ICIS - Search Articles by Date : August 12 2002 - August 18 2002

Taking responsibility
Despite most member states missing the transposition deadline for the EU's Solvent Emissions Directive, industry has been far from inactive. Nadia.... more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Are chemicals a risk to children's health?
Last week in Brussels saw the second annual European Union (EU) Green Week which had, as was expected, a wide agenda. Right from the opening more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

ExxonMobil Launches Expansion
ExxonMobil Chemical Company is moving ahead with plans to expand its capacity for metallocene ethylene elastomer products in Baton Rouge, La. The more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Major Chemicals Show Signals Of Improvement in First Quarter
Dow Chemical gets back in the black, while Lyondell, Nova and Methanex still see red. Joseph Chang reports. more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Industrial Gas Majors Post Flat Earnings in 1Q
Continued weakness in the electronic and manufacturing markets resulted in flat first quarter earnings for two major industrial gas companies. more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Monsanto Posts Profits Despite Lower Sales
Monsanto Company posted first quarter 2002 earnings of $55 million, up 53 percent from $23 million in 2001. However, excluding special charges and more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Wyeth Posts 13 Percent Profit Gain; Bristol-Myers' Net Falls 30 Percent
Pharmaceutical company earnings are coming in mixed with Wyeth, the former American Home Products, generating profit growth and the beleaguered more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

BASF Furthers Its Presence in China
BASF will build a new integrated production facility in the newly developed Shanghai Chemical Industry Park (SCIP) in Caojing, Shanghai, China. The more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Initial Batch of Specialty Chemicals 1Q Earnings Mixed
The first batch of specialty chemical earnings is coming in mixed, but many companies are showing signs of improvement and expectations for more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Abbott, Schering-Plough Woes Continue
The Food and Drug Administra-tion's (FDA) tolerance for repeat offenders cited for manufacturing flaws appears to be running low. Last week two more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Biovail Bags Merck's Vasotec Franchise
Biovail Corp. has inked a $250 million deal with Merck & Co. Inc. to acquire the US rights to Merck's hypertension drugs Vasotec (enalapril) more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

DAK Plans Major PET Expansion
DAK Americas will expand its Cooper River, Charleston, S.C., polymers plant by building a 330 million pound polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Dow Ups SAP Capacity
Dow Chemical Company is adding an additional 35,000 metric tons of capacity to its Drytech super-absorbent polymers (SAP) plant at Rhine Center, more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Dow Warns of a Potential TDI Shortfall This Year
Dow Chemical Company cautions that its global production of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) is likely to fall short of demand in 2002. The company says more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Financial In Brief
Hercules Inc. posted underlying first quarter earnings of $22 million (20c. per share) versus a comparable year-ago loss of $2 million on 3 percent more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Kyocera Bags Toshiba Unit in Stock Swap
Kyocera Corp. of Japan will acquire the fine chemicals unit of Toshiba Corp., Toshiba Chemical Corp., in a share swap valued at $74 million. more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

CMR Unveils New-Look Web Site
On May 20 Chemical Market Reporter unveils its new-look Web site at www.chemicalmarketreporter.com. The site features more information, more more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Farmland Industries Faces Cash Woes
Kansas City, Mo.-based Farmland Industries Inc., the largest farmer-owned cooperative in the US, replaced its CEO last week, and a cash flow crisis more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Degussa Confirms E.On Talks With RAG
Degussa AG has confirmed that parent company E.On AG is in talks to sell part or all of its 65 percent stake in Degussa to coal mining and chemical more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Novozymes Expands Into Hyaluronic Acid
Novozymes A/S has entered into a licensing agreement with the Oklahoma City, Okla.-based biotech firm Hyalose LLC for the development and more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

PPG Industries Reaches $2.7 Billion Groundbreaking Asbestos Settlement
In a move to free itself from continuing asbestos litigation, PPG Industries Inc. has signed a groundbreaking settlement with asbestos claimants more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Sterling Chemicals to Split Petrochemicals and Pulp Chemicals
Sterling Chemicals proposed last week to separate its pulp chemicals business from its petrochemicals business as part of a bankruptcy more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Refining and Petrochemicals Integration Remains Key
The current harsh market conditions make the integration of refining and petrochemicals more likely than in the past, according to Carlos Cabrera, more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Bayer Cuts Pharma Staff, Consolidates Operations
Bayer is once again taking dramatic steps to realign the cost structure of its pharmaceutical business, ultimately reducing operating costs by  400 more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Last Year's BP Amoco Blast Could Have Been Prevented
An explosion last year at a BP Amoco plant could have been prevented had the company put in place a system to monitor the type of uncontrolled more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

EPA Proposes Water Quality Trading
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a water quality trading policy to increase the pace and success of cleaning up impaired more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Plastics & Coatings In Brief
EPICHLOROHYDRIN Resolu-tion Performance Products will increase the price of epichlorohydrin by 10c. per pound; liquid and solid epoxy resins, epoxy more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Degussa Divests Viatris
Degussa has shed Viatris GmbH & Co. KG to global private equity firm Advent International, bringing the company much closer to its goal of more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Drug User Fees Renewed
The House of Representatives voted 425-1 last week in passing a final $3 billion bioterrorism preparedness bill that includes a five-year renewal more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Europe In Brief
LENZING recorded a 4 percent rise in sales to  623 million ($573 million) and a 5 percent drop in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Financial In Brief
FMC Corp. says it will fall 25 to 30c. short of Wall Street earnings expectations of 92c. per share in the second quarter as a result of the loss more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

PPG's $2.7 Billion Asbestos Settlement May Have Limited Benefits for Chemical Industry
Other companies with asbestos liability may not be able to cut similar deals. Joseph Chang reports. more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

EPA Risk Assessment Guidance On PCBs Dismissed by Court
A federal court of appeals has thrown out guidance the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had issued specifying risk assessment methods more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

ImClone Chief Steps Down Amid Controversy
In what is generally viewed as a positive development for the battered ImClone Systems Inc., Samuel Waksal has resigned from his positions as more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Inorganics In Brief
CHLORINE Vulcan Chemicals has increased the off-schedule price for chlorine by $125 per net ton, effective immediately or as contract terms permit. more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Watch
BIOVAIL Corp. has increased its full-year 2002 guidance on the acquisition of Vasotec (enalapril) and Vaseretic (enalapril/hydrochlorothiazide) more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Cancer Drug Market Heats Up With Use of EGFR Inhibitors
AstraZeneca PLC (AZ) reported positive Phase II trial data for Iressa (ZD1839) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Analysts estimate more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Lawmakers Urge Cleanup Of MTBE-Polluted Groundwater
Money in a federal trust fund earmarked for the cleanup of contamination of leaking underground storage tanks should be used to clean up more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Matsushita, Toray Team for Plasma Display Panel Plant
The Matsushita Plasma Display Panel Company Ltd. will begin construction in January 2003 of a second plasma display panel (PDP) plant at Ibaraki, more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Jobs and People
Linda Baddour Linda Baddour has been appointed chief financial officer of PPD Inc. Ms. Baddour has more than 22 years of experience in more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Oils, Fats & Waxes in Brief
BIODIESEL The American Society of Testing and Materials has issued specification D 6751 for all biodiesel fuel bought and sold in the US. D 6751 more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Pharma In Brief
LYNE LABORATORIES and Liberty Pharmaceutical have established Nephrx, a joint venture dedicated to bringing both generic and innovative products to more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

F&F Corner
MENTHOL Prices are at $11.75 per kilo. "Prices of this oil are reflecting a very subdued buying climate," says David Cookson, president of the more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

PWC Survey Shows Gap in Company/Investor Perception
For a public company, communicating with investors is one of the most critical factors in supporting a fair valuation for its stock price. However, more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Teva Buys Honeywell Italian Pharma Unit
Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has reached an agreement with Honeywell International Inc. to acquire one of that company's subsidiaries, more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

TotalFinaElf Profit Declines in First Quarter
TotalFinaElf reported a 62 percent fall in operating income to  121 million in its chemicals operation in the first quarter on a 10 percent sales more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Toxic Chemicals Release Declining, TRI Data Show
The overall amount of toxic chemicals being released into the environment continues to decline, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said last more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Atrazine Most Commonly Used Herbicide
Atrazine remains the nation's most heavily used corn herbicide, with more than 62.2 million pounds being applied to 75 percent of total US corn more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

Ag Biotech Sector Supports Plan to Monitor GM Crops
The agricultural biotechnology industry last week welcomed a White House announcement outlining a coordinated effort among three federal agencies more
(14 August 2002 12:47)

The Marriage of Amgen and Immunex
One of the largest deals in biotech history changes the industry's competitive landscape and the possible direction of deal-making. Carey Krause.... more
(14 August 2002 12:47)