News briefs

The European Commission has authorised the Portuguese government to grant Euro 45.2m in state aid to pharmaceutical company Portela & Cª, for researching and developing two new medicines for the central nervous system. Brussels approved the subsidy on regional development grounds because the company is based in a poor area of northern Portugal.

World Trade Organisation (WTO) member countries have again failed to agree a permanent compulsory licensing system for generic drugs helping poor countries facing health emergencies. This would replace a temporary (and ongoing) waiver from standard WTO rules that bans such manufacturing. The issue will now be debated in October, at the WTO TRIPS intellectual property rights council.

The European Commission has published best practice guidelines regarding quality risk management in the EU pharmaceutical industry.

Researchers at the Institute of Vegetal Biology and Photosynthesis, of the Spanish National Research Council in Seville have developed a system producing large amounts of lutein, an antioxidant fighting degenerative diseases such as arteriosclerosis or cataracts. They have created a cell culture production system using the green alga Muriellopsis, which they claim guarantees more abundant and sustained production than from marigold plant petals. Team director Miguel Garcia Guerrero stressed that the recently patented system 'ensured year-round production', as opposed to marigold harvesting. The algae mature after seven days of batch culture and are then harvested, with a fraction retained to sow a new crop.