Industry News

Covance celebrated the completion of its 288,000-sf animal testing laboratory in Chandler, Ariz., on May 1, 2008. The $100 million facility broke ground in June of 2007 and includes animal housing, five laboratories, a 100-seat auditorium, an animal care area, and a cafeteria. Operations will begin in the three-story building in early 2009.

Labconco’s new Purifier Logic Biosafety Cabinets are a new generation of biosafety cabinets that include an LCD information center located inside the cabinet at eye-level to keep users safe and alerted to current cabinet conditions. Operating parameters are constantly displayed, including the percent of filter capacity remaining. The Purifier Logic Series Cabinets utilize intelligent motor technology to maintain precise, safe airflow as the filters load. The motor is more powerful, yet quieter, cooler and 60% more energy efficient than other cabinets.

The Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute officially opened in Edmonton on May 1, 2008. The $217 million facility is Western Canada's first heart institute. Housing an MRI suite and a $1.2-million virtual-reality laboratory, the building includes 124 beds, six operating rooms, and a $2.2 million patient healing garden. The main part of the 62,000-sm hospital will open to patients in September of 2008.

SAFC Hitech, a member of the Sigma-Aldrich Group, opened its $9 million state-of-the-art cleanroom in Sheboygan Falls, Wis., on April 29, 2008. The 5,000-sf facility, comprised of an ISO Class 4 cleanroom, a distillation suite, and office space, provides in-house trace metals analysis and the capability to clean and fill containers in a tightly-controlled environment.

U.S. pharmaceutical company Unigene has initiated construction on a research, development, and manufacturing facility in Shijiazhuang, China. The project is part of a joint venture with state-owned Chinese pharmaceutical company Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group Corporation, its subsidiary China Pharmaceutical Group, and NBP Pharmaceutical Company.