Liquide,” says Helmuth Treichel, vice president of advanced applications at Aviza. “Both Aviza and Air Liquide have benefited from our ongoing JDA and we feel there is much more opportunity to expand and enhance our research and development efforts by working with industry experts like Air Liquide in the materials arena.”

The Center for Business Intelligence (CBI) will hold the Annual Life Sciences Product Recalls Summit on September 17-18, 2007 at the Crowne Plaza Crystal City in Arlington, VA

May 8, 2007 — /PRNewswire/ — WOBURN, MA — CBI is pleased to announce that Melvin F. Szymanski, senior recall coordinator, ORA/OE/DCMO/Recalls, U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) will provide an informative session on “FDA Audits, Inspections and Expectations” at the conference in September. Join Mr. Szymanski and many other industry experts as they discuss comprehensive policies and procedures for ensuring effective recalls from manufacturing to wholesalers, end users, and hospitals.

Industry experts from Alexis Pharmaceuticals, Cordis Corporation, Eli Lilly & Co, GE Healthcare, J&J Medical Device & Diagnostics Group, Stryker Instruments, Wyeth, and other market leaders will provide valuable perspectives and case studies that you cannot afford to miss, including:

  • Ensuring notifications reach the correct people for timely recall closures
  • Creating acceptable timelines for corrective action plans in response to 483s
  • Evaluating policies to reduce the likelihood of a liability claim
  • Developing a proactive brand integrity strategy to mitigate corrective actions as a result of counterfeit products
  • Understanding what processes distributors and wholesalers have in place to facilitate a comprehensive recall
  • Efficiently communicating all correct and necessary information in a timely manner
  • Facilitated Working Group and Roundtable Sessions to investigate global procedures, counterfeit issues, and notification challenges

Don’t miss this opportunity to network with and learn from distinguished faculty at the only event of its kind.

Proud sponsors include: platinum sponsor, Stericycle, and exhibitor, CLS MedTurn.

Outstanding support provided by: PharmaVOICE, Medical Device Network, Medical News Today, PharmaForce International, PharmCast.com, PharmiWeb Solutions, Pharmaceutical Commerce and GoingtoMeet.com.

For more information on this event or to register, contact CBI Registration at 800-817-8601; fax 781-939-2490; e-mail [email protected]. Please visit us online at http://www.cbinet.com/recalls.

About CBI Research, Inc.
CBI is a privately held, world-class conference company that focuses on producing high-level programs for executive decision-makers who face strategic issues in domestic and international markets. CBI has provided information and networking opportunities for thousands of senior-level executives in various industries. More information at http://www.cbinet.com/.

Source: CBI Research, Inc.

Contact:
Andrea Chadis of CBI Research, Inc., +1-781-939-2428

May 9, 2007 — /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — MADISON, NJ — Wyeth today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) San Juan District Office has informed the Company that the recent FDA re-inspection of its Guayama, Puerto Rico manufacturing facility has resulted in a positive re-classification of the site. The new classification means that any issues found by the FDA have either been corrected by the Company or do not merit any further regulatory action. Guayama will continue to serve as a strategic manufacturing site and a source for future Wyeth products.

“We are pleased that FDA has re-classified the Guayama facility and we were able to resolve its concerns in a satisfactory manner. The change in status allows for the timely approval of new products manufactured at the site,” says Bernard Poussot, president, chief operating officer, and vice chairman, Wyeth. “We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and compliance in our manufacturing operations around the world.”

This re-inspection was related to the Warning Letter FDA sent to Wyeth in May 2006 regarding several specific concerns about manufacturing at Guayama.

Wyeth is one of the world’s largest research-driven pharmaceutical and health care products companies. It is a leader in the discovery, development, manufacturing and marketing of pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biotechnology products, and non-prescription medicines that improve the quality of life for people worldwide. The company’s major divisions include Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Wyeth Consumer Healthcare, and Fort Dodge Animal Health.

Source: Wyeth

Contact:
Justin Victoria
+1-973-660-5340
Wyeth

Web site: http://www.wyeth.com/

DuPont Packaging introduces FDA-compliant PLA modifier for food packaging

May 10, 2007 — /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — WILMINGTON, DE — DuPont Packaging has announced expansion of its DuPont(TM) Biomax(R) Strong family of polymer additives to include a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) compliant grade for food contact applications. DuPont(TM) Biomax(R) Strong polymer additives improve the performance of bio-based polylactic acid (PLA) packaging.

New DuPont(TM) Biomax(R) Strong 120 is a polymer additive that toughens PLA packaging materials while maintaining compliance with food contact requirements in the United States and in Europe. A similar additive was introduced in August 2006 for non-food applications. Both grades of Biomax(R) Strong provide improved toughness performance with minimal reduction in package clarity.

“Offering a food contact compliant grade of Biomax(R) Strong gives DuPont a way to help food marketers take better advantage of an environmentally preferred solution in packages such as clamshells used in fresh produce sections,” said Shanna Moore, global market manager for DuPont Packaging.

“We are firmly committed to developing sustainable solutions, including solutions that improve the performance of other sustainable offerings in the market,” Moore said. “By improving the performance of bio-based and biodegradable products, DuPont(TM) Biomax(R) Strong can help the packaging industry deliver high performance at a competitive price.”

Now more than ever, consumers expect freshness, taste and convenience in packaged foods and beverages — and industry leaders such as DuPont Packaging continue to respond with innovations in materials and technology, including science-based solutions for improved sustainability. From energy-saving package sealants made with DuPont(TM) Surlyn(R) resins, to package performance enhancers such as DuPont(TM) Bynel(R) adhesive resins and easy peeling DuPont(TM) Appeel(R) lidding resins, DuPont offers a wide line of high- performance polymers and additives to meet global packaging needs.

DuPont — one of the first companies to publicly establish environmental goals 16 years ago — has broadened its sustainability commitments beyond internal footprint reduction to include market-driven targets for both revenue and research and development investment. The goals are tied directly to business growth, specifically to the development of safer and environmentally improved new products for key global markets.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont(TM), The miracles of science(TM), Surlyn(R), Appeel(R), Bynel(R), and Biomax(R) are trademarks or registered trademarks of DuPont.

Source: DuPont

Contact:
Cathy Branciaroli of DuPont
+1-302-792-4349
[email protected]

Web site: http://www.dupont.com/

North Carolina Research Campus inks deal with Angiogen, LLC

May 11, 2007 — KANNAPOLIS, NC — Angiogen, LLC will join the state-of-the-art North Carolina Research Campus, vice president of business development Clyde Higgs announced today.

“We’re very happy to have Angiogen as a tenant at the NC Research Campus,” said Higgs. “We continue to reach out and find success with exciting companies like Angiogen in the medical devices, diagnostics, health and wellness and agri-bio tech fields.”

Angiogen’s mission is to develop novel oncology therapies, which will benefit those suffering from cancer. The company is preparing for a Phase I trial with its lead anti-angiogenesis drug, the Angiostatic Cocktail. Prior results in a short Phase I trial and in compassionate-use cases were very promising, with evidence of tumor regression and a decline in specific biomarkers. Angiogen was founded on the work of renowned scientist and physician Dr. Gerald A. Soff, an acknowledged expert in hematology and oncology. The Angiostatic Cocktail was developed at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine.

“We are very happy to collaborate with the NC Research Campus. Our firm has the utmost respect for the truly groundbreaking and innovative approach espoused by Mr. David H. Murdock, Clyde Higgs, Lynne Scott Safrit, and the rest of the team at the NC Research Campus,” said Mark Arizmendi, president and CEO of Angiogen. “We look forward to a long relationship with the NC Research Campus, the State of North Carolina, and our shareholders. We feel that being located with other biotech entrepreneurs will be accretive for Angiogen and the other stakeholders in the park.”

At the NC Research Campus, Angiogen will domicile its business operations and hopes to continue clinical research at the outstanding core lab facilities in Kannapolis.

Founded in 1998, Angiogen, based in Kannapolis, NC, and Evanston, IL, is the brainchild of Dr. Gerald A. Soff. The company has been funded by private investors and has collaborated with Genentech, Abbott Laboratories, Microbix, and other pharmaceutical companies.

Plans for the NC Research Campus include:

  • A 350-acre campus that complements North Carolina’s bustling biotech corridor.
  • An initial 311,000-square-foot building to house the core laboratory, a state-of-the-art contract manufacturing biogenic facility, and tenants. Campus partners broke ground on the building in February.
  • One million square feet of office and lab space.

For more information about the NC Research Campus, please visit www.ncresearchcampus.net.

May 8, 2007 — /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — COLLEGE PARK, MD — Influenza virus H5N1, which caused the recent outbreak of avian flu, may have a new enemy.

Researchers at the University of Maryland’s A. James Clark School of Engineering have created a “virus sponge” that could filter a patient’s blood in a process similar to kidney dialysis, removing the virus from the patient’s body. The concept could also be used to make vaccine production more efficient and in a pill to reduce glucose levels in diabetics, among other applications.

The virus sponge is based on a technology called molecular imprinting. In molecular imprinting, researchers stamp a molecule’s shape into a substance (in this case, a hydrogel — a material that looks like a powder when dry and like Jell-O when wet). When the specific molecule filters through the hydrogel, it fits in the imprint hole and is trapped.

The research group of Peter Kofinas, a professor in the Clark School’s Fischell Department of Bioengineering, is the first to apply molecular imprinting to the capture of viruses, and to show that this approach is possible using an inexpensive hydrogel.

Kofinas’s team has so far used this technique on plant viruses and Human Parvovirus B19, which causes “fifth disease” in babies, and has now begun work on the H5N1 influenza virus.

“This new technology could be integrated into hospitals and healthcare centers at minimal cost,” according to Kofinas.

Modifying existing dialysis machines to include the virus sponge technology would be relatively simple, he said.

“This virus removal device can be used the same way as a kidney dialysis machine,” Kofinas continued. “If you have a viral infection, you can go to the hospital and have your blood cleaned of that virus.”

While a new vaccine must be developed each year for the strain of influenza that is expected to be the most potent, a hydrogel can be imprinted as a universal filter for all flu strains. However, to achieve better performance, a hydrogel filter can also be produced to catch a particular strain of the virus.

The molecular imprinting process has many applications beyond trapping viruses.

“Applying the technology to a drug or food additive could contribute to the dietary freedom of those who suffer from type II diabetes,” Kofinas said.

A pill containing the hydrogels could be developed to remove excess sugars when taken with food, thus helping diabetics regulate their diet, Kofinas explained. The hydrogels would work within the small intestine to remove glucose prior to absorption into the blood stream.

Drug manufacturers could use the hydrogel filters in vaccine production. Pharmaceutical companies use viruses to create the vaccines that fight them. Hydrogels could be used to strip the virus out of the finished medication — a process that is currently very time-consuming and expensive.

Another potential application is to use the material as a filter in masks for those needing protection in case of biological warfare or other harmful biological agent exposure.

Kofinas has filed a patent on this technology. Currently, he is collaborating with researchers at the National Institutes of Health on how to use the hydrogels to clean human viruses out of blood. Advances in this area could help ensure a safer blood supply by allowing for the low-cost removal of viruses like hepatitis and HIV from donor blood.

Kofinas is also associate chair and director of graduate studies in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering. His graduate students, Linden Bolisay, Brendan Casey, Angela Fu and Daniel Janiak, continue to contribute to this research.

More information:
Peter Kofinas’ Research Projects: http://www.glue.umd.edu/~kofinas/projects.html

About the A. James Clark School of Engineering
The Clark School of Engineering, situated on the rolling, 1,500-acre University of Maryland campus in College Park, MD, is one of the premier engineering schools in the U.S.

The Clark School’s graduate programs are collectively the fastest rising in the nation. In U.S. News & World Report’s annual rating of graduate programs, the school is 15th among public and private programs nationally, 9th among public programs nationally and first among public programs in the mid- Atlantic region. The School offers 13 graduate programs and 12 undergraduate programs, including degree and certification programs tailored for working professionals.

The school is home to one of the most vibrant research programs in the country. With major emphasis in key areas such as communications and networking, nanotechnology, bioengineering, reliability engineering, project management, intelligent transportation systems and space robotics, as well as electronic packaging and smart small systems and materials, the Clark School is leading the way toward the next generations of engineering advances.

Visit the Clark School homepage at http://www.eng.umd.edu/.

Source: A. James Clark School of Engineering

Contacts:
Missy Corley, +1-301-405-6501
[email protected]

Lee Tune
+1-301-405-4679
[email protected]

Exhibitor Applications open May 7

May 7, 2007 — TOKYO, JAPAN — SEMICON Japan, the world’s largest exposition for semiconductor manufacturing, will be held at the Makuhari Messe, Chiba, Japan, December 5-7, 2007. The annual exposition, now in its 31st year, is organized by SEMI. About 1,600 exhibiting companies will occupy over 4,000 booths, and exhibitor registration opens May 7.

SEMICON Japan 2007 will feature a number of co-organized events in conjunction with the exposition including the SEMI Technology Symposium (STS), Market Seminar, and Microsystem/MEMS Seminar, as well as a wide range of International Standards and Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) programs.

“SEMICON Japan is an industry-leading and highly relevant forum for global equipment and materials providers to showcase the latest and most innovative technologies,” said Takashi Kumagai, president of SEMI Japan.

“SEMICON Japan gives exhibitors the opportunity to showcase the latest emerging technologies and reinforce their commitment to the semiconductor industry as a whole.”

SEMI plans to offer exhibition space in the International Exhibition Halls 1-11, as well as the “Innovation Hall,” which will be located in the Makuhari Event Hall. The Innovation Hall will feature pavilions for MEMS, nanotechnology, manufacturing engineering and venture capital companies/Academia, etc. SEMI is anticipating strong attendance, with over 4,000 booths.

For companies interested in exhibiting in the International Exhibit Halls 1-11, applications must be received by June 7, 2007, while companies interested in exhibiting in the Innovation Hall should submit applications by July 19, 2007. Companies may request a brochure with detailed application specifics by calling SEMI Expositions & Programs +at 81-3-3222-6022 or by email at [email protected]. An electronic copy of the application form may also be downloaded at www.semiconjapan.org.

Additional information about SEMICON Japan 2007 is available on the SEMI web site at www.semiconjapan.org. For North American or European inquiries, contact Katie Nguyen at SEMI Global Headquarters at 1-408-943-6945, or by e-mail at [email protected].

SEMI is a global industry association serving companies that provide equipment, materials and services used to manufacture semiconductors, displays, nano-scaled structures, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and related technologies. SEMI maintains offices in Austin, Beijing, Brussels, Hsinchu, Moscow, San Jose (Calif.), Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.semi.org.

ASSOCIATION CONTACTS:
Scott Smith/SEMI US
Tel : 1-408-943-7957
E-Mail : [email protected]

Expositions & Programs, SEMI Japan
Tel: +81-3-3222-6022
E-Mail: [email protected]

*Recall — Firm Press Release*

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

May 7, 2007 — /FDA News/ — JOHNSTOWN, PA — Galliker Dairy Company of Johnstown, PA, is recalling half-gallon packages of Galliker’s Acidophilus Plus Reduced Milk because they possibly contain under-processed milk. Under-processed milk may be unsafe. It has not been shown to be feasible to perform routine bacteriological tests on the raw milk itself to determine the presence or absence of all pathogens and thereby ensure that it is free of infectious organisms. Only products with the code date of May 13, 2007 are involved.

The product comes in a 64-ounce (One Half-Gallon), plastic package marked with the code date on the front of the package. No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this problem.

The recall was initiated after a chemical test indicated that possible under-processing occurred. All of Galliker’s processing documents indicate that the proper procedures were followed. Only this one product is involved.

Production of this product will continue while this incident is investigated.

Products having any other code date are not affected. Retailers are asked to pull-from-sale all unsold Galliker’s Acidophilus Plus Reduced Fat Milk with the code date of May 13, 2007 and return them for full refund.

Consumers with any questions may contact the company at 800-477-6455.

This recall is being made with the knowledge of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Contact:
Galliker Dairy
800-447-6455

FDA News

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

USDA releases some swine and poultry for processing

May 7, 2007 — / FDA/USDA News / — There is very low risk to human health from consuming meat from hogs and chickens known to have been fed animal feed supplemented with pet food scraps that contained melamine and melamine-related compounds, according to an assessment conducted by scientists from five federal agencies.

In the most extreme risk assessment scenario, when scientists assumed that all the solid food a person consumes in an entire day was contaminated with melamine at the levels observed in animals fed contaminated feed, the potential exposure was about 2,500 times lower than the dose considered safe. In other words, it was well below any level of public health concern.

The risk assessment is an important new science-based component of the continuing federal joint investigation into imported wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate from China that contained melamine and melamine-related compounds.

The risk assessment was conducted by scientists from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This team is now compiling a scientific assessment of the risk to animal health associated with ingestion of animal feed containing melamine and its compounds.

FDA and USDA are in the process of identifying a group of experts to convene a scientific advisory board that would be charged with reviewing the risk assessment. This group would also be asked to contribute to future scientific analysis related to the risk of melamine and its compounds to humans and animals.

In the course of the investigation, it was discovered that pet food was contaminated by wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate that contained melamine and its compounds. Subsequently, scraps of contaminated pet food that contained only low levels of melamine were distributed to farms in a limited number of states and added to the feed consumed by swine and poultry. These scraps constituted only a small percentage of the farm animal rations. In addition, melamine is known to be excreted in animal urine. When exposure levels are much higher, as was the case with cats and dogs, the melamine and its compounds appear to cause the formation of crystals in the kidney systems, resulting in kidney damage. There was no indication of kidney damage in hogs.

Both hogs and chickens known to have been fed contaminated feed appear to be healthy.

This dilution factor was an important piece of data considered in the multi-agency science-based human risk analysis and helps to support the conclusion that there is very low risk to human health from eating meat from animals that were fed the contaminated product. This conclusion supports the decision announced on April 28 not to recall meat from animals that were fed contaminated product.

Currently, swine and poultry on farms suspected of receiving contaminated feed are being held under state quarantine or voluntarily by the owners. In several cases, feed samples have tested negative for melamine and related compounds.

These tests were conducted by federal laboratories or state laboratories using approved methods. It is assumed that because only small amounts of the
contaminated feed were mixed with other rations, the melamine and related compounds were no longer detectable. USDA has concluded that, based on the human risk assessment and the inability to detect melamine in the feed samples, these animals no longer need to be quarantined or withheld from processing.

In other cases, feed samples have tested positive for melamine and related compounds; feed samples were not available; or feed samples have not yet been
submitted for testing. These animals continue to be withheld from processing, but are not yet being culled, pending the results of the animal risk assessment. This assessment is expected to be completed within one week. At that time, USDA will determine whether these animals can be released for inspection and further processing.

USDA and FDA continue to conduct a full and comprehensive investigation. As additional information is confirmed, updates will be provided and decisions will
be made using the best available science to protect the public’s health.

To ensure no further contaminated products enter the U.S., the federal government will continue to monitor imported wheat and corn gluten as well as rice protein concentrate and isolates arriving from all countries destined for human and animal consumption. The FDA import alert for these products sourced from China remains in effect and U.S. Customs and Border Protection will continue laboratory testing of the products as they enter the U.S. The inspections are a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of products entering at U.S. ports of entry. There is no evidence to suggest products bound for the human food supply are contaminated.

For additional information about the pet food and contaminated feed investigation, go to www.fda.gov or www.usda.gov. The human safety/risk assessment will be available online upon completion of an executive summary.

*Recall — Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

May 4, 2007 — /FDA News/ TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA — Aulcorp Food Marketers Inc. of Toronto, Ontario, Canada is recalling Archer Farms Four Cheese Risotto flavor, 6 oz., with “Best If Used By 16JUL2008AA,” because it has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella. Salmonella is an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

No illnesses have been reported to date.

Archer Farms Four Cheese Risotto, Code “Best If Used By 16JUL2008AA” was sold nationwide through Target stores. The Archer Farms Four Cheese Risotto flavor has been pulled from Target stores while the FDA and Aulcorp Food Marketers Inc. continue their investigation as to the source of the contamination.

The Archer Farms Four Cheese Risotto is packaged in a 6 oz. (170g) paperboard box with a mustard yellow banner which identifies this item as the Four Cheese flavor.

The salmonella contamination was noted after random testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Consumers who have purchased the 6 oz.(170 g) packages of Archer Farms Four Cheese Risotto, Code “Best If Used By 16JUL2008AA,” are urged to return the item to the nearest Target store for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Target Guest Relations at 1-800-440-0680.

Contact:
Target Guest Relations
1-800-440-0680