Chemical Today February 2016

February 2016 | Volume 1 | Issue 2

Chemical Today Connecting World Chemically

Expert Viewpoint Green Chemistry Academic Research & Development

Liquid Metal ‘Nano-Terminators’ Target Cancer Cells NOW ALSO AVAILABLE ON

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Look homeward…

As the Chinese economy continues to be under pressure and oil prices still are a concern, most manufacturers are seeing a glimmer of hope from reports of a strong domestic growth.

The Indian chemical industry is expected to reach $224 billion by 2017, up from the current $144 billion, while the value of the global chemical industry is estimated at $3.26 trillion. This suggests that there is excellent potential to increase our share in the global trade. Also in the last decade, the industry has seen an increasing shift towards Asia, where Indian chemical industry stands out to be the third largest producer and 12th in the world in terms of volume.

And that’s why this year companies will look homeward and cash in on the potential of the domestic market.

Pharma will be one of the focus sectors for growth; most importantly the bulk drugs industry. Waking up to the realities of the trade, we are now looking to reduce our dependence on foreign imports. In this issue get to know all about the medical wonder ‘nanomedicine,’ its reign over life threatening ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, AIDS, to name a few and also about Bulk Drugs.

In our ‘Expert Viewpoint’ section take a look at what experts from PWC have to say about the pharma industry. Also see what a sugar manufacturer Shree Renuka Sugars expects from a chemical manufacturer. Furthermore, glance at our logistics section to see what a consultant has to say about transportation of dangerous goods in the country.

Focussing on the coolant industry we had a brief chat with India Glycols leaders, wherein the industry is shifting more towards bio-based raw materials.

Starting this month, we have added our ‘Jobs,’ ‘Tenders,’ and ‘IT In Chemicals’ sections in the magazine. Our Jobs will feature national and international companies on the look out for quality managers, research chemists among others, while the Tenders listing will give you an idea of the opportunity to supply chemicals in bulk across the country. For our IT In Chemicals read the opinions of KPMG analysts about the opportunities & risks for chemical manufacturers.

Shivani Mody Editor In Chief shivani.m@worldofchemicals.com

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The Chemical Today digital magazine is available for a yearly subscription on issuu.com. And yes, download our worldofchemicals magazine app for both IOS and Android!

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THE TEAM EDITOR IN CHIEF Shivani Mody PRINCIPAL CORRESPONDENT Debarati Das GRAPHIC DESIGNER Santosh Pradhan For Editorial contribution write to editorial@worldofchemicals.com For Advertising queries write to ads@worldofchemicals.com For Subscription services write to subscription@worldofchemicals.com Chemical Today is a monthly magazine focused on chemistry & the chemical industry.

Disclaimer: All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. All photographs, unless otherwise specified, are used for illustrative purposes only. The publisher makes every effort to ensure that the magazine’s contents are correct. However, we accept no responsibility for any errors or omissions and for any loss or damage caused as an effect thereof. The information provided in this publication is for general use and may not be appropriate for the specific requirements of readers. Views and opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Printed and published on behalf of owners Kimberlite Softwares Pvt Ltd (CIN:U22120MH2003PTC142239).

Editor: Shivani Mody. Published for February 2016.

© 2016 worldofchemicals.com COVER IMAGE © Yue Lu and Zhen Gu, NC State University

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CONTENTS 48

ACADEMIC SPEAK

LIQUID METAL-BASED NANO-TERMINATORS CAN ENHANCE ANTI-CANCER THERAPY

EXPERT VIEWPOINT

PHARMA

32

NEWS NATIONAL

06

BUDGET

08

INTERNATIONAL

10

EVENTS

12

EVENT COVERAGE - INDIA PHARMA 14 POLICY- PHARMA PRICING

16

TENDERS

18

EXPERT VIEWPOINT

48

R&D

YOUNG TURKS

SUGAR MANUFACTURER

20

SUGAR CHEMICALS

24

COOLANTS

28

PHARMA

32

ACADEMIC R&D

36

ACADEMIC SPEAK

40

GREEN CHEMISTRY

52

FEATURE NANOMEDICINES

56

INNOVATION BIOCIDES IN TEXTILES

60

R&D -YOUNG TURKS

62

LOGISTICS

56

FEATURE

NANOMEDICINES

NEWS

66

INTERVIEW

68

REPORT

72

REPORT COVERAGE

74

JOBS

78

IT IN CHEMICALS

80

PRODUCTS

84

QUOTES

88

GLOSSARY

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NEWS NATIONAL

CHEMICAL INDUSTRY LIKELY TO REACH $224 BILLION IN FY17

I

ndia’s chemical industry is expected to reach $224 billion in next financial year from $144 billion at present, a senior government official said in a report.

“India is an important player in the global trade of chemicals, plastics and allied products. There is tremendous scope to increase our share in the global trade. The value of global chemical industry is estimated at $3.26 trillion, while the output of Indian chemical industry is $144 billion,” said BS Bhalla, joint

secretary, ministry of commerce and industry, government of India.

“The global chemical industry is expected to reach $4.5 trillion, while Indian chemical industry is estimated to reach $224 billion in fiscal year 2017,” Bhalla added.

He further added that finding new markets for exports is a part of government’s vision of achieving exports of $900 billion by 2020 and raise India’s share in global exports from 2 percent to 3.5 percent.

While at present, India’s global contribution is at a nascent stage, Bhalla said that adding over the last few decades, the chemical industry has seen an increasing shift towards Asia, where Indian chemical industry stands out to be the third largest producer and 12th in the world in terms of volume.

India accounts for approximately 16 percent of the world production of dyestuff and dye intermediates, particularly for reactive acid and direct dyes.

Source: Economic Times

HIL JOINS HAND WITH RCF, NFL TO FORAY INTO FERTILIZER BUSINESS

H

industan Insecticides Ltd (HIL) has forayed into the fertilizer business by signing an agreement with PSUs National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL) and Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers Limited (RCF) and aims Rs 150 crore from urea sales over the next two years, according to PTI report.

“HIL has signed an agreement with NFL to sell and market its urea in states of Odisha and West Ben6

Connecting World Chemically

gal, similarly an agreement has also been signed with RCF to sell and market its urea in Odisha and Assam,” said S P Mohanty, director, marketing, HIL. Mohanty added that HIL is looking at sales of Rs 200 crore from phosphoric and potassic (P&K) fertilizer and another Rs 150 crore from urea in the next two years. The department of fertilizers has already certified HIL as importer of decontrolled

phosphoric and potassic fertilizers.

At present, HIL has three plants, one each at Cochin, Bathinda and Rasayni with a combined capacity of 30,000 kilolitre per annum of pesticides.

The company also has plans to expand its current capacity. To finance its expansion plans, the company is also looking to sell its 5.6 acres land located at Zakhira near the Delhi-Rohtak road for around Rs 350 crore.

www.worldofchemicals.com

BAN ON COMBINATION DRUGS RESULTED PHARMA STOCKS TO FALL 20-55 PERCENT

T

he government ban on fixed over the government decision. We dose combination (FDC) drugs are not against ban, but we stand has taken a toll on pharmaceutiagainst the way it was handled,” cals stocks, which saw a fall in the said D.G. Shah, secretary general, range of 20-50 percent year-to-date. Indian Pharmaceutical Association.

MarksansPharma Ltd has fallen In early March, companies like 47 percent in 2016 so far, while Abbott India, Macleods PharmaWockhardt Ltd posted a decline of ceuticals, Pfizer India, Procter and 38 percent in its share price. Pfizer Gamble Hygiene and Health Care Ltd, another company, which got (P&G), Glenmark Pharmaceuticals, affected with the FDC ban, saw its RB India, Piramal Enterprises and shares fall 29 percent year-to-date.

Alembic Pharma got interim stay on The government has banned 344 the ban from the Delhi high court. fixed dose combination drugs, citAccording to the latest data reing lack of therapeutic justification leased by pharmaceutical research in the said combinations. An FDC company AIOCD Pharmasofttech is a combination of two or more AWACS, Abbott Healthcare is likely drugs in a fixed proportion. The to suffer a loss of Rs 485 crore, expert panel appointed by governMacLeodsPharma of around Rs ment has banned popular drugs 370 crore and Pfizer to the tune of such as Vicks Action 500 Extra Rs 368 crore.

(Paracetamol, Phenylephrine and Caffeine) and cough syrup Codex This is a significant financial impact (Chlorpheniramine maleate, Coto companies. Some of the welldeine Phosphate, Menthol Syrup). known brands have been included in the mix along with some truly Around half a dozen codeine-reirrational brands. lated fixed combinations were part of the government’s banned drugs “The intention is good but the govlist. Codeine, a sleep-inducing and ernment will have to find a way to analgesic drug, is an opiate derived segregate the bad from the good” from morphine, and sometimes said Sujay Shetty, partner, pharma leads to abuse. and leader, life sciences, India, PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd “The pharmaceutical industry is (PWC).Pfizer India said that the so much frustrated and angered

prohibition of the Corex drug is likely to adversely impact the company’s revenue and profitability. Corex recorded sales of Rs176 crore for the first nine months of the fiscal year ended on 31 December, 2015.

Another banned cough syrup brand, Phensedyl, marketed by Abbott, accounts for around 3 percent of Abbott’s $1 billion India revenue.

The shares of Abbott India Ltd fell by 21.4 percent year-to-date.

Other pharma companies like Sharon Bio Medicine Ltd fell 54 percent, Syncom Formulations India 50 percent, Claris Lifesciences 36 percent, Orchid Pharma 35 percent, Vimta Labs 35 percent, Anuh Pharma 35 percent, Sequent Scientific 33 percent, SMS Pharmaceuticals 31 percent, Ipca Laboratories 29 percent, Nectar Lifesciences 28 percent, Alembic 28 percent, Strides Shasun 20 percent, Natco Pharma 19 percent, Cipla Ltd fell 19 percent, Novartis India 19 percent, Unichem Laboratories 18 percent, Merck Ltd 17 percent, AurobindoPharma 17 percent, Divi’s Laboratories Ltd 14 percent, Glenmark Pharmaceuticals 13 percent, Torrent Pharmaceuticals 10 percent, while Biocon and Lupin fell 10 percent each year-to-date.

Source: LiveMint

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

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NEWS NEWS BUDGET

CHEMICALS AND

FERTILIZERS INDUSTRY HIGHLIGHTS OF BUDGET 2016

Chemical industry growth will be primarily driven by domestic consumption because per capita consumption of most of the chemicals is much lower than global averages.

BASIC CUSTOM DUTY ON ACYCLIC & CYCLIC HYDROCARBONS RATIONALIZED TO 2.5 PERCENT Budget has proposed to reduce special addition duty (SAD) on orthoxylene for the manufacture of pthalic anhydride from 4 percent to 2 percent.

In the budget 2016, a number of initiatives have been proposed for chemicals and fertilizers sectors.

DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Based on the successful experience, the government has proposed to introduce DBT on pilot basis for fertilizers in a few districts across the country, with a view to 8

Connecting World Chemically

improving the quality of service delivery to farmers.

SOIL AND SEED TESTING FACILITIES AT RETAIL OUTLETS OF FERTILIZER COMPANIES The Soil Health Card Scheme is now being implemented with greater vigour. Through this, farmers get information about nutrient level of the soil and can make judicious use of fertilizers. It has been decided that 2,000 model retail outlets of fertilizer companies will be provided with soil and seed testing facilities during the next three years.

EXEMPTION OF EXCISE DUTY

CONCESSIONAL BASIC CUSTOM DUTY (BCD) / COUNTERVAILING DUTIES (CVD) Actual user condition for the imports of phosphoric acid and anhydrous ammonia at concessional basic custom duty (BCD)/CVD for manufacture of fertilizers have been proposed in the budget.

DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS Making quality medicines available at affordable prices has been a key challenge. We will reinvigorate the supply of generic drugs. 3,000 Stores under Prime Minister’s Jan Aushadhi Yojana will be opened during 2016-17.

Excise duty on physical mixture of fertilizers, made out of chemical ferDEPARTMENT OF CHEMICALS tilizers on which duty of excise has AND PETROCHEMICALS been paid by co-operative societies “Customs and excise duty structure holding certificate of manufacture plays an important role in incenfor mixture of fertilizers under the tivizing domestic value addition Fertilizer Control Order 1985, for towards Make in India campaign of supply to the members of such the Government. In line with that, co- operative societies is being the Government has proposed to exempted.

www.worldofchemicals.com make suitable changes in customs and excise duty rates on certain inputs, raw materials, intermediaries and components and certain other goods and simplify procedures, so as to reduce costs and improve competitiveness of domestic industry in sectors like chemicals & petrochemicals and many other sectors,” said the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in press release.

BCD on all acyclic hydrocarbons and all cyclic hydrocarbons (other the country, with a view to improvthan paraxylene which attracts nil ing the quality of service delivery to BCD and styrene which attracts 2 farmers. percent BCD) has been rationalized “The Soil Health Card Scheme is to 2.5 percent in the budget. BCD now being implemented with greaton denatured ethyl alcohol (ethaer vigor. Through this, farmers get nol) has also been reduced (subject information about nutrient level of to actual user conditions) from 5 the soil and can make judicious use percent to 2.5 percent. of fertilizers. It has been decided Budget has proposed to reduce that 2,000 model retail outlets of special addition duty (SAD) on fertilizer companies will be provided orthoxylene for the manufacture of with soil and seed testing facilities phthalic anhydride (subject to acduring the next three years,” said tual user condition) from 4 percent Ananth Kumar, Minister of Chemito 2 percent. BCD on electrolysers, cals and Fertilizers, while outlining membrane and their parts required the initiatives. by caustic soda/potash unit using The fertilizer companies will also membranes cell technology has co-market city compost which been exempted. increases the efficacy of chemical In the budget, the government has fertilizers. A policy for conversion proposed to introduce Direct Beneof city waste into compost has also fit Transfer (DBT) on pilot basis for been approved by the Government fertilizers in a few districts across under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Indian Chemical Industry • The chemical industry in India is a key constituent of Indian economy, accounting for about 2.11 percent of the GDP. • India accounts for approximately 16 percent of the world production of dyestuff and dye intermediates, particularly for reactive acid and direct dyes.

• India is currently the world’s third largest consumer of polymers and third largest producer of agrochemicals.

• In terms of value and production volume, Indian chemical industry is the 3rd largest producer in Asia and 6th by output in the world.

• Indian chemical industry could grow at 11 percent annually to reach size of $224 billion by 2017.

• In 2015, India chemicals industry had a market size of $144 billion.

• Value of India’s exports of inorganic chemicals have increased from $1.4 billion in FY14 to $0.70 billion in FY15, while the organic chemical market has reached $5.9 billion in FY15 from $12.04 billion in FY14.

• Indian speciality chemical market is expected to reach $70 billion by 2020.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

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NEWS INTERNATIONAL

BASF, AVANTIUM JOINT VENTURE FOR BIO BASED FURANDICARBOXYLIC ACID

B

ASF SE and Avantium have entered into exclusive negotiations to establish a joint venture (JV) for production and marketing of furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), as well as marketing of polyethylenefuranoate (PEF), based on this new chemical building block.

FDCA is produced from renewable resources.

The JV will use the YXY process developed by Avantium in its laboratories in Amsterdam and pilot plant in Geleen, Netherlands, for the production of FDCA. It is intended to further develop this process as well as to construct a reference plant for the production

of FDCA with an annual capacity of up to 50,000 metric tonne per year at BASF’s Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium. The aim is to build up world-leading positions in FDCA and PEF, and subsequently license the technology for industrial scale application.

FDCA is the essential chemical building block for the production of PEF. The new material can lead to longer shelf life of packaged products. PEF is particularly suitable for the production of certain food and beverage packaging, for example films and plastic bottles. After use, PEF can be recycled.“Of particular importance is our expertise in mar-

ket development and large-scale production as an established and reliable chemical company in the business of intermediates and polymers,” said Dr Stefan Blank, president, intermediates division, BASF. “The contemplated JV with BASF is a major milestone in the development and commercialization of this game-changing technology.

With BASF, we plan to start production of FDCA to enable the first commercial launch of this exciting bio-based material and to further develop and grow the market to its full potential,” said Tom van Aken, CEO, Avantium.

HENKEL TO ACQUIRE P&G’S HAIR CARE BRANDS Henkel said that it has signed an agreement with Procter & Gamble to acquire a range of hair care brands with focus on the Africa/ Middle East and Eastern Europe regions.

With the acquisition, Henkel will expand its footprint in emerging markets and strengthen its position in Africa/Middle East and Eastern Europe. The deal includes a portfolio of brands in the entry-level price 10

Connecting World Chemically

segment in the shampoo segment including Pert, Shamtu and Blendax, whose key countries are Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

“This acquisition is part of our strategy to further strengthen our footprint in emerging markets and to invest in strong country category positions. We are convinced that emerging markets will continue to generate above-average growth in the future,” said Hans Van Bylen,

Executive Vice President and responsible for Henkel’s Beauty Care business.

In May 2014, Henkel had acquired the Pert brand in Latin America from P&G. The brand offers a full range of hair care products, including shampoos and conditioners.

The latest transaction will help to further consolidate the Pert brand into Henkel’s portfolio.

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EVENTS

EVENTS CALENDAR 04 – 06 April

11 – 14 April Bio Process International European Summit

Bio-Europe Spring

Reliable Plant

Location: Kistamassan Convention Centre, Stockholm, Sweden Organised by: EBD Group Website: www.ebdgroup.com/bes

Location: Kentucky International Convention Center, Louisville, KY Organised by: Noria Corporation Website: http://conference.reliableplant.com/

The tenth annual Bio-Europe Spring conference is the premier springtime partnering conference for the biotechnology industry. The conference annually attracts the international “who’s who” from biotech, pharma and finance for three days of high caliber networking. Bio-Europe Spring’s world-class workshops, panels and active exhibition along with thousands of prescheduled oneto-one meetings make this event an unrivalled forum for companies across the biotech value chain to meet and do business. The conference will bring together close to 2,300 executives from biotechnology, pharmaceutical and finance companies from around the world.

Reliable Plant 2016 is a conference and exhibition for industrial machinery lubrication, oil analysis and reliability professionals. The event gives you an opportunity to participate in the area of specialized pre- and postconference workshops, extensive learning sessions and case studies covering today’s trends, technologies and issues. You can also explore the expansive exhibit hall of products and services to gain useful insight and practical advice in multiple areas of lubrication, oil analysis and reliability.

05 – 07 May Pharma Bangladesh 2016 International Expo Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh Organised by: CEMS Website: http://pharmabangladesh.com

It is an International Exhibition on Machinery, Equipments,Materials & Services for the Pharmaceutical Sector of Bangladesh.

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05 – 07 April

Connecting World Chemically

27 – 29 April Sugar Cane Technologists Conference Location: Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre.

Organised by: The Australian Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Website: www.assct.com.au The 38th annual ASSCT conference is Australia’s premier sugar technology forum and it is a great opportunity for sugar producers, farmers, millers and researchers to discover the latest developments and innovations in sugar technology. The conference theme is “Emerging technologies in a global industry.”

Location: Reed Messe Wien Congress Center, Vienna Organised by: Informa Life Sciences Website: http://www.informa-ls.com/event

Europe’s largest bio processing conference - connecting science and technology optimise bioprocessing for next-generation processes, products and approval pathways. Top Global Biopharmaceutical companies, bioprocessing decision makers, buyers and sellers will be Present at the conference.

10 – 11 May Biocides Symposium Location: Sofitel Chain Bridge, Budapest Organised by: Chemical Watch Website: https://chemicalwatch.com

Biocides Symposium 2016 , a two day conference will be held at Sofitel Chain Bridge, Budapest.

The 7th Symposium focusing on authorisation of biocidal products and active substance approval under the Biocidal Product Regulation.

www.worldofchemicals.com 10 – 13 May

11 – 12 May

Hotel Mercure Thalassa, Port - Frejus, France

Medicinal Chemistry Conference

Location: Sofitel Chain Bridge, Budapest

Location: Berlin / Germany

Organised by: Tecnon OrbiChem

Organised by: GTCbio Conferences

Website: http://www.orbichem.com/

Website: www.gtcbio.com

The business training seminars are designed to prepare delegates for the global and increasingly transparent chlor-alkali business and are aimed at new recruits into the chlor-alkali and derivatives business as well as at organisations with new businesses to manage.

The 10th Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry conference will provide a multi-disciplinary forum for industry and academia colleagues to gather and explore the changing landscape of drug discovery in emerging target classes and chemical biology approaches for discovering new medicines. Leaders in the field will focus on topics such as proteinprotein interactions, overcoming resistance in drug design, allosteric inhibitors, and many more.

07 – 08 September World Sugar Expo

24 – 26 October

05 – 06 August PharmaLytica

Location: Hitex Exhibition Centre in Hyderabad, India.

Organised by: UBM India Website: http://www.ubmindia.in/

PharmaLytica 2016 focuses on the latest industry trends, innovations and do business with Analytical and Outsourcing services.

PharmaLytica is evolving as the leading marketplace for products and services along the entire value chain in niche segments within the pharma industry.

21 – 23 August PharmaTech Expo Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Location: Bitec, Bangkok, Thailand

SAE

Organised by: FireWorks Media (Thailand) Co Ltd.,

Location: Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Website: http://www.asiafireworks.com/ec/

Organised by: SAE International

Website: http://pharmatechexpo.com

The event is one of the world’s largest specialized sugar and bio-ethanol technology event that brings together an international congregation of sugar companies and also its supporting industries gathered in the capital city of Bangkok, Thailand to showcase the latest developments in the world sugar and bio-ethanol industry.

Website: http://www.sae.org/

PharmaTech Expo 2016 - 4th Edition is an International Exhibition onPharma, Lab & Packaging Equipments which gives great opportunities to Suppliers,Manufacturers, Industrialists, Buyers, and Consultants to assemble at this common platform.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

Theme for SAE 2016: Balancing legislation and customer expectations for future power trains, fuels and lubricants. Highly regarded experts in engineering, science and supply will gather to update the industry on the latest progress and emerging technologies for power trains, fuels and lubricants.

Organised by: PharmaTechnologyIndex. com Pvt. Ltd.

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EVENT COVERAGE INDIA PHARMA

Bengaluru Hosts the Maiden India Pharma & India Medical Expo 2016

BY DEBARATI DAS

Government of India’s department of pharmaceuticals (GoI), in association with the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) inaugurated the first edition of India Pharma& India Medical Expo 2016 at the Bangalore International Exhibition & Convention Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru from 7-9 January.

The event was inaugurated by Ananth Kumar, minister of chemicals & fertilizers, GoI, in the presence of Hansraj Gangaram Ahir, minister of state for chemicals & fertilizers, GoI; R V Deshpande, minister of industries, Govt of Karnataka; UT Khader, minister of health & family welfare, Govt of Karnataka, V K Subburaj, secretary, department of pharmaceuticals and other senior officials.

“We are the third largest pharma country in the world and we export our pharma products to over 200 countries in the world. The total turnover of the industry today is over $30 billion in and it will become $55 billion by 2020. The Indian pharma industry can be the global leaders,” said Ananth Kumar, speaking at the inauguration during the event.

“Pharmaceuticals is currently a department under the ministry of chemicals & fertilizers. But we have

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Connecting World Chemically

appealed to the government to make pharmaceuticals a separate ministry in itself so that this industry can get the due importance that it needs to become a global leader,” added Ananth Kumar.

During the event, he also mentioned the various steps for the growth of the industry including the proposal for six pharma parks in the country, pricing regulation, FDI policy and the Make in India campaign for the sector. “The union cabinet has given its approval to amend the existing FDI policy in the pharmaceutical sector in order to cover medical devices. The cabinet has allowed FDI up to 100 percent under the automatic route

for manufacturing of medical devices subject to specific conditions.”

RV Deshpande, in his address to the gathering announced full support and allocation of 100 acres of land for the creation of a pharma park in Karnataka. “The state of Karnataka contributes to 10 percent of India’s exports. It produces everything from painkillers to syrups and also manufactures several types of medical devices and equipment. Karnataka has an excellent ecosystem which supports the pharma industry. If the government of India approaches Karnataka for a pharma cluster in the state, we will give full co-operation,” he added.

www.worldofchemicals.com

The expo was attended by over 600 delegates, which included 60 CEO’s from the top 100 pharmacutical and medical device companies from India and abroad. Over 50 senior officials of foreign embassies and consulates in India were also part of the event.

The objective of the twin events was to promote India as a quality-manufacturing hub in the pharmaceuticals and medical electronics & device sector.

“The event will be a flagship platform for the Indian pharmaceutical & medical device sector to showcase its capabilities, strength and opportunities to the global healthcare community,” said Sudhanshu Pant, joint secretary, dept of pharmaceuticals, GoI. Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

India Pharma& India Medical Expo 2016 had exhibitors from the pharma formulation, bulk drugs, machinery and technology, medical electronics, medical devices and surgical instruments. The event provided a unique platform to industry to meet the prospective partners and connect with the desired business stakeholders. The latest products and services from these sectors were showcased during the 3-day exhibition.

EEPC &Pharmexcil with the support from ministry of commerce hosted buyers from Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Tunisia, Indonesia, Malavi, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Ukraine, Kyrgyz Republic, Iraq and Tanzania. More

than 3000 registered business visitors attended the event, which saw participation of over 200 companies.

The exhibition also showcased the Make in India campaign; an innovators pavilion by the department of science & technology; a pavilion

by Karnataka Drug & Pharmaceuticals Manufacturers and the Karnataka UdyogMitra, among others.

The event also hosted concurrent activities like the CEO’s forum, buyer & seller meet, structured B2B meetings and the international conference were organized to provide a platform to the participants to promote their products and services and enter into potential business tie-ups.

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POLICY PHARMA PRICING

Can Indian pharma be more price-predictable

this year?

The tug of war between making medicines affordable to the patients and industry growth has been a never-ending game. However, to bring in a balance, the ministry of health has revised the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) with plans to bring in price stability in the Indian pharmaceutical industry.

By Debarati Das The Indian pharmaceutical industry has created its niche in the world market to become one of the world leaders in this sector. However, the industry is plagued with several issues like price predictability of medicines, high cost of drugs, lack of cost competitiveness in the global market and ultimately unavailability of the drugs to all sectors of the society.

Hence, to curb these issues, the ministry of health recently drew up the revised National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) which has seen the number of medicines go up to 376 from 348 in the earlier list prepared in 2011.The NLEM list is reviewed every three years to include or exclude drugs as relevant to the newest medical innovations and 16

Connecting World Chemically

aligned to the current market competition. The list is a key instrument in balanced healthcare delivery system, which includes accessible, affordable and quality medicine at the primary, secondary, tertiary levels of healthcare.

The DPCO 2013 has left the industry dissatisfied as many felt that several lifesaving medicines including anti-cancer drugs, expensive antibiotics and drugs needed for organ transplantation had been left out of price control. The prices of several essential and non-essential drugs had gone up after the previous DPCO notification. To take this into account, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization constituted a core committee under the chairmanship of Dr VM Katoch,

former secretary of Department of Health Research for reviewing and revising the NLEM-2011.

The committee after its review added a total of 106 medicines and deleted 70, to arrive at the list. This time, the list not just includes therapeutic drugs but also included drugs for diseases such as cancer, HIV/ AIDS and hepatitis C. The list has included nine new anti-tuberculosis and 14 anti-viral medicines, 25 new anti-neoplastic medicines, immunosuppressives and medicines used in palliative care.

The committee also suggested that given the diversity in climate, food habits and culture in India, the government should also consider inclusion of medicines for priority healthcare conditions for different regions.

For instance, kala azar is more prevalent in Bihar whereas Japanese encephalitis is more prevalent in Assam.

The new list aims to address the issues of changing disease prevalence, treatment modalities, and introduction of newer medicines and identification of unacceptable risk-benefit profile as well as therapeutic profile of some medicines. As per the committee’s recommendations, the new list of essential medicines will be revised every three years.

PRICE FIXING With the new NLEM ready, the industry now awaits the revised price notifications from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA). However, the fixing of prices will have its own set of issues, some of them being: - In therapeutic groups, while there are several drugs and brands under circulation, the entire therapeutic group is not under DPCO while many of the drugs under DPCO are also in combination with drugs, which are outside price control.

www.worldofchemicals.com - Almost 50 percent of all drugs marketed in the country today are fixed dose combinations and they are not covered under DPCO hence making the price fixation of new drugs a complex and questionable exercise.

- There is a huge inter brand price differences in marketing of branded generics. Different brands of the same drug formulation in the market are identical in terms of active ingredients, strength, dosage, route of administration and quality but vary significantly in terms of price.

Patients are denied cheaper brands as many doctors usually prescribe costly brands of big companies making essential drugs unaffordable to people.

- Price control has to be expanded to cover all combinations, additional strengths and dosages of all essential and lifesaving drugs.

Nonetheless, the price capping comes at a time when there have been rising concerns over exorbitant prices of unbranded generic drugs, which companies sell directly to distributors with the traders/middlemen making huge profits while the poor people are deprived of the medicines.

According to reports, there are reputable as well as dubious companies working in this area of production.

To curb the various unethical practices of pharmaceutical companies, a committee was formed to probe the issue of high prices charged on essential drugs by the pharmaceutical companies despite the existence of the Drug Price Control Order, 2013. The committee headed by Sudhansh Pant, joint secretary, department of pharmaceuticals along with representatives from the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, NGOs, Competition Commission of India and other industry bodies as members.

It was observed that several lifesaving drugs and medical devices are sold at margins as high as 2000Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

3000 percent violating the provisions of the DPCO and making a huge difference between the costing of medicine to retailer and its selling price. The NPPA has asked companies to submit their wholesale price lists to the panel to assess the trade margins on all drugs.

The committee recommended a 35 percent cap on medicines with MRP of Rs 50 and above, and 50 percent cap on medicines with MRP between Rs 2 to 20. All medicines with MRP below Rs 2 should be exempted from a cap on trade margin.

The committee also proposed to implement the trade margin cap on all drugs including generics, branded, scheduled and non-scheduled drugs. This would mean that the margins will be capped at 10 per cent for wholesalers, 20 percent for retailers and 5 percent for special offers.

INDUSTRY IMPACT

to the manufacturers,” said Sujay Shetty, partner, pharma and leader, life sciences, India, PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd (PWC), in an interview to worldofchemicals.

However, the government calls it the “best fit list” which gave emphasis on the disease-burden and treatment guidelines as basis for selecting. Therefore, medicines, which are “aligned with the current treatment guidelines” and those used for treatment of diseases that are “public health problems” have been added to the new list.

“Drawing an essential medicines list (EML) is expected to result in better quality of medical care, better management of medicines and cost-effective use of healthcare resources,” the committee said in its report.

There has been a constant

According to an analysis done by the research firm, All Indian Origin Chemists & Distributors Ltd (AIOCD Ltd), the revision of NLEM will have an impact on companies like Cipla, Pfizer and Sun Pharma with Cipla reported to lose close to Rs 84 crore because of the price cuts followed

by Pfizer which will lose approximately Rs 56 crore and Sun Pharma will have an impact of Rs 42 crore.

interface between the National

Among the therapy areas, the new NLEM list will fall mostly on anti infectives, which will have a total value loss of Rs 170 crore, followed by cardiac drugs with Rs 130 crore.

The overall patient benefit of the new list is estimated to be Rs 747 crore.

(quality), availability and

PricewaterhouseCoopers estimates that of the Rs 90,000 Indian Pharmaceutical Industry, a market of six to seven thousand crores would be affected due to the new NLEM. “In the domestic market, the raising pressure from the government in terms of NLEM is adding stress

Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) and the industry to understand the concerns of the industry for stability of drug prices. There are three benchmarks of pharma industry: authenticity affordability. The new Drug Price Control Order (DPCO) will be decided soon to make drugs more affordable to the poorer sections and be predictable to the industry as well.

Ananth Kumar,

minister of chemicals and fertilizers, Government Of India.

17

TENDERS

SODIUM CHLORITE 25%

DIMETHYL DISULPHIDE ( DMDS )

Called by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL )

Called by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL)

Tender No KPCL/2015-16/IND 1620/CALL 2 dt.15/03/2016 EMD Rs 2,30,400 Fees Rs 550 Quantity 3,20,000 kgs Tender due on 05 April 2016

Tender No 3000008577 dt.05/03/2016 EMD Rs 5,39,710 Fees Rs 1,055 Quantity 1,55,000 kgs Tender due on 04 April 2016

SILICON FLUID Called by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) Tender No RDR15P517E dt.11/03/2016 EMD Nil Fees Nil Quantity 400 kgs Tender due on 07 April 2016

HYDROUS SODIUM ACETATE Called by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL)

EPOXY RESINS Called by Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) Tender No 2001600124 dt.14/03/2016 EMD Nil Fees Nil Quantity 150 kgs Tender due on 06 April 2016

ADDITIVES CATALYST NEUTRALISER (CAS NO 1592-23-0)

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Called by Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Ltd,for LLDPE/HDPE unit of BCPL-Lepetkata

EMD Rs 1,44,990

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Fees Rs 530

EMD Nil

Quantity 4,50,000 kgs

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Quantity To be specified by the supplier Tender due on 21 April 2016

HDS (UNSULPHIDED) CATALYST REQUIRED FOR AMMONIA PLANT (GLOBAL OPEN TENDER) Called by Rashtriya Chemical Factory (RCF)

Called by Paradip Refinery - Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL)

Tender No TH/PUR/AN/5096-HDS CATALYST dt.14/03/2016

Tender No PDR15M7473 dt.16/03/2016

EMD Nil

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Quantity 16 M3 Tender 11 April 2016

Quantity 6 Mts Tender 05 April 2016

Note - 1) For more information visit the company website 2) EMD - Earnest Money Deposit 18

HYDRAZINE HYDRATE

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www.worldofchemicals.com 19

EXPERT VIEWPOINT SUGAR MANUFACTURER

FEASIBILITY

OF AUTOMATION

IS IMPORTANT FOR M A N U F A C T U R E R S

Rajendra V Huilgol, consultant, Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd, speaks about the challenges faced by the sugar industry and importance of using brown sugar and the latest trend of sulphur-free sugar.

20

Connecting World Chemically

BY SHIVANI MODY Mention the major challenges faced by the sugar industry.

There are two major problem areas faced by the sugar industry today. First is the cleaning process which is labour intensive, time consuming and not completely effective. The equipment where sugar solution is boiled has depositions of scales which need to be removed mechanically. This mechanical process normally takes 30 to 48 hours and the plant needs to be shut down for the cleaning process. This brings down the productivity of the plant. We also have the on-line chemical cleaning process where instead of mechanically brushing off the scales, equipment is cleaned by circulating chemicals like caustic soda, alkali acid and washing soda while the manufacturing process is on-going.

However, inspite of ensuring 90-95 percent removal of scales, the mechanical cleaning technique obstructs our operations. On the other hand, the chemical cleaning technique does not obstruct operations but it cleans about 65 percent on the run. We need an advanced technology which will ensure better cleaning without disrupting the production process.

The other major problem is that there are many chemical suppliers in the domestic market giving rise to stiff competition. This leads to suppliers offering inferior quality chemicals at lower rates. To prevent harm to manufacturers, this practice needs to be curbed.

Is the Indian sugar industry at par with the international industry?

We are at the par with the international market however, the industry faces a major problem of supply of chemicals. Most of the chemicals used in sugar manufacturing is imported. It is not possible to trust the chemicals supplied by local dealers as most chemicals are adulterated to be sold at a lower cost.

Briefly mention the latest technology used in the manufacturing of sugar?

We had a plant near Bangalore in Hindupur which we later shifted to Belgaum in Munolipura because the cost of production was high. We also entered into producing refined sugar. There are few companies who manufacture refined sugar in India. And to increase our output we modernised our plant and incorporated automation, which helped us increase stability and maintain quality over the years.

For instance, at one stage in sugar manufacturing, called pan boiling, it needs to be maintained at a certain density. If the density becomes low, the sugar properties will melt and if it goes high, there will be development of fine crystals. The density has to be constant. It is difficult to maintain the density in the manual process. Bringing automation in this process has helped us reduce our Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

www.worldofchemicals.com errors, maintain a certain density in pan boiling, boil faster, convert less steam and produce good quality sugar. The overall productivity has also gone up by 30 percent with limited man power.

What are your thoughts on adoption of automation in sugar manufacturing?

Sugar industry on the whole has less profit margin. We buy sugarcane at Rs 2,500 per tonne and sell sugar at Rs 25. Also installing automation is costly in itself.

Therefore, it is difficult for a small sugar manufacturer who is hardly making any profit margin, to invest in automation.

While travelling to Japan, we saw that they buy raw sugar and then further refine it before selling in the market. We also follow the same procedure. In one of our plants in Gujarat we import raw sugar instead of buying sugarcane. The Japanese buy raw sugar for Rs 2, similar to our buying price. But after refining, they sell the sugar for Rs 150, while we sell it for Rs 25.

Their higher profit margin makes it feasible for them to implement and reap benefits of high-level automation in their factories. That is what is making all the difference in the international and domestic markets.

One of the latest trends is the demand for sulphur-free sugar. Give us information about this variety of sugar.

Sulphur is used in the form of sulphur dioxide as a bleaching agent for sugar. In this process, some sulphur is left in the sugar and in the long run it affects various internal organs. At Renuka Sugars, many of our plants are manufacturing sulphur free sugar. For the manufacturing process we utilize lime instead of sulphur. Even the colour used is food grade colours. The age old problem in the sugar industry is that manufacturers make huge investments to start a refining plant. However, the profit margin is very low. The government controls the sale of sugar by fixing the price. In India, sugar is sold at 1/3rd the cost as compared to other countries. Because of these issues, manufacturers are forced to use sulphur, low cost chemicals and bleach for the sugar process.

As per government regulations sulphur dioxide content in sugar is supposed to be below 70 parts per million (ppm). Whereas institutional buyers such a Coca-cola, Pepsi, chocolate and bakery item makers require sugar having sulphur dioxide content below 10 ppm.This production of sugar with sulphur dioxide content below 10 ppm adds to the manufacturing costs for companies.

Furthermore, the impurities are increased with the use of sulphur in the sugar process. While considering exports as well, we need to maintain low sulphur dioxide content and less number of impurities in sugar, in line with international standards.

21

EXPERT VIEWPOINT SUGAR MANUFACTURER

Moreover, in the long run, consumption of sugar with sulphur dioxide content of 70 ppm is highly injurious to one’s health. It can cause harm to many organs especially the liver.

One needs to note that corporate users such as the soft drinks, chocolate industry, bakery items producers etc are a significant customer base for the sugar manufacturers, apart from local consumers. Surprisingly, 60 to 65 percent of our production caters to the corporate sector whereas 40 percent is consumed by local users. Also the corporate sector have their specific requirements such as extremely high quality and sulphur free sugar for their end products.

There is a steady market for cane/ brown/demerra sugar. Can you shed some light on this trend?

There are two things here. Firstly, the brown or darker coloured sugar is obtained when we use only lime in the manufacturing process, avoiding use of any other chemicals.

Secondly, we have the production of organic sugar. For this, sugarcanes are grown organically without 22

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usage of pesticides, fertilizers or any other chemical. The manufacturing process is also devoid of any chemicals. We usually export the organic sugar as the Government of India has still not formulated any certification or licencing of organic sugar. Moreover, with the lack of awareness and limited customer demand, it is not a cost-effective proposition for manufacturers.

But, in foreign counties we see the demand escalating with passing times. In India, white sugar is still the most widely preferred form of sugar for consumption.

What are the types of R&D taking place in the sugar industry?

The main R&D is happening around the ways in which the cost of production can be lowered so that manufacturers can increase their profitability. From agriculture point of view, there are many sugar research institutes across the country in Kanpur, Pune, Tamil Nadu, UP who are all working in the measures to improve the yield of sugar in the country. But in the technical side, more research needs to be conducted.

SUGAR PROCESS WITH

TACELENE CHEM SERIES OF CHEMICALS

BIOCIDES

COLOUR COAGULANTS

FLOCCUCANTS

DEFOAMERS

SCALE INHIBITORS VISCOSITY REDUCERS PRODUCTION ENZYMES

WATER TREATMENT FDA, KOSHER, HALAL CERTIFIED PRODUCT RANGE FOR SUGAR PRODUCTION

10, Pampa Extension, kempapura, Hebbal, Bangalore - 560024, Karnataka, INDIA www.kimberlitechemicals.com Tel:+91 80 42487300 23

EXPERT VIEWPOINT SUGAR CHEMICALS

CUSTOMER DEMAND IS FOR SULPHUR-FREE SUGAR MANUFACTURING Ian Struggles, chief executive, Pro Tech International, discusses his entrepreneurial journey, facing all odds, to become a leading sugar chemical manufacturer and his plans to grow the company in the next 15 years.

24

Connecting World Chemically

BY SHIVANI MODY Which chemicals does Pro Tech manufacture for the sugar industry?

Some of our products used in the sugar industry are flocculants, biocides, surfactants and decolourants.

These products are required by sugar manufacturers to get a higher quantity of sugar crystals during the processing of the sugar cane.

One of the most important uses of flocculants is as a settling aid to remove impurities. On the other hand, biocides are used to avoid microbial growth during the sugar manufacturing process. We are witnessing a good market for all our products worldwide.

Among our products we are also seeing increased demand for decolourants and antiscalants. Sugar decolourant is used in refineries to remove the colour molecules in the manufacture of the refined sugar.

Antiscalants are used in evaporators to inhibit scale formation on the evaporator tubes.

As more and more factories try to increase the number of days that they can operate between shutting down to cleaning the evaporator station, they are now relying on the use of antiscalant to help them achieve longer periods of time between cleanings.

Over the years Pro Tech has seen considerable growth both in the US and other major sugar regions of the world. We will continue to expand our business in South America.Our goal is to ensure that we deliver the resources that are required to grow the business and make sure we exceed our customer’s expectations.

Presently, the sugar industry is witnessing an increase in use of enzymes during the manufacturing process.

Give us a sense of the potential in this area.

The use of enzymes during sugar manufacturing is popular in international markets. Mostly enzymes are used to remove excess of dextran and starch, which can obstruct the process and reduce the yield of sugar crystals. In some cases the loss can be nearly 0.272 kg per tonne of sugarcane crushed. Overall, these numbers are significant considering the final yield. A penalty is levied on the raw sugar factories in cases of higher levels of dextran in the raw sugar.

Further, the availability of enzymes in a liquid form and the sustainability/biodegradable criteria makes it easier for the raw sugar factories to utilize them.

They also run a daily test in the mill, which shows the amount of dextran and starch in the raw sugar juice and the process operators then adjust the amounts of the enzymes being added based on the daily test results.

However, the use of enzymes is not prevalent in developing nations such as India, though we have started seeing some changes in this area. Moreover, Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

www.worldofchemicals.com cost continues to be limiting factor for the increased adoption of enzyme usage. However, the cost of the enzymes is out-weighed by the benefits to the raw sugar factory operation and the increase in sugar yield.

Briefly mention the trends in the sugar chemicals industry?

In the conventional sugar production method, companies use lime, sulphur and flocculants for obtaining refined sugar. Nowadays, consumers are demanding natural food products that contain minimal chemicals (as per FDA), which is pushing manufacturers to move towards sulphur-free sugar production. This is one major trend that is visible in all countries.

Also, in some developing countries, sugar is manufactured using double sulphuration, which increases the sulphur content in the final refined sugar.

Further, this sugar does not produce a clear solution when dissolved in water, due to the presence of calcium sulphate (CaSO4) and polysaccharides. This makes it difficult for food and beverages industries to sell products to the international markets.

As an entrepreneur in the sugar chemical industry, give us an idea about your journey.

My journey began while I was working for Tate and Lyle in the US growing their chemical business. After four years of building the business, the company decided to sell it. At this juncture, the significant demand and supply gap in the sugar chemical industry, made me decide to venture off on my own. The idea was to set upa firm, selling chemicals to the world’s sugar industry and thus Pro Tech was born.

To start, I contacted my long time customer Carlos Bernhardt, proposing the idea of a 50-50 joint venture.

Carlos,as well as being my friend and a nice guy, had a wealth of sugar industry knowledge having worked in the industry for over 18 years. His fluency in Spanish further turned out to be a great asset for our growth.

Adding to our expertise, Janell Morvant from Tate and Lyle joined us to take care of finance and management duties. Janell is still with us after 15 years in business and her administrative skills continue to provide us a strong platform to build upon.

From the very start, Carlos and I had a well-planned strategy. Our motto was to give customers first class service and quality products at a fair price. Moreover, our aim was to sell products to customers that they need and not look at doing a one off sale. This has helped us build long-term relationships and create customers for life. Over the years, our business has developed successfully and the repeat business from customers has kept us going forward. Further more, most of our employees have had experience working at Tate and 25

EXPERT VIEWPOINT SUGAR CHEMICALS Lyle. With the extensive knowledge of the sugar industry we are able to provide customers with sound knowledge and consultancy as and when required.

home with my young family. With the support of my wife, I was able to learn the all-necessary skill of a perfect work-life balance, while growing the business.

What are the growth and strategy plans for Pro Tech?

Prior to developing a career as a sugar industry expert, you were working as a mud chemist on oil rigs in the North Sea. What were your key responsibilities?

It took us two years to establish Pro Tech’s business in the US, after which we decided to grow it internationally.

To take it to the next level, we were fortunate to have Antonio Blanco from Costa Rica join the company.

Currently as the general manager, he is driving the company forward, achieving new heights each year. We have now expanded our business and have offices is UK, Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Australia and agents in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines.

As a team, we have built our growth strategy and plan for the next 15 years. Part of our strategy is to focus more on the emerging or developing markets. Asia Pacific namely India and China will be a few of the regions we will attend to for our growth. Our target is to grow the company by 10 to 15 percent year-on-year.

Over the years, I have realized that in a business, even if you think you can do everything and account for all obstacles & risks, you cannot be 100 percent on target.

There are many unplanned issues that crop up at the last moment as well as things you have not thought of.

The essential element here is to listen to those around you and use‘other people’s brains’. If companies can understand and accept this fact then they will have a greater chance to succeed much faster than those that can’t grasp this idea.As a company we are planning to expand our business into South America country by country, customer by customer. We will look to establish offices in several countries in South America in the next few years.

Before deciding to be an entrepreneur, you worked for Tate and Lyle Sugar company. What were some of your learnings and experiences?

You started your career in Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) as an analytical chemist. How did working with such an esteemed company help shape your future?

Born in the UK in 1959, I have spent most of my life living in Troon, Scotland. Having attended Marr College in Troon, I went onto working at the Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) as an analytical chemist.

During those times, ICI was one of the premier companies in the world. With a job with ICI, people used to say you had a job for life. As an analytical chemist, I worked in several departments, running routine boiler water treatment chemical tests to working in the standardization department where we made up and standardized all the chemicals used in the laboratories to working in the HPLC department. From thereon, I was posted to work as a shift chemist on an intermediate dye manufacturing plant. Three years down the lane,the plant was closed. Hence the‘job for life’ with ICI did not materialize. On the whole, the training and management courses provided by ICI were a great way to start a career and set me up for my future life experiences.

What are the challenges faced by chemical manufacturers?

My focus area was chemical sales in South East Asia at Tate and Lyle. In spite of being located in the UK, I was able to grow the market considerably. The company then transferred me to the US to look after our North American sales. As president of Tate and Lyle Process Technology (TLPT) in US, I was responsible for running the entire operation and sales. President of TLPT sounds like a great title but in reality it was only a title as there were only two employees, Janell, who looked after the accounts, and myself.

In many countries, one of the major challenges in the sugar industry is that the government fixes the price of sugar cane and sugar. The production cost is not taken into account. Year-on-year the production cost has been on the upside creating problems for manufacturers.

The chemical journey of two years in the US was a great learning experience. I had to take care of the warehouse, loading and unloading of the trucks, making deliveries as well as obtaining the sales.

In India, a major issue during sugar production is dust, which causes environmental pollution. Even treatment of the end residue after sugar extraction becomes a concern for the industry. These issues are well handled in international markets and need to be addressed in the local markets as well.

It was difficult to find enough hours in the day to service the customer base in the US and also spend time at 26

After leaving Imperial Chemical Industries in 1992 I went to work for a short while on the oil rigs in the North Sea as a mud chemist. I was responsible for running highperformance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis on the mud and checking for the hydrocarbon content. The job was on a rotational basis, which was two weeks on the oil rig then two weeks off.

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The other challenge is that manufacturers in countries such as India, do not have access to advanced, patented technologies. Cost continues to be a concern in these areas. Also the export quality of sugar is not consistent over a period of time.

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EXPERT VIEWPOINT COOLANTS

MOVE TOWARDS DEVELOPING ECO-FRIENDLY GLYCOLS

BY SHIVANI MODY Elaborate on the general trends in the coolants industry?

The latest trend is that there is more emphasis on developing and using eco-friendly and sustainable chemicals. At IGL too, we do not use petroleum products to produce the glycols. Our glycols are value-added chemicals made from molasses and waste produced from sugar process.

Trends in the ethylene glycols {MEG (monoethylene glycol, DEG (diethylene glycol) and TEG (triethylene glycol)}: The division is capable of manufacturing 175,000 MTPA of finished products. IGL is the only manufacturer in the world to produce bio-ethylene glycols using methylene glycols (MEG, DEG and TEG) molasses. Glycols are used for the manufacture of polyester yarn, fiber, film and resin and as an automobile coolant. Bio-glycols cater to the beverage and food industry’s packaging requirement of PET bottles and polyester film.

Advances in the ethoxylates and polyethylene glycols: IGL is the largest manufacturer of ethoxylates in India, with a production capacity of 70,000 MTPA. The company has installed a state-of-the-art, second-generation Pressindustria loop reactor, which has been integrated with its captive feedstock of ethylene oxide (EO).

The vapour-vapour phase reaction of this technology ensures minimum residence time of unreacted EO, and a faster reaction rate. This results in ethoxylates of high purity, low colour and odour, low aldehyde, and minimum free EO and dioxane content, thus eliminating any interference in subsequent applications.

Offering customized solutions to its customers has enabled the company to create a strong brand presence in the domestic and international markets.

Our product range includes Ethoxylates based on alkyl phenol, fatty alcohols / acids / amines, EO / PO co-polymers, natural oils (castor / soya / groundnut / palm / sunflower) 28

Connecting World Chemically

Sanjeev Gurwara, senior vice president (marketing), India Glycols Ltd, discusses the market dynamics of surfactants, home and personal care, skin care and cosmetics industries. and polyethylene glycols (PEGs, 200 to 10,000). The wide range of ethoxylates meet the diversified needs of various end-use industries such as textile, pharmaceutical, personal care, emulsion polymerization, paint, detergent, automotive, agrochemical and other industries.

Trends in the detergents industry: India Glycols offers customers cost-effective solutions that exploit synergies and enhance the performance of detergents when used with anionics, such as linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid (LABSA).

The company’s range of products are eco-friendly and assure improved fabric care, skin care and higher hard water tolerance.

Some of the products IGL manufactures for the detergent industry are: • Polyethylene glycols (PEG): These are used in the manufacture of soap.

• Specially formulated products: These are used in liquid and powder detergents, and detergent cakes.

• Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLES): This finds use in liquid detergents.

Innovation pipeline at IGL: The innovation pipeline has always been populated to ensure the future sustenance and growth of business.

Innovation projects undergo intensive brainstorming before initiation and are subjected to the stage-gate process for monitoring progress. Few innovative projects carried out by our R&D team include: • Development of “green,” sugar-based surfactant for application in the agrochemicals, textiles and personal care sectors.

• Customers are asking for new molecules to be used in skin creams.

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THE UNORGANIZED SECTOR - A THREAT TO THE COOLANT INDUSTRY Amresh Kumar Singh, assistant general manager (marketing), India Glycols Ltd, talks about the technology, trends and growth of the coolants industry in India.

Tell us about the dynamics of the coolants industry in India.

Coolant has dual purpose- it enhances the boiling point and lowers the freezing point. When it lowers the freezing point it is called the antifreeze and when it enhances the boiling point it is called automatic normal cooling.

Coolant is a relatively small business for India Glycols. We do have the required approvals for doing business and we have been supplying it to the Indian Defense and for the various home appliances in the past.

The size of the Indian coolant industry can be calculated in two ways. Either we see the number of vehicles or we find out what is the scale of the major component of that coolant. For instance, in India,ethylene glycol, which is also called monoethylene glycol (MEG), is used for making coolant and comes in two versions: ethylene 30 percent and 30 percent formulations. When I say 30 percent, it means 30 percent MEG and this 30 percent ethylene glycol is used for all the vehicles where the temperature ranges from 15 to 40/45 degree C. There is another composition,which constitutes 50 percent MEG where the composition is primarily for antifreeze applications. Due to this 50 percent composition of MEG, freezing point of water is lowered drastically and it would not freeze the temperature at deviation of -25 degree to 20 degree.

This is stable for places like Jammu Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

&Kashmirand further ahead in the region for defense establishments.

The production of coolant happens in mostly threeformulations:30 percent MEG, 50 percent MEG and its concentrate and95 percent MEG. Most of the oil companies sell in two compositions – one is 30 percent and the other 95 percent. The 30 percent composition is pre-mixed with water, which you have to directly put into the radiator while 95 percent has to be mixed in the ratio 1:3. Primarily in India,ethylene glycol is used for coolant applications. Apart from automotive coolant, it is also used in HPLC chillers, which is required for refrigeration where it is used instead of water or another glass.

The second basic raw material is ethylene glycol and propylene glycol (PEG), which is found in industrial applications instead of MEG. Most production engineers of the engineering consultant house recommend propylene glycol for industrial chillers, which is also a big sector for coolants.

What are the major challenges the coolant industry comes across?

Price plays an important role in this industry. The volatility of prices of raw materials is one of the major challenges for the industry because the price of MEG, propylene glycol or glycerol fluctuates on a monthly basis.

But the market demands for stable pricing for a period of 4 to 5 months.

The fluctuation in pricing is huge, sometimes beyond 20 to 25 percent.

The price of raw materials is also a major challenge.

The unorganized sector plays an important role in this industry. For this sector, the basic understanding of coolant is that it is a green water like material that has to be poured into the radiator. Usually all new vehicles go to authorized service station till free

service is available where the best quality coolants are used. Later, these vehicles go to local shops for service, which uses low quality coolants where MEG is mixed in some proportion and sold at low prices. This replacement market is a huge market today and a major threat for established players.

There is a rising trend for environment friendly coolants.

Can you tell us more about it?

Presently, we see increase in the usage of organic acid technology (OAT) which is used only for the high speed, high performance vehicles.

However, not much is being done technology wise in India.

These new technologies like the OAT makea lot of difference to the machine giving proper maintenance to the engine. Environmentally, disposal of coolants has many hazards as it contains lead, chromium, cadmium etc. With these new technologies, the disposal of coolants is safer and environment-friendly.

With the rise in the automotive industry, how will you compare the growth of the coolant industry?

The growth of the four wheelers industry has been around 7 to 10 percent on an annual basis. Keeping that in mind, the experts forecast that the coolants industry will have a compound annual growth of around 6 percent during 2015-2020. And then considering the unorganized sector, the growth will be around 5-6 percent.

What is state of import and export in this industry?

In imports, India is a net importer of MEG. With an inflow of around 70,000-85,000 metric tonne and it is estimated that the market is around 5,000-7,000 metric tonne of MEG per month for coolant industry.

29

EXPERT VIEWPOINT COOLANTS Which means around 60,000-80,000 tonne of MEG goes into coolant on an annualized basis if I consider major coolant manufacturers, the unorganized sectors, reused coolants, substantial coolants etc.

If we see the market based on the raw materials stage, the amount of ethylene glycol that goes into this coolant is around 60 to 80 kilo tonne per annum and then according to the formulations 30 percent or 95 percent a rough estimate can be made by 60-40 formulations. 60 percent of the companies are for the 30 percent compositions and the balance 40 percent is for the 95 percent.

Considering exports, India exports brake fluid but otherwise, the export of coolants is limited due to competition on the global level. All major crude refineries, big oil companies like Castrol, Chevron, Exxon, Total, Shell, SINOPEC have their own refineries

which gives them an edge on the pricing front. Hence coolant export from India is currently limited.

What are the innovative R&Ds happening in the coolant industries?

There is a lot of research going on in water-based coolants in which instead of using 35 percent or 95 percent of MEG they put only 5 percent of MEG and the rest is water. It is a huge success in Middle Eastern countries where the temperature varies from 20, 45, 50 degrees all the year round.

Many companies are shifting towards water based coolant technology.

In terms of regions, could you give a growth analysis of the anti-freeze market?

The growth of normal coolants will be more or less 5 to 7 percent, because the automotive growth is 7 to 10

percent. There is a lot of technology changes happening in the automotive industry as well. For instance, the use of brake fluid is going down as most vehicles have shifted to air pressure brakes. Similarly in new cars the usage of coolants will go down. In the antifreeze segment, it is required only in the north, like J&K and places where temperature is below freezing point. So the requirement is very less and the major consumer for antifreeze coolant is the Indian government for defense purposes.

On the other hand, globally, in cold countries like Europe, America a new application of coolant, called the deicing of aircrafts is catching up and has a huge potential there. In these countries, antifreeze is a huge market due to environmental conditions.

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EXPERT VIEWPOINT PHARMA

NEED TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE FOR INNOVATION Sujay Shetty, partner, pharma and leader, life sciences, India, PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd (PWC), talks extensively about the growth in the Indian pharma industry, their loop holes and shares some mantras which will make the country a world leader in the pharma sector.

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Connecting World Chemically

BY SHIVANI MODY

www.worldofchemicals.com

India is a significant producer of APIs and formulations.

What factors have helped India achieve this growth in the industry?

are expecting the companies to continue expanding overseas via these M&As and fill up the gaps in the portfolio.

We developed a great generic industry in the country long back and later started exporting to the US markets in the 80s. Since then we started meeting the US regulatory compliances. India started growing in the formulations industry because of process patents. We were able to produce and also had the foresight to enter the US market early. And that’s how we created a great formulations industry unlike anywhere else in the world. Ranbaxy, Dr Reddy’s were among the first few companies to start exploring the market potential.

Recently the government announced that there will be many changes in the bulk drug industry in lieu of the recommendation from the Katoch committee report which will make India self-sufficient. What are your thoughts?

In the API industry, we already had good chemistry skills along with processing and manufacturing technology.

Thus we were able to make some very complex intermediates, and this has actually given a lot of fillip to the formulation industry. But over the last two to three decades, China has become a dominant player.

It has a huge chemical industry and has rapidly moved up the value chain in APIs and formulation. Currently India is importing heavily from China. But India still makes high level intermediates and APIs and there are many companies who have been making these APIs and moving up the value chain. But we cannot be compared to our Chinese counterparts as we do not have the size and scale similar to China.

What are the challenges that the Indian API industry is facing which is hampering the growth?

The main challenge faced by the API industry today is in the manufacturing segment. Manufacturing requires all the basic inputs to be available at cheap rates such as electricity, power, packaging, land etc. Presently, various types of infrastructural issues are affecting the quality of manufacturing and causing the slowdown in this industry.

In the formulation industry, issues are mostly in the area of quality of manufacturing, failure of inspections, lapses in the good manufacturing practices (GMP) to name a few. Since US is a significant market for Indian companies, these factors are important and need to be addressed.

In the domestic market, the rising pressure from the government in terms of National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) is adding stress to the manufacturers.

The government has implemented a new selling code on the domestic formulation companies which has new guidelines on how companies will sell their products to doctors. This is another area which is hampering growth.

However, globally and in the domestic market, Indian companies are in the middle of some of the strongest mergers & acquisitions in the last one year and we Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

That’s a good thing because as I said, it is difficult to set up a bulk drug facility because of infrastructural, environmental and various other constrains. So the government’s initiative to set up bulk drugs zones, parks complete with water treatment facility, effluent treatment and other infrastructural facilities will assist the industry to grow and expand. It is absolutely necessary for the industry in this scenario.

Will India be able to compete with China with these initiatives?

That can definitely happen as India has the required background. To be self-dependent and move on from importing from China is an achievable goal. But how long will it take to have these bulk drug parks is something that the government can answer.

How is India fairing in the vaccines and generic industry?

In vaccines, India is the world leader. There has been a lot of development in vaccines and we are recognised worldwide. There is work going on continuously in this segment of the industry and we are constantly innovating in areas like malaria, dengue, oncology, etc.

Indian companies will continue to be world leaders in this area. And the same kind of growth is being seen in biosimilars and Indian companies are trying to develop biosimilars and trying to get similar success in this area.

However, we are still at the very early stages and we do not have the skills in biotech. But there are few companies like Biocon who are working in that area extensively in product development.

Are we also growing in the painkillers category as well?

In the individual therapy category, all of them have Indian producers. Among all therapy categories, Indian companies are in the top 20 category. India is extensively working in those areas so rather than singling out pain killers, I think in the therapy basket as a whole, we have companies which have competencies in one thing or the other.

Drug discovery is an area where we are still struggling.

What needs to be done to strengthen ourselves?

Yes, in drug discovery we are still weak, and we will continue to be weak although India is trying hard to go 33

EXPERT VIEWPOINT PHARMA up the innovation chain and value curve. There are just a handful of companies working in that area for chemical entity research or normal therapeutic drug research.

The reasons being: it is expensive, it should be created globally, we need the skill sets and this process need long patience. India will come up with new drugs but right now the atmosphere is not fully suited for that. At present we just have a handful of success stories in that area like Glenmark, Biocon. We need to wait and watch how it shapes in the future.

India needs to support more innovation and then probably we can move ahead. Certain things needs to be done like academic interventions, industry collaborations, tech talks, clinical research - which is a big bottleneck in drug discovery, clinical R&D- because clinical trials in India actually comes to a halt for one reason or the other. All this will create an atmosphere for innovation and drug discovery.

Nano medicine is a growing area globally.

How is India responding to this new technology?

This is a relatively new segment in the country and it will still take time to grow and develop. It needs people to come up with solutions and ideas. Compared to the US, right now there are a limited number of companies working in this direction in India and there are many gaps to increase the knowledge base and expertise.

Tell us about some of the prominent trends that are catching up in the pharma industry.

Things like pricing pressure, FDA, M&As, the entire process of producing new biosimilars, US FDA to meet the quality standards, UCPMT – which is a selling code, are very significant in the domestic market in terms of bringing a change and is drastically forcing the industry to change. All these are making an impact in every company’s strategy in 2016.

What are the new technologies which are entering the pharma industry and adding strategic value to the industry?

I think digital analytics is an area which is picking up as every company wants to come into the modern world with the digitization of various things like the supply chain, understanding patients’ behaviour, distribution etc. So a lot of work is beginning to happen in digital analytics which will in turn bring in innovation. Those are the kind of technology we are talking about these days.

People are also trying to use mobile technology in better tracking and better data mining of customer etc. We are starting to see these technologies coming in. Although, it is just the early phase, people are becoming more and more mature about the solutions they want.

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Connecting World Chemically

Are wearable devices going to be the next big thing in the country?

Maybe in the US, but not here yet. Even in the US, it is in the early days with Apple watches for fitness tracking.

In India they are watching the wearable device trend, but there doesn’t seem to be anything happening from a strategic point of view that is making an impact.

India is far behind in filing patents as compared to Japan, South Korea and many other countries. How can we change this scenario?

All companies are engaging in innovative ideas, working either in the digital or internet based platform.

Indian companies also know that they have to go up the innovation curve. I believe, over the years you will see more and more of those ideas coming in.

You had mentioned in a report that the Indian pharma market will grow at 15 - 20 percent and to reach up to $50 or $74 billion by 2020. What are the main factors that will lead us to that growth?

Usually the industry growth is twice the growth of the GDP. At present, India’s GDP is around 7 percent, so industries will grow around 14 percent. According to the latest statistics, the overall domestic market is growing at about 12 percent per annum, which is a strong growth figure.

The bigger growth comes from the overseas markets particularly the US markets which depends on couple of factors like new product launches, repeat appreciation etc. So even if the entire industry may not see that growth but the best in class pharmaceutical companies will certainly be aiming for a 20-22 percent growth.

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IT’S A DIRECTORY OF CHEMICAL

SELLERS & BUYERS 35

ACADEMIC R&D

Chemistry in Mold Reveals Important Clue for Pharmaceuticals The global chemicals market will expand by just 3.6 percent per year between 2030 and 2035. The Asian markets are set to become ever more important for the chemical industry. A Report…

A team of scientists, with primary investigator, Yan Jessie Zhang, an associate professor of molecular biosciences at The University of Texas, Austin;Pinghua Liu from Boston University and Lixin Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Science, have detected for the first time how nature produces key chemicals similar to those in drugs that fight malaria, bacterial infections and cancer.

Just as the spread of rust or forest fire depends on oxygen, a number of medical therapies - including Artemisinin, one of the malaria-fighting compounds that resulted in this year’s Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine - require a chemical reaction with oxygen to work. Specifically, inserting two consecutive oxygen atoms into a substance brings health benefits in drugs that fight disease. But although scientists know this chemistry found in plants is helpful to humans, they do not fully understand how it works or know how to bring it about in a lab.

The discovery by Zhang, Liu and colleagues - about how a protein in a common mold can insert a pair of oxygen atoms into a toxin - sheds light on how nature performs the trick.

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Connecting World Chemically

Zhang describes it as an example of a complicated chemical process in nature that synthetic biologists can now borrow to engineer a whole new class of synthetic medicines.

“Understanding the mechanism is important for drug discovery,” she said. “You don’t want to develop a drug based on a reaction mechanism that is totally wrong and find out later that the biosynthetic strategy doesn’t work.”

The protein studied in the mold is part of a larger family of proteins also found in humans and involved in many essential biological processes including gene regulation and fatty acid metabolism. The researchers suspect that the related human enzymes might also use the complicated process that the mold employs to carry out their own oxidative reactions. Ultimately, the scientists hope to find ways to aid the body when these enzymes are not working properly.

“Diseases can occur when these enzymes are overactive or not active enough, such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes,” said Zhang. “So by understanding how they work, we have a chance

to develop chemical molecules to restore their function.”

In the new paper, the researchers map out how an enzyme in a common mold species called Aspergillusfumigatus adds a pair of oxygen atoms to a toxin the mold produces.

The surprise to biochemists was that the enzyme, called FtmOx1, produces a highly reactive “helper” known as a free radical that assists in putting the oxygen atoms in the right place.

Oxygen radicals normally react haphazardly with other molecules and quickly fall apart, so scientists would have expected only a single oxygen atom to result. Instead the enzyme performed a complex trick, using the free radical to add the two atoms of oxygen at the same time.

Two graduate students co-authored the paper. At UT Austin, Wupeng Yu used X-ray crystallography to take snapshots of the shapes of FtmOx1 and the formation of protein complexes at several key points in the process.

Heng Song of the Liu Lab at Boston University used spectroscopic techniques to draw out the details of the map and capture the intermediate steps.

www.worldofchemicals.com

Researchers Use Capsules to Streamline Chemical Reactions The new wax capsule delivery systems can simplify a wide range of chemistry transformations.

Chemists working in a variety of industries and fields typically go through a laborious process to measure and mix reagents for each reaction they perform. And many of the common reagents they use sit for months or years on shelves in laboratories, where they can react with oxygen and water in the atmosphere, rendering them useless.

Researchers at MIT describe a technique that could help avoid this costly waste, and greatly reduce the number of steps a chemist must perform to prepare common compounds for use in a wide range of chemical transformations.

PARAFFIN DELIVERY VEHICLES Building on previous work by Douglass Taber at the University of Delaware, the researchers tried to disperse mixtures of reagents in molten paraffin wax, which has been demonstrated to protect oxygen- and water-sensitive compounds for long periods of time.

But as the material cooled, certain dense reagents, such as cesium fluoride, would settle to the bottom.

The scientists then decided to try making small capsules out of paraffin, enabling precise estimates of the contents for grab-and-go use.

“We thought, if we could enclose multiple reagents and catalysts in some way and actually know how much we put in,” Sather said, “We could dramatically simplify chemical synthesis with these Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

single-use capsules.”Paraffin’s physical properties make it ideal as a delivery vehicle for all kinds of chemical compounds. “We wanted something that was inert, a longchain hydrocarbon,” Sather said, “that would have no competing side reactions with both catalyst and reagents. It’s largely unreactive.

Paraffin is insanely cheap, and nice and easy to work with. Paraffin doesn’t pick up any water - it’s just like grease.”

these capsules, and then in a glove box, and achieved similar results for both approaches.

A RADICALLY SIMPLIFIED PROCESS

Ironically, in order to prepare this “glove box-free” system, the group had to use a glove box to actually make the capsules. But the whole production process could easily be mechanized. Sather said, creating a low-cost, widely accessible Upon heating, the paraffin capsule alternative to glove boxes. Commelts/dissolves in the reaction panies could sell hollow capsules solvent, releasing its contents. After for chemists to load themselves, the reaction is finished, the parafor sell them pre-measured and fin can then be removed through pre-loaded.Once they were made, precipitation, filtration, and chroma- the capsules dramatically simplified tography. the benchtop chemistry. “Instead of weighing out multiple reagents Sather and co-authors Hong Geun and catalysts, you’re adding a Lee and James Colombe made the capsule and weighing out one or capsules by hand, using a glass stir rod to make the hollow shells. Then two compounds,” Sather pointed out. “It’s really quick, especially for they filled them with dry reagents, people who want to make a lot of and used a hot metal spatula to molecules.” melt the wax and seal it off. The resulting capsules look like slightly The capsules also proved to be bigger versions of the gelcaps sold durable. The researchers took over the counter at any drug store. capsules filled with cesium fluoride -which is very water-sensitive-and The team applied the paraffin immersed them in water overnight. capsule technology to a variety of The next day they took them out, reactions, focusing on combinadried them off with a paper towel tions that are of broad applicability and used them in a reaction.“The and interest across different fields, result was the same,” Sather said. from making sensors to making “It told us that they’re completepharmaceuticals. As an example, ly sealed. In terms of protecting the researchers combined an oxywater-sensitive compounds inside gen-sensitive catalyst with cesium these capsules, the potential is fluoride in capsules. They perhuge.” formed the same reactions using 37

ACADEMIC R&D

Natural protein cage to improve cancer drug delivery Direct delivery of drug could improve treatment and lessen side effects.

Washington State University researchers, led by Yuehe Lin, professor in the WSU Voiland College’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering,developed a unique, tiny protein cage to deliver chemicals directly to cancer cells.

Direct delivery could improve treatment and lessen the side effects from toxic drugs.

In their study, the researchers built a drug delivery system using apoferritin, the same ball of natural proteins that carries iron around in blood without letting the iron leak out. Apoferritin is made of 24 pieces that can conveniently open and close, depending on surrounding acidity.

While research has been done using apoferritin for drug delivery, this is the first time it was used to target

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Connecting World Chemically

lung cancer cells. The researchers inserted the anticancer drug daunomycin into the cage. They modified the cage’s exterior with a ligand, a signal-triggering molecule, making the cage particularly attractive to a common cancer cell receptor.

With the addition of a small amount of acid, adjusting the pH to below neutral, the protein cage slightly opened and let the drug jump inside, where it stayed until it came to the cancer cell. When the ball of drugs entered the acidic environment of the cancer cell, the cage opened and delivered the drug directly to its foe.

Testing the system with lung cancer cells, the researchers showed that the ligand-guided protein cages selectively penetrated and killed more than 70 percent of the cancer cells.

Unlike with the typical methods for drug delivery used in chemotherapy, the system did not attack healthy lung cells.

The system was shown to work nearly as well as – or in some cases better than – when the drug was freely moving, the type of scenario that causes the commonly experienced cancer treatment side effects.

“Our efficiency in killing the cancer cell was very high with no toxicity to normal cells,” said Lin. “At the cell level, we were able to demonstrate it was very effective.”

Lin emphasized that the work is still preliminary and has a long way to go before it can be used on people.

The researchers were studying the drug delivery system at the cellular level and hope to continue the research with future animal studies.

www.worldofchemicals.com

Can sugar corn be potential alternative fuel source?

Canadian researchers to study sugar corn varieties with higher sucrose concentration to make ethanol.

Researchers at the University of Guelph found that sugar corn can be potentially be used to extract alternative fuels.

In a new project, scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) and Western University, the Guelph researchers will study sugar corn varieties whose higher sucrose concentrations might make them more suitable for making ethanol.

The sugar comes from juices in corn stalks, similar to sugar from Brazilian sugar cane. Producers press the stalks to collect the juice, which is fermented into ethanol.

Brazilian sugar cane is currently being considered more economically viable for ethanol than traditional corn, said professor Brandon Gilroyed, project leader, school of environmental sciences.

“Corn yielding sucrose is much Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

better for ethanol production than conventional corn yielding starch,” he said.

“The yeast that produces ethanol cannot directly utilize starch, so we have to process the corn mechanically and, with heat and enzymes, break the starch down into fermentable sugars. These upstream processing steps are costly and, as a result, corn ethanol is significantly more expensive to produce than sugar cane ethanol.”

The researchers hope energy producers will be able to use sugar corn stalks and avoid higher processing costs.

“If we can grow corn that yields a lot of sucrose, we can skip the upstream processing steps because sucrose is directly fermentable,” said Gilroyed, who studies renewable energy production from agricultural byproducts.

“The other nice thing about using

a corn variety to get sucrose is that growers are already experts at growing and managing corn and would not need different equipment than what they already have.”

The researchers have begun testing the first sugar corn harvest.

Western University professor, Argyrios Margaritis, will look at converting sugar corn to ethanol and butanol using microbial fermentation.

At U of G’s Ridgetown Campus, Gilroyed along with biofuels researcher, Rob Nicol, and biomass researcher, Doug Young,will study the potential uses for corn stalks left after pressing.

“We will be testing it as a substrate for biogas methane production, both fresh and after being ensiled.

We will also be looking to see if the silage could be used as a livestock feed, though that will be down the road,” said Gilroyed.

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ACADEMIC SPEAK

Designing nano-carriers for smart drug delivery Researchers discuss about novel research on the development of electroactive magnetic nano-carriers for site-specific on-demand controlled delivery of Anti-HIV drug to prevent neuroAIDS. Dr Madhavan Nair, distinguished professor and founding chair, dept of immunology, director, institute of neuro-immune pharmacology, college of medicine associate dean, bio. med. res, Florida International University (FIU), Miami. ** Ajeet Kaushik, is an assistant professor, center of personalized nanomedicine, institute of neuroImmune pharmacology, department of immunology, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, FIU.

** Dr Madhavan Nair is the director of dept of immunology, FIU and the research is funded by his National Institutes of Health (NIH) projects (RO1DA034547, R01DA037838, R01DA040537)

EXPLAIN IN BRIEF ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESEARCH My research interest is to investigate magneto-electro nanocarriers (ME-NCs) for on-demand site-specific controlled drug delivery across blood-brain-barriers (BBB) for Therapeutics of CNS diseases and the development of electrochemical sensing technology for biomarkers detection at point-of-care (POC) application.

Ajeet Kaushik 40

Connecting World Chemically

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a deadly infectious disease and a serious disquiet worldwide.

Developing best therapeutics for HIV demands multidisciplinary analytical approaches involving smart sensors, imaging agents,

www.worldofchemicals.com diagnostic tools, biomarkers, devices, and related areas of bio-imaging, affinity agents, smart health care monitoring. assaying, disease monitoring, and WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES management systems to develop OF NANOMEDICINES AND ITS accessible cost-effective diagnoUSAGE IN YOUR RESEARCH? sis and treatment for HIV patients.

Advancements in analysis have At the Center of Personalized proven a significant role in HIV NanoMedicine, Dept of Immunoldiagnostics and diseases progress ogy, Herbert Wertheim College of monitoring. Food and drug adminMedicine, Florida International Uniistration (FDA) approved various versity, Miami US, we developed anti-HIV drugs. The therapeutic “electro-active magnetic nano-careffects of those drugs have studies riers for site-specific on-demand using advanced analytical tools controlled delivery of Anti-HIV drug and methods. Guided genes i.e., to prevent neuroAIDS�

CRISPER-Cas9/gRNA system is recently investigated to eradicate WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS HIV in latently infected HIV reserAND USES OF NANOMEDIvoirs. Unfortunately, these studies CINES? were performed either in-vitro or in periphery. HIV infected and latently Nanomedicine with the ability of infected HIV brain reservoirs could higher efficacy, no side-effect, not targeted due to negligible trans- site-specific, and therapeutic effect migration of therapeutics against in sustained or on-demand manner HIV across BBB. Therefore, efforts to cure targeted diseases are beneare being made to explore novel ficial over conventional medicine. analytical science and nanotechNanomedicine with the nology for developing strategies to delivery therapeutics across BBB to ability of higher efficacy, prevent NeuroAIDS no side-effect, site-specific, In the course of my research, I exand therapeutic effect in plored various analytical tools and sustained or on-demand smart nanomaterials for application manner to cure targeted of developing new biosensing sysdiseases are beneficial over tems and nanomedicines for CNS diseases. Presently my main focus conventional medicine. is developing electro-active nanoWHAT ARE THE VARIOUS MAstructures to develop electrochemTERIALS YOU USED TO DEical biosensor and nano-medicine VELOP NANOMEDICINES? for personalized health care.

My research interests are related to designing smart nano-carries for drug delivery, nano-therapeutics for CNS diseases, on-demand site-specific release of Anti-HIV drug to cure neuroAIDS, exploring personalized nano-medicines, developing novel tools to recognize & eradicate HIV latent brain reservoirs, novel tool for HIV incidence using guided RNA (gRNA) nanotechnology, bio-nanotechnology, biosensors, point-of-care sensing

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

Based on chemical, functional, physical, and structural properties, nanocarriers (NCs) of metal, metal oxides, gels, biopolymer, composites, and core-shell nanostructures are being designed and explored to bind with drugs. The successful release of bind drugs were demonstrated in sustained and externally stimulated on-demand controlled manner.

At present, developed nanoformulations (NFs) i.e., optimized com-

bination of NCs and specific drug, tested using in-vitro model and exhibited high therapeutic effect and less adverse effect. Numerous reports confirms that navigation across BBB depends on the properties of NCs and NFs. Thus exploring properties of NCs and NFs independently is crucial to design an effective therapeutic cargo to cure HIV completely at brain, though, BBB always prevents the migration of NCs to brain. Surface science has explored to make NCs surface hydrophobic and to generate functionality on NCs to bind with BBB related specific biomolecules such as antibody, protein, and enzyme to achieve CNS delivery.

Externally controlled navigation strategy based on magnetic field and ultrasound strategy has recently been demonstrated for transmigration of NCs across BBB.

WHAT ARE THE NOVEL ANALYTICAL TOOLS USED FOR YOUR RESEARCH? Nano-engineered NCs, highly sensitive technologies, and smart assays are being explored to develop an ideal nanomedicine via improving NCs properties, pharmacokinetics, and acceptable neurobehavioral alteration. During virus progression, the dysfunction of related biomarkers and genes have been quantified using sensitive analytical assaying namely PCR, and ELISA. Ultrasensitive histopathology, immonohistipathology, optical florescence imaging have adopted recently to explore the bio-distribution, pathogenesis, and toxicity of both NCs and NFs. Recently transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with illuminating feature introduced recently to study the distribution on NCs in various organs to explain particle-to-particle interaction and elemental composition of NCs on aging. Bio-distribution and therapeutic effects of 41

ACADEMIC SPEAK contrast agents containing NCs and NFs at periphery and brain are studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The homeostat effect of NCs in living system also studied using MRI via real time monitoring of contrast exposure.

EXPLAIN IN BRIEF ABOUT SMART NANOCARRIERS THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR DRUG DELIVERY Nanostructures such as A) Polymeric nanoparticle (PLGA, PLA PBCA); B) Liposomes; C) Polymeric micelle; D) Dendrimers; E) Lipid micro & nanoemulsion; F) Solid lipid nanoparticle and G) Inorganic NCs including: (i) Metal & metal oxide nanoparticles; (ii) Carbon nanotubes; (iii) Quantum dots; (iv) Magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) and (v) Core-shell nanoparticles (MENP) are being used to develop nanomedicine.

Among them, MNPs were purposed as potentials NCs to prepare effective NFs for the eradication of diseases. MNPs has also explored to develop and smart multifunctional carrier using layer-by-layer (LBL) method to delivery and release many therapeutic agents. Such developed therapeutic cargo was capable to across BBB under the influence of a magnetic and to release drug in sustained manner for 5 days. Externally controlled on-demand controlled release of anti-HIV drugs was also achieved using MENPs and MNPs.

WHAT WERE THE MOST CHALLENGING ISSUES FOR YOUR AREA OF RESEARCH? Some of the challenging areas were: • Improvement in biocompatibility and therapeutic effects of nanomedicine, • Developing personalized nanomedicine combat against CNS diseases, 42

Connecting World Chemically

Promotion of state-of-the art for translation research

create wearable electrochemical sensors for POC.

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR AREA OF WORK.

The integration of electrochemical nanosensor with microfluidic system for POC application is still new and exciting to me. Recently, I explored miniaturized electrochemical immunosensor to detect plasma cortisol of HIV positive. I explored my knowledge of analytical chemistry, nanotechnology, and electrochemistry to understand electrochemical behavior of tumor and single cell. My contribution in the area of developing BioMEMS to trap multi-cell spheroid for 3D monitoring for diagnosis and chipbased electrochemical sensing device for single cell nanotoxicity detection can be judged by various publication.

I have also studied electrochemical sensing technology during my Ph.D. at National Physical Laboratory, India and at BioMEMS and Fabrication system laboratory at Department of electrical computing engineering of Florida International University, USA in the area of developing nanostructured platforms for biosensor to detect target analytes.

The demand for real time healthcare monitoring devices is rapidly increasing due to the numerous benefits that this technology offers from a social, scientific, and financial perspective. Portable miniaturized analytical devices for disease detection at early stages and for monitoring physiological variables at point-of-care (POC) could be useful to personalize health diagnostics for appropriate effectual and exact treatment. Since globalization and modern lifestyles affect genetic disorder and protein concentration, which are some of the main causes of diseases, these systems are deemed as pioneer technology for the improvement of both global healthcare and health disparities monitoring.

The development of diagnostics tools that are capable of quantifying specific biomarkers and of providing health informatics for superior treatment strategy, such as POC sensors, are in high demand. The development of novel methods for adequate diagnostic testing at early stage for global healthcare monitoring at POC requires the utilization of specific electronic devices that interact with biological samples in order to retrieve indispensable information regarding the patient’s metabolism. I explored nano-enabling sensing technologies to

I would recommend to explore new electrochemical nano-immunosensing technologies specifically development of lab-on-a-chip integrated with microfluidic system to detect physiological variables for personalized diagnostics at POC. Such sensing platforms may have the potential to be integrated into a wearable system for online and continuous monitoring of any target analyte at pico/nano levels at POC as a function of one’s environment.

Surface science has explored to make nanocarriers (NC)s surface hydrophobic and to generate functionality on NCs to bind with BBB related specific biomolecules such as antibody, protein, and enzyme to achieve CNS delivery

Read On www.worldofchemicals.com

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ACADEMIC SPEAK

Developing “Green” construction of complex molecular structures Laszlo Kurti talks about new methods that render popular metal-catalyzed transformations metal-free giving reliable options for organic chemists Laszlo Kurti is an associate professor in the department of chemistry at Rice University.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESEARCH The Kurti lab has been exploring several fundamentally new strategies and methods for the creation of novel C-C and C-heteroatom bonds that expand the toolbox of synthetic organic chemists and enable the environmentally friendly construction of complex molecular structures. A highly attractive, but currently underdeveloped approach is the utilization of weak bonds (e.g. N-N, N-O) as a driving force to achieve the rapid formation of much stronger bonds under mild conditions. During the past three years, the Kürti laboratory has successfully exploited these weak bonds and developed a number of transition-metal-free direct C-C and C-N bond-forming reactions, such as: • chiral acid-catalyzed atroposelective synthesis of functionalized biaryls • direct arylation of arenes • aerobic direct and regiospecific-arylation of ketones • low-temperature intramolecular C(sp2)-H amination of arenes, and 44

Connecting World Chemically

www.worldofchemicals.com • primary amination of arylboronic acids as well as aryl-Grignard reagents.

In addition, Kurti laboratory played a crucial role in the discovery of the dirhodium-carboxylate-catalyzed, direct and stereospecific synthesis of unprotected N-H and N-Me aziridines from olefins, a transformation that has eluded synthetic chemists for decades.

HOW CHIRAL BIARYL COMPOUNDS CAN HELP IN THE MAKING OF DRUG COMPOUNDS AND WHAT MAKES THEM EFFECTIVE IN THIS PROCESS? Chiral non-racemic functionalized biaryl compounds are used as highly efficient catalyst (or as ligands for transition metals that together make up a chiral metal catalyst) to set up a particular configuration (R or S) at a chiral carbon atom that has four different substituents. Chiral non-racemic functionalized biarylsare popular both in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry as catalysts ($1 billion/year in sales) and are used for the synthesis of agrochemicals as well as drug intermediates on multi-ton scales (some of them on multi-hundred ton scale).

This broad utility makes functionalized biarylsone of the most successful (if not the most successful) classes of catalysts and are considered to be “privileged”. Privileged catalysts are those that work well regardless of the class of substrates being used and the particular mechanism that is operational in the chemical transformation being catalyzed.

Be sides being superb catalysts, functionalized biaryls (i.e., two aromatic rings connected to each other via a C-C bond) are also present in natural products as well as the biaryl substructure is considered to be privileged one in drug discovery.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

Privileged substructures are those istering it to human subjects (or that can be decorated in many patients), a costly removal of the different ways with substituents metal residues is necessary via and the resulting compounds can repeated chromatography, recrysbecome non-promiscuous binders tallization or a combination of both. for biological macromolecules such This process can be costly and it as proteins and enzymes. There leads to inevitable material loss. are many bioactive natural prodTherefore, it is desirable to modify ucts in which there is one or more synthetic sequences leading to functionalized biaryl structural motif. APIs in a way that either: In fact, there are more than 1000 - transition metals are used early in natural products that have been a synthetic sequence or; isolated and characterized with this substructure and this number - transition metal-catalyzed reacis steadily growing – these comtions are replaced by transition pounds are potential lead commetal-free transformations. pounds for drug discovery.

If designed properly, the new synthetic sequence will avoid transition metals during the last 3-4 steps and Kurti laboratory played thus at the end of the sequence the a crucial role in the level of transition metals in the final discovery of the dirhodiumproduct will be at the desired level or even below and further costly pucarboxylate-catalyzed, direct rification steps on the final API will and stereospecific synthesis not be necessary. of unprotected N-H and EXPLAIN IN BRIEF ABOUT SINN-Me aziridines from olefins, GLE-FLASK PROCESS, WHY a transformation that has YOU OPTED FOR THIS PROeluded synthetic chemists for CESS? decades A single-flask (also known as “onepot”) synthesis is an effective methWHAT IS THE MAIN PURPOSE od for both carrying out several TO REMOVE TRANSITION transformations and forming severMETALS FROM THE CHEMICAL al bonds in a single reaction vessel.

PROCESS? At the same time, several purification steps are avoided and chemiTransition metals and their comcal waste generation is minimized. plexes are extremely useful as catFor the reasons above, single-flask alysts for a wide range of chemical processes are highly desirable and transformations. However, they are many chemical transformation lend generally costly and toxic. Toxicity themselves to this approach if so is a very important issue especially designed. in the case of compounds that are intended for human use (i.e., pharOur new biaryl synthesis was maceuticals, food additives, etc.). amenable for a one-pot approach as the mixed acetal formation was The FDA regulates the levels of immediately followed by sigmametal residues in compounds that tropic rearrangement that generwill be used in clinical trials or have ated the new carbon-carbon bond. been approved for use as drugs. If There is a clear advantage here a particular active pharmaceutical because we do not have to isolate ingredient (API) is manufactured intermediates and subject them using transition metal catalysts, to separate reaction conditions to chances are that before admin45

ACADEMIC SPEAK obtain the final functionalized biaryl products. In addition, the reaction conditions are very simple and the starting materials are inexpensive – at the end we obtain a highly valuable product and due to the operational simplicity an entire library of these compounds can be obtained in short order.

Our new method breaks new ground on multiple fronts as it provides synthetic access to non-C2-symmetrical functionalized biaryls: • In only a single operation in one reaction vessel (i.e, single-flask or one-pot) • Starting materials are cheap • Waste stream is minimal • No-toxic metals are needed as the process is organo catalytic which means that a small organic molecule acts as a catalyst instead of expensive and scarce transition metals • A vast new chemical space is accessed with the economical and scalable synthesis of 41 non-C2-symmetrical biaryls

With the disclosure of this method, the organic chemistry community at large in academia as well as in industry can prepare any of these non-C2-symmetrical biaryls and evaluate each of their enantiomers as new catalysts for myriad of known and new transformations.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF SINGLE-ENANTIOMER COMPOUNDS IN DRUG MAKING PROCESS? The early 1960s has seen the tragedy of the anti-nausea drug called thalidomide (brand name in Europe was Contergam) that was supposed to ease the symptoms of nausea in pregnant women. However, one enantiomer of this drug was toxic to the foetus (i.e, teratogenic effect) and thousands of babies were born without limbs. This 46

Connecting World Chemically

fiasco prompted the FDA to require the testing of both enantiomers of chiral compounds to see if their biological effects are different and find out if any of the enantiomers is actually toxic. Today very few drugs that are chiral are sold as racemates (i.e., 50:50 mixture of the enantiomers) but rather chiral drugs are sold as single-enantiomers that are stable under physiological conditions (i.e., the enantiomers should not interconvert in vivo).

It is estimated that by 2020, 95% of all chiral drugs will be sold as single-enantiomers. Due to the steady increase of chiral drugs on the market that are sold as single enantiomers, organic chemists urgently need to address the enantioselective synthesis of chiral building blocks with ever-increasing complexity and challenges.

The preparation of novel chiral compounds will require new catalysts that represent new (i.e., untapped) chemical space - this is where contributions from the Kürti lab is really important given the fact that synthetic access to functionalized biaryls (i.e., privileged catalysts) has been very challenging and costly. Especially non-C2-symmetrical biaryls have been shown to be effective catalysts in many cases in which the C2-symmetrical versions are ineffective or give poor results. However, synthetic access to non-C2-symmetrical versions of these functionalized biaryls is exceedingly difficult - most of the time people can only isolate these non-C2-symmetrical compounds as side products during the synthesis of C2-symmetrical functionalized biaryls.

WHAT ARE THE MOST CHALLENGING ISSUES FOR YOUR AREA OF RESEARCH? Transition metal-free transformations that are as efficient as the corresponding transition metal-cat-

alyzed reactions are still relatively rare, but this area of critically important research is growing rapidly.

Especially the functionalization of aromatic and heteroaromatic rings is where more effort is needed.

While transition metal catalysts such as Pd, Rh, Ir can bring about C-H activation, transition metal-free processes will have to rely on clever rearrangements and novel reagents to bring about the desired C-H functionalization under mild conditions and with high efficiency.

The Kürti lab continues to explore new methods that render popular metal-catalyzed transformations metal-free, thus giving several reliable options in the hands of practicing organic/medicinal chemists.

By 2020, 95 percent of all chiral drugs will be sold as single-enantiomers.

Due to the steady increase of chiral drugs on the market that are sold as single enantiomers, organic chemists urgently need to address the enantioselective synthesis of chiral building blocks with ever-increasing complexity and challenges

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CHEMICALS 47

ACADEMIC SPEAK

Liquid metal-based nano-terminators can enhance anti-cancer therapy Yue Lu and Zhen Gu describe the path breaking research in which gallium indium alloy- used as a liquid-metal nanocarrier holds the key not just for effective anti-cancer treatment but for a wide range of therapeutics.

Yue Lu is a PhD student at professor Zhen Gu’s research lab, joint biomedical engineering department in the North Carolina State University (NC State) and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH).

Zhen Gu is an assistant professor in the joint biomedical engineering program at NC State and UNC-CH.

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www.worldofchemicals.com TELL US ABOUT YOUR CURRENT RESEARCH WORK. Our research laboratory is interested in exploring novel strategies that apply stimuli-responsive systems for delivering therapeutics in dose-, spatial- and temporal-controlled fashions. By accumulating and integrating tools of biomolecular engineering, materials chemistry and micro/nano fabrication, we are adapting the concept of “artificial vesicles”, which are inspired by effective approaches found in natural particulates, from viruses to cells.

Drug delivery through such vehicles can be specifically regulated by physiological signals, such as glucose, ATP and reactive oxygen species, the level or activity of which is often closely associated with many diseases, including diabetes and cancer. In particular, we are studying glucose-responsive synthetic formulations and devices for delivering insulin in a self-regulated manner, which mimics the function of pancreatic β-cells. We are also developing the “programmed” anticancer drug delivery systems that can respond upon the elements within tumor microenvironment or subcellular environment and sequentially release multiple drugs to their most active destinations. In addition to endogenous triggers, we are also interested in utilizing exogenous triggers, such as ultrasound and light to achieve spatiotemporal administration.

In this particular work, we developed a novel liquid metal-based nano-scale formulation (the nano-terminators) for drug delivery to achieve enhanced anticancer therapy. Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of a gallium indium alloy, this nanomedicine has a variety of advantages in term of simple fabrication, facile surface bioconjugation, and the capability of fusion and degradation in a mildly acidic environment. It should be Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

noted that the liquid-metal nanocarrier itself displayed low systematic toxicity, favoring it biomedical applications.

EXPLAIN ABOUT BIODEGRADABLE LIQUID METALS CARRIERS / NANO-TERMINATORS THAT HAVE BEEN USED FOR DRUG DELIVERY The nano-terminator is a coreshell nanosphere composed of a liquid-phase gallium-indium alloy core and a thiolated polymeric shell.

This formulation can be simply produced through a sonication-mediated method with bioconjugation flexibility.

The resulting doxorubicin (Dox, a broad-spectrum anticancer drug) loaded nanoparticles demonstrate the capability to fuse and subsequently degrade under a mildly acidic condition, which facilitates release of Dox in acidic endosomes after cellular internalization.

Equipped with hyaluronic acid, a tumour-targeting ligand, this formulation displays enhanced chemotherapeutic inhibition toward the xenograft tumour-bearing mice.

This metal-based drug delivery system with fusible and degradable behavior under physiological conditions provides a new strategy for

By accumulating and integrating tools of biomolecular engineering, materials chemistry and micro/nano fabrication, we are adapting the concept of “artificial vesicles”, which are inspired by effective approaches found in natural particulates, from viruses to cells.

engineering theranostic agents with low toxicity.

HOW DO YOU CREATE THESE NANO-TERMINATORS? To create the nano-terminators, we place the bulk liquid metal (gallium indium alloy) into a solution that contains two types of polymeric ligands. The solution is then hit with ultrasound, which forces the bulk liquid metal to burst into nanoscale droplets approximately 100 nanometers in diameter. The ligands in the solution attach to the surface of the droplets as they break away from the bulk liquid metal.

How important is gallium-indium alloy in this whole process as a bulk material?

The bulk material we use here is gallium-indium alloy. It is a low-viscosity liquid at room temperature, just like mercury, which makes it a suitable candidate for nanofabrication. Unlike mercury, it has low-toxicity, thus is promising in biomedical applications.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF POLYMERIC LIGANDS IN FINDING CANCER CELLS? One of the ligands is chemically modified hyaluronic acid. It supports active tumour-targeting toward the receptors overexpressed on the cell surface of a broad variety of tumours.

WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE DURING YOUR RESEARCH? The engineering flexibility provided by inorganic nanoparticles with tailorable shape, size, surface ligands and physical properties has enabled on-demand design of novel drug delivery systems, contrast agents, and integrated systems for disease diagnosis and treatment.

The last decade has witnessed numerous efforts in developing 49

ACADEMIC SPEAK inorganic nanoparticles capable of effectively targeting different diseases. However, these formulations often fail to be useable due to systemic toxicity.

efficient elimination. This design bottleneck has long existed and is impeding the clinical translation of therapy and diagnostics based on inorganic carriers.

For instance, targeted cancer therapy requires nanoparticles with relatively large sizes to minimize clearance and enhance tumour retention, yet such inorganic particles often remain in the body for a long time because of their lack in biodegradability. To date, few studies have demonstrated how to engineer the physicochemical properties of inorganic nanoparticles to satisfy both target delivery and

MENTION SOME OF THE OTHER IMPORTANT APPLICATIONS AND USES FOR YOUR RESEARCH WORK? The nano-terminator can help the doctors locate tumors as well as anticancer treatment. It should also be pointed out that this technique can be used with a wide range of therapeutics (and it’s not necessarily limited to anticancer agents).

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Taking advantage of the unique characteristics of a gallium indium alloy, this nanomedicine has a variety of advantages like simple fabrication, facile surface bioconjugation, and the capability of fusion and degradation in a mildly acidic environment.

FOR YOU TO KNOW

ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

PROJECT TO DEVELOP NEW ORGANIC MOLECULES FOR CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Nina Kann, professor at the department of chemistry and chemical engineering at Chalmers University Of Technology along with graduate student, Anna Said Stalsmeden, have received research grants from both the Swedish.

Research Council and the Swedish Research Council Formas to develop new sustainable methods for accessing molecules from renewable sources.

The duo will be investigating how byproducts such as glycerol from the biodiesel process can be used as precursors to produce valuable building blocks for a future sustainable chemical industry.

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The methodology developed will also be adapted towards other molecules derived from biomass.

“As oil and other fossil sources diminish, we cannot expect nature to directly provide us with the molecules or chemicals we need in terms of drugs or bulk chemicals,” said Kann.

In the project funded by the Swedish Research Council, a new graduate student will investigate sustainable methods to convert aromatic molecules from lignin, a component of wood, into molecules useful for the pharmaceutical industry, for example. Employing a combination of enzymatic catalysis and iron-

mediated reactions, the research group will develop methodology to access important molecular intermediates that are currently mainly produced from fossil sources.

“For future generations, we now need to develop processes that convert these raw materials into useful products with high atom efficiency.

A prerequisite is that these new methods also adapt to the principles of green chemistry, i.e. minimum impact on the environment, energy efficiency and use of sustainable reagents and solvents,” said Kann.

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UNIVERSITIES COLLABORATE TO IMPROVE PRODUCTION OF N-BUTANOL A major collaboration between University of Lincoln and University of York has been awarded funding to explore ways of improving the production of n-butanol - a central building block for a number of household and industrial substances.

Dr Alan Goddard, from the University of Lincoln’s school of life sciences, will lead the project with Dr Preben Krabben from Green Biologics Ltd and Professor Ian Graham and Dr Tony Larson from the centre for novel agricultural products at the University of York.

The renewable chemical occurs naturally as a product of the fermentation of sugars and other carbohydrates and is used in a range of domestic and industrial products, predominantly in paints and coatings, but also in diverse areas such as perfumes, food ingredients,

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

natural resins, and as an extractant in the manufacture of antibiotics and vitamins.

The project, called ‘Identifying and characterising protective lipid changes under solventogenic stress’, is funded through a Crossing Biological Membranes Network (CBMNet) Proof of Concept Grant of over £30,000 to explore more efficient and cost-effective ways of generating n-butanol from a variety of feedstocks.

In particular the purification step of n-butanol from the natural fermentation process can be expensive and the research aims to contribute towards improving this process.

Using expertise developed at the University of York, the researchers aim to identify the specific changes that occur during the creation of n-butanol. The changes that are identified will then be incorporated

into a new model system, developed at the University of Lincoln, with a view to improving the production process and enhancing the yield.

“The funding awarded by CBMNet will provide an exciting opportunity for our lab to continue industrially-relevant collaborations with Green Biologics Limited.

The award will benefit the work of Green Biologics Limited as well as provide new opportunities for researchers here at Lincoln,” said Dr Goddard, senior lecturer in Lincoln’s school of life sciences.

The CBMNet Proof of Concept Grants support new multi-disciplinary teams as they develop innovative solutions to overcome bottlenecks in the industrial biotechnology and bioenergy (IBBE) sector.

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GREEN CHEMISTRY

BRINGING NEW LIGHT TO A TRANSFORMATIVE PROTEIN The photophysics of GFP and its chromophore depends on its local structure and environment. Despite extensive experimental and computational studies, many open questions remain about the key fundamental variables governing this process.

A substance squeezed from a jellyfish, known as green fluorescent protein (GFP) found off the western coast of North America has transformed modern cellular biology. GFP, when added to viruses and proteins, brings their life and function into view.

By combining experiment, computation and theory, scientists at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and colleagues at Louisiana State University have discovered new insights about GFP’s behavior. This in turn can lead to even more ways to exploit this valuable monitor of biological processes.

By adding a few water molecules to the GFP chromophore-the part of the molecule responsible for its colour-the scientists simulated crystallographic water molecules in GFPs. When water is added, the excited state that generates fluorescence is more stable. Water apparently shuts the channel to electron emissions, effectively 54

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shutting off electron auto-detachment competition and allowing fluorescence.

The scientists’ findings provide a more accurate understanding of this extremely useful protein. The two water molecules shown on the cover of The Journal of Chemical Physics make a huge difference in the behaviour of the GFP. In turn, this can lead to eventual control and manipulation of processes where GFP is used.

GFPs are invaluable as markers for monitoring processes in living cells, such as in cancer research, where GFP-labeled cells model how cancer spreads to organs.

Their versatility and value has led to the synthesis of new types of GFPs with different colors and new classes of photo activatable fluorescent proteins for use in ultra-resolution imaging and optical data storage of raw data images from living cells and tissues.

One question is what controls the efficiency of light emission. When GFP absorbs light, only some of the energy is converted into a fluorescent signal, with the rest being lost by a process known as relaxation or deactivation.

The fraction of energy emitted as fluorescence versus that lost by relaxation dictates GFP’s efficiency.

What the PNNL and LSU scientists wanted to know was how the protein’s internal environment-in this case, water-affects specific types of relaxation.

“We know the relaxation that competes against the fluorescence is critically dependent on the GFP chromophore’s local environments, but we don’t fully understand the details of why it happens,” said Dr Xue-Bin Wang, PNNL chemical physicist. “If we get rid of surrounding molecules by using the gas phase, the fluorescence goes away. And in solution, no fluorescence occurs at room temperature.

But fluorescence returns at low temperatures. Is it caused by the intrinsic electronic structure properties of the chromophore in the protein? Or is it caused by other molecules in its environment? Our results showed it was the latter.”

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CARBIOS DEPOLYMERIZES PET BASED PLASTIC WASTE CARBIOS, an innovative green chemistry company specializing in breakthrough technologies dedicated to the recovery of plastic waste and the production of bio-polymers said that it has taken a major step forward in the development of its enzymatic depolimerization process of polyesters rending it applicable to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most commonly used polymers. This process, property of CARBIOS, enabled for the first time the depolymerization of 100 percent amorphous PET based commercial products into its original monomers, terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG).

Applying this selective depoymerization to PET enables the regeneration of monomers while maintaining the same quality and physicochemical properties as their petroleum-based counterparts.

After separation and purification, the monomers extracted from the enzymatic recycling process developed by CARBIOS could then be used for the synthesis of virgin PET, therefore avoiding any loss in value of the recycled material.

This new milestone, achieved within the THANAPLASTTM project, is the result of a close collaboration between the Toulouse-based teams of the INRA, TWB and the laboratory LISPB from INSA Toulouse.

“We are particularly proud of these results. They reflect the success of a public-private partnership Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

dedicated to the development of competitive ecological innovations optimizing the life-cycle of plastics.

It’s with the vision and commitment of companies such as CARBIOS that we’ll soon be able to bring this disruptive innovation to an industrial stage,” said Pierre Monsan, founding-director of TWB. The market of PET plastics, fossil-based polyester commonly used in the industry, represented a world production of 21 million tons in 2014. With an annual growth rate of 4 to 5 percent, production could reach more than 26 million tonne by 2020. This thermoplastic material is widely used for manufacturing plastic bottles (69 percent of PET plastics), films (14 percent) and packaging (10 percent) and in other applications.

However, conventional technologies implemented to recycle PET waste are very sensitive to contamination by other polymers and impurities.

On a practical level, this involves a sophisticated sorting and high costs for a limited recycling rate.

In addition, current technologies

are leading to the production of secondary products of lower quality.

Moreover, complex waste material made out of several polymers including PET cannot be recycled by conventional processes in Europe, demand for PET-based virgin plastics was estimated at 3.2 million tonne in 2013, of which 1.8 million tonne are recycled (57 percent). Applying CARBIOS’ biorecycling process to PET would allow for treatment of 100 percent of PET waste, equal to an addition volume of 1.4 million tonne in Europe which are presently left in landfills or incinerated instead of being recycled. By creating a true circular economy model, CARBIOS’ biorecycling processes would prevent the emission of 4.6 million tonne of CO2 equivalent (applied solely to the PET plastics in Europe),thus contributing actively to the European efforts to limit global warming to 2°C above the temperature of the pre-industrial period. To this resource could be added PET fibre, for which the recycling rate is limited today despite a production estimated at 43 million tonne worldwide in 2014.

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COVER STORY

CREATING A SELF-SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENT The Indian pharmaceutical industry, for decades, has been heavily dependent on its Chinese counterparts for the import of bulk drugs and has somehow crippled the growth of the domestic market. The industry is now waking up to the realities of the trade and is trying to break free from foreign imports of bulk drugs

BY DEBARATI DAS

India ranks third in the world in terms of pharma production and has been exporting its pharma products to over 200 countries, including to some of the most highly regulated markets like US, Japan, Australia etc. However, when it comes to bulk drugs, the country has been over dependent on China for decades, which has consistently crushed the growth of the domestic industry.

Bulk drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) are the active raw materials used in a drug that gives it the therapeutic effect. India has over 300 large companies and around 10,000 medium and smallscale companies in the sector out of which 77 percent of them make formulations and only 23 percent APIs. However, 75 percent of bulk drug requirement of the country comes from China.

To break these shackles of import and in a bid to promote domestic manufacturing, the government had declared 2015 as the year of bulk drugs or APIs. While a year has 56

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gone past since the initiative, the industry is still far from being self-reliant in manufacturing its own bulk drugs.

By the end of 2020 we see that we will not be a recipient from a single source of bulk drug. We will also compete, we will also ‘Make in India’ and to a great extent in bulk drug, India is going to become self-reliant.

Ananth Kumar, minister of chemicals and fertilizers, Government of India.

However, the government aims to close the gaps and be self-reliant in this sector in the next five years.

“By the end of 2020 we see that we will not be a recipient from a single source of bulk drug. We will also compete, we will also have ‘Make in India’ and to a great extent in bulk drug, India is going to become

self-reliant,” said Ananth Kumar, minister of chemicals and fertilizers, Government of India.

OVERCOMING CHALLENGES The industry is currently facing a huge number of road blocks in its path to self-reliance. For that, the government had set up a committee of secretaries headed by secretary, health research, V M Katoch to suggest ways to reduce the dependence on bulk drug imports from China. The committee has listed several recommendations including tax incentives, infrastructure incentives, interest subvention and common facility for bulk drug manufacturing.

“The ministry has accepted the Katoch committee report and we have circulated a cabinet note containing the recommendations of the committee,” said Kumar. “I am assuring you that we are in active consultation process regarding the recommendations that will give bulk drug industry a big leap. The government of India, especially the ministry will fully support that and will see that very soon a considered Cabinet decision will come out.”

However, the industry and the government are together moving hand in hand to change the scenario.

Some of the challenges that need to be addressed are:

POLICY REFORMS A great deal of reform is needed in the industry in terms of income tax rebates, reduction on service taxes, availability of credits at lower rates and stability in drug pricing. The industry leaders have also voiced their concerns over the instability in the prices of medicines, which has led to severe losses. The industry needs a policy on drug pricing which will help predict the rise and fall of drug prices and help the industry players streamline their products.

www.worldofchemicals.com in the country and getting regulatory approvals, having simpler duty structure, encourage innovation, have concentrated pharma parks and introduce incentives for innovation,” said Pankaj Patel, managing director, Zydus Cadila.

The government announced its plans to start 12 National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) across the country to increase skilled personnel in the pharma industry. While already functioning NIPER campuses in Mohali, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Madurai, Rai Baraeli, Hajipur, Kolkata and Guwahati are being revamped with better infrastructure, the government plans to launch three more NIPERs this year in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.

INFRASTRUCTURE: The need of the hour for the industry is to have the basic facilities and infrastructure, which will help them reduce the cost of production and face global competition. With basic infrastructure in disarray, the industry players have to spend more.

“To compete with China, we need to be cost competitive. However, it is difficult to match up with the cost of Chinese products. Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers have to spend a lot on effluent treatment plants. Common facilities for activities like effluent treatment etc will help manufacturers to bring down the cost of production,” said Azadar Khan, vice president - corporate relations, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. To address this issue, the government is now planning to create six pharma parks across the country. States of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan have been approached for the creation of pharma clusters. While Hyderabad has agreed to provide 350 acres of land for a pharma park for the state, Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

has also agreed to provide land for the purpose.

Our dependence on China is not just for finished bulk drugs but also for intermediates which are used for the manufacturing of bulk drugs. Although the Indian bulk drug industry has the capability to making these bulk drugs but it is not able to overcome the challenges in its way

Azadar Khan, vice president corporate relations, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd.

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT R&D is one of the biggest needs for the growth of an industry and to meet the global competition. However, there is a dire need to increase the country’s skill set and upsurge drug discoveries to boost the confidence of the global market on Indian pharmaceutical industry.

“There is a need to strengthen the execution of government policies, facilitate the ease of doing business

DRUG COST One of the ways to beat the competition is by regulating the drug cost.

According to a report, China is often dumping its production in the Indian market at a price below the economic cost of production due to its high production capacity. This has turned out to be a major blow to the Indian industry, which is unable to meet up with the cost parameters and failing to low cost drugs.

On the other hand, the domestic market is also unable to reach out to the poor sections of the society due to high drug cost.

“To be globally competitive, the industry needs to reduce its production cost by approximately 30 percent. We want to aid this by providing them land at affordable process, creating common facilities and infrastructure for effluent discharges, trading and testing,” said Kumar.

INDIAN PATENTS According to reports, the number of new products and patents generating from India is far less than its 57

Asia counterparts such as China, Japan and even smaller countries like South Korea, which files ninetimes more patents than India. The country has a terrible need to surge in the number of drug patents it has.

“Pharma industry is a dynamic industry and you have to constantly introduce new drugs, only then can you remain profitable. You cannot keep manufacturing the same paracetamols and aspirins forever as the cost of these drugs will go down with time. New drugs are more remunerative, complex to manufacture but at the same time very profitable,” said Khan.

QUALITY

• API industry needs land, basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, and common state of art facilities such as effluent treatment plants, stream, testing facilities etc.

• For economizing production, establishment of large manufacturing zones/ mega parks with common facilities needs to be explored.

• Such facilities need to be provided at concessional rates and preferably free of cost.

This will help in competing with other countries and generating employment.

Unlike China, the Indian pharma industry has enjoyed greater confidence from the global market in terms of quality of drugs. The industry exports its products to over 200 countries including the highly regulated markets. However, it is time that the industry competes with the international standards in quality of the drug.

• Six large API intermediate clusters in five to six states are expected. These parks could be allotted to large bulk, medium and small manufacturers.

EMPOWER SMES

• Revival of public sector units for starting the manufacture of selected and very essential critical drugs.

India is a country dominated and dependent on mid-sized and small sized companies. However, these companies are knee deep tackling financial challenges. There is a dire need not just to support them financially by giving credits, loans etc, but also to empower them by uplifting their skill sets, their technology and their research ability so that they can be the pillars to support the growth of the entire industry.

The other way to improve domestic production is to strengthen public sector undertakings. The government recently declared five pharma sector PSUs to be unfit and plans to leverage the assets of the sick pharma PSUs to make them financially viable so that they can start manufacturing select essential critical drugs, like penicillin and paracetamol.

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KATOCH COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

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• A scheme for extending finan cial assistance to states to acquire land and also for setting up common facilities would be necessary.

• Ensure single window clearances to manufacturers and provide common facilities and other support.

• Incentives to manufacturers for setting up of large plants

The bulk drug industry in India still has a long way to go before it achieves self-reliance. However, while the government is taking the necessary steps required, the industry too has to stand up together in the fight against foreign imports and support the domestic companies for them to prosper and lay the foundation for the Indian industry to thrive on.

and imports of technology that will reduce the cost of production need to be worked out. All central and state duties, taxes, levies etc in creating the entire common unity cluster infrastructure and individual unit infrastructure should be zero.

• Soft loans to the industry through interest subversion up to 7.5 percent.

• Capex loan to the manufacturers of APIs for high priority identifies drugs, with a moratorium of 10 years for repayment.

• Tax free status to cluster developers and cluster participants for 15 years.

• Measures to encourage foreign investment including faster clearances, funding for green field/ brown filed areas.

• Income tax rebates on up gradation of existing R&D facilities should be doubled to 400 percent.

• Stronger industry-academia interaction by facilitating the to-fro movement of scientists between industries and academic institutions.

• Import duty exemption on import of capital goods in respect of R&D and manufacturing of vaccines/APIs.

There is a growing dependence on need for external raw materials and we need some good policies to address this issue. We need to be cost competitive in traditional and generic formulations along with bringing in new innovative technologies, which will help us stay ahead.”

Pankaj Patel, managing director, Zydus Cadila.

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FEATURE NANOMEDICINES NEW AGE CAPSULES OF MICROSCOPIC

‘GRENADES’

Image: 1 60

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For decades, patients suffering from life threatening ailments such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, AIDS and brain disorders, have been at the mercy of time.

However, as the scopes of modern medicines broaden their horizons, health has succeeded - to reign over diseases. One such medical wonder is nanomedicine, which is dramatically changing the way medical science works.

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BY DEBARATI DAS

With the advancements in medical research, nanomedicines is currently being used globally to improve the treatments of wide range of ailments including ovarian and breast cancer, kidney disease, fungal infections, elevated cholesterol, menopausal symptoms, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, asthma, emphysema and many more.

Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnologies in the medical field in which nanoparticles are used to improve the behaviour of drug substances. Nanotechnology can be used in monitoring, construction, repair, and control of human biological systems at the molecular level, using nanodevices and nanostructures.

Nanomedicines come as an alternative to the difficulties experienced by normal medical approaches in delivering the benefit from the drug molecules used. For instance, sometimes drugs have little solubility in water and the human body struggles to absorb the medication. In other cases, even though the drug molecule is absorbed well, the body eliminates the drug before the medication starts to give benefit. In cases of cancer treatment, the medication used leads to side-effects, as the medication also attacks healthy tissues and organs causing damage.

In such cases, nanomedicines play an important role in ensuring that adequate drug enters the body, and stays in the body for long periods and targets only those areas that need treatment.

MARKET OUTREACH The rapid technological advancement in the field of nanomedicine across the globe has also ensured the growth of this industry.

The global nanomedicine market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 12.3 percent from 2013 to 2019

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

and would reach $177.60 billion by 2019, according to a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Also the global nanomedicine market in 2012 was $78.54 billion, with nanomedicines for oncology alone capturing a 38 percent share of the overall industry. However, application in cardiovascular diseases is expected to witness the fastest growth in future with the rapid increase in the number of patients.

Furthermore, while North America has been the market leader since 2012 due to advanced healthcare infrastructure, Asia Pacific also shows exceptional potential in the future and is projected to grow at a 14.6 percent CAGR between 2013 and 2019. Some of the factors leading to its growth is prevalence of diseases, rising awareness regarding healthcare, rise in healthcare facilities and researches, as per the study.

In Asia - China and India are expected to be the fastest-growing nanomedicines markets. The European market is also anticipated to report healthy growth during the forecast period.

AREAS OF APPLICATION Nanomedicines have proved to be path changing potential in several areas of medical science. Here are some of the key areas where nanomedicines have made commendable progress: Cancer: A World Health Organization (WHO) report forecasts 15 million new cases of cancer worldwide in 2020. Over 90 percent of deaths among cancer patients occur due to the spread of malignant cells to vital organs. Significant research has been taking place across the globe to develop specific treatments that can destroy primary and secondary tumours. Nanotechnology has made huge strides in

cancer treatments providing a wide range of new tools and possibilities, from earlier diagnostics, improved imaging and targeted therapies.

Research has found that nanotechnology can work wonders in targeted drug delivery wherein nanoparticles can be injected into the tumour and then be activated to destroy cancer cells either by magnetic fields, X-Rays or light. This type of localized delivery of drug can reduce the quantity of drugs absorbed by the patient and decrease the side effects caused on healthy tissues in the body. Some scientists have achieved this with gold nanorods, which carry chemotherapy drugs and locally excited in the tumour by infrared light. The induced heat releases the encapsulated drug and helps destroying the cancer cells.

Recently in 2015, a Manchester-based team of scientists designed microscopic ‘grenades’ that can explode their cancer-killing load into tumours. The team used liposomes, tiny bubbles of fat which carry materials round the body, to release toxic drugs when their temperature is raised. The process will avoid side effects by ensuring the drugs target only the tumour.

“This is still early work but these liposomes could be an effective way of targeting treatment towards cancer cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed,” said Professor Charles Swanton, the chairman of the conference.

The Nanomedicine Lab in Manchester has designed liposomes that are water-tight at normal body temperature but at 42 degree C, they become leaky.

“The challenge for us is to try to develop liposomes in such a way that they will be very stable at 37 degree C and not leak any cancer drug molecules and then abruptly release them at 42 degree C,” said

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FEATURE NANOMEDICINES Professor Kostas Kostarelos, University of Manchester, in a report.

HIV/AIDS: HIV/AIDS is described as a global pandemic and according to World Health organization, nearly 36.9 million people worldwide lived with HIV/AIDS at the end of 2014 and an estimated 2 million individuals worldwide became newly infected with HIV in 2014.

HIV treatment has several issues such as patient’s compliance with strict drug regimens. HIV mutation leads to resistance to existing therapies. HIV resides in various sites throughout the body and establishes reservoirs where it escapes from the effect of drugs and keeps releasing the viral progeny to the blood as long as the patient lives.

Nanomedicines can be extremely helpful in these cases for targeted delivery to HIV reservoir sites because many antiretroviral drugs do not penetrate these sites optimally which contribute not only to viral persistence, but also to the development of drug resistance.

In a recent study, scientists at the University of Nebraska Medical Center designed a new delivery system for protease inhibitors, which are a class of antiviral drugs that are commonly used to treat HIV. The drug, when coupled with URMC-099, another drug developed at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, rid immune cells of HIV and keeps the virus in check for long periods.

The new drug delivery system, called the nanoformulated protease inhibitor, takes the drug and makes it into a crystal. This crystal drug is placed into a fat and protein coat. The coating protects the drug from being degraded by the liver and removed by the kidney. The drug could be given once every six months, which would greatly

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increase compliance, reduce side effects and help people manage the disease.

“The chemical marriage between URMC-099 and antiretroviral drug nanoformulations could increase drug longevity, improve patient compliance, and reduce general toxicities,” said Howard Gendelman, lead study author and professor and chair of the department of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience at Nebraska.

There are several researches taking place across the globe in this area. Although nanomedicines have promising future of HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, there are several hurdles in this technology such as toxicity, unwanted biological interactions and difficulty and cost of large-scale synthesis of nanopharmaceuticals.

CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES: Researches in the use of nanotechnology in cardiovascular diseases has focused on directed imaging and therapy of atherosclerosis, restenosis and over cardiovascular conditions. With the help of nanoscale contrast agents, it is possible to identify and characterize early disease stages prior to the development of gross disease manifestations, which can be detected by conventional clinical imaging techniques.

Various nanotechnological applications are coming up for the treatment of atherosclerosis and restenosis, including nanocarriers for drug delivery and devices such as mechanical stents, possessing nanoscale components.

Apart from this, a lot of research is happening to apply nanotechnologies for ex-vivo and in-vivo detection of precursor CVD signals, which can potentially reduce the risk of the diseases.

SCOPES OF NANOMEDICINE The gamut of science has expanded so vast that there is no idea that is impossible to be achieved.

Research across the globe is working towards making the most out of nanotechnogy and nanomedicines. Here are some astonishing areas where researchers are trying to crack the code and change the course of traditional medical procedures: • Nanomachines could be employed to constantly monitor the internal chemistry of the body.

Mobile nanorobots, equipped with wireless transmitters, could circulate in the blood and lymph systems, and send out warnings when chemical imbalances occur.

• Nanomachines could be planted in the nervous system to monitor pulse, brain-wave activity, and other functions and assist in the treatment of brain and nervous disorders.

• Nanotechnology devices could dispense drugs or hormones as needed in people with chronic imbalance or deficiency states.

• Artificial antibodies, artificial white and red blood cells, and antiviral nanorobots might be devised.

• Nanorobots can be used as miniature surgeons to repair damaged cells, or get inside cells and replace or assist damaged intracellular structures.

• Nanomachines can be used to correct genetic deficiencies by altering or replacing DNA molecules.

The scopes are limitless and as research advances, there will be innumerable ways in which nanotechnology will cure the most incurable diseases in the future.

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PATH BREAKING NANOMEDICINE RESEARCHES ACROSS THE GLOBE • Researchers at College of Pharmacy at Oregon State University developed a three-drug delivery system for the treatment of metastatic melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The new technology uses nanoparticles to migrate and increase the effectiveness of an attack on cancer cells in the body’s lymph nodes, reduce the risk of drug resistance and toxicity associated with this type of chemotherapy.

• Engineers at the University of California, San Diego developed a new technology that uses an oscillating electric field to easily and quickly isolate drug-delivery nanoparticles from blood. The technology could serve as tool to separate and recover nanoparticles from other complex fluids for medical, environmental, and industrial applications. (See Image: 1) • Researchers at North Carolina State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have developed a new drug delivery technique that uses a biodegradable liquid metal to target cancer cells. The liquid metal drug delivery method aims to boost the effect of cancer drugs. (See Image: 2) • A polymer scientist with Berkeley Lab’s Materials Sciences Division has developed a new family of nanocarriers called 3HM (coiled-coil 3-helix micelles), for effectively delivering a therapeutic drug to glioblastoma multiforme tumours, a cancer of the brain also known as “octopus tumours.” These cancer cells extend their tendrils into surrounding tissue and is virtually inoperable, resistant to therapies, and always fatal.

• Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center have devised an ultrasensitive microRNA sensor which holds promise for the design of new diagnostic strategies and, potentially, for the prognosis and treatment of pancreatic cancers. The sensor detects minute changes in microRNA concentrations in a patient’s

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

blood and confirms the presence of pancreatic cancer.

• Researchers at the Center for Personalized Nanomedicine in the Institute of Neuroimmune Pharmacology at the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, has been working on miniaturized sensing technology and integrating that into devices with smart compartments to integrate point-of-care Ebola sensing devices that are capable of detecting Ebola virus levels. Recognizing the virus early would greatly increase the chances of patients survival.

• Purdue University researchers have devised a way to capture the finer details of complex cell processes by using tiny synthetic particles known as dendrimers, a technology that could lead to more targeted treatment for cancer. The technology, known as Tracing Internalization and Trafficking of Nanomaterials will help understand how cells internalize extracellular particles and how they move these particles around.

• Researchers at North Carolina State University have used computational modeling to understand how charged gold nanoparticles influence the structure of DNA and RNA-which may lead to new techniques for manipulating these genetic materials. The study holds promise for developing applications that can store and transport genetic information, create custom scaffolds for bioelectronics and create new drug delivery technologies.

• Scientists in S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, India have created a nanodrug for speedy and accurate therapy for jaundice by designing special nanoparticles that break down bilirubin – the yellow pigment found in bile, a fluid made by the liver. They designed manganese oxide nanoparticles capped with citrate, which will help degrade bilirubin and bring it down to a normal level swiftly.

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INNOVATION BIOCIDES IN TEXTILES

FUTURE MATERIAL WITH HYGIENE FUNCTION, ANTIMICROBIAL PROTECTIONTHE INNOVATION..

By Urs Zihlmann

Author: Urs Zihlmann, product manager, textile, SANITIZED AG. 64

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www.worldofchemicals.com An antimicrobial treatment produces a wide range of different effects.

Depending on the material, intended use and the expected benefits, the effects can be intelligently combined. Sportswear and work clothing can be protected against bacteria and odors. With textiles worn close to the body the result is a pleasant fresh feeling and improved wearing comfort. In addition, mattresses and bedding can be treated against dust mite infestation and mildew growth. For outdoor textiles or architectural textiles such as awnings or other light management textiles a protective function against mildew makes sense.

Deterioration of the material is thus prevented, the product remains functional longer and the desired aesthetic appearance is preserved for a longer period of time.

The demand for all segments is growing. Also, the demands by manufacturers and customers for innovative technologies are skyrocketing. Our company is actively doing research and working closely together with the producing industry.

Odor management is the major topic in antimicrobial protection, especially for active wear. The conventional antimicrobial treatment prevents the growth of bacteria on the textile and thus prevents the development of unpleasant odors.

We are now doing research on new, intelligent systems that prevent the absorption of body and environmental odors by the textile and thus guarantee lasting and complete freshness.

Conscientious resource preservation is a deeply embedded concept in our company. We are working permanently on developing additives with a lower use concentration and, at the same time, a better performance. The reduction in the amount of additives used, packaging materials as well as the logistics Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

volume are the positive consequences. Our company has been a bluesign® system partner from the very start. The bluesign® system is the solution for a sustainable textile production. It eliminates harmful substances right from the beginning of the manufacturing process and sets and controls standards for an environmentally friendly and safe production. This not only ensures that the final textile product meets very stringent consumer safety requirements worldwide but also gives the consumer confidence that he is acquiring a sustainable product.

Many products can be integrated into textile finishing processes so that no additional application process is necessary. This means energy and water savings. Wear more often and wash less is the benefit of our antimicrobial treatment of textiles. A good way to save energy, detergent and water.

Sustainability for consumers also means asking which active ingredients are used in the textiles. Many providers of textile effects do not work with officially approved additives. Not just because consumers are increasingly demanding more insight into the production chain, but especially because it is also consistent with our understanding of Swiss high quality, the company exclusively uses active ingredients that are formally registered and approved according to Article 95 of the current EU Biocides Regulation The leaders in the company are concerned with having an optimal impact on odor development, dust mite colonization or, mildew formation and, simultaneously, with achieving the perfect integration into the production process.

To make this possible, our experts are working closely with the manufacturers. This way unnecessary work processes can be prevented and huge water and energy sav-

ings are achieved.Our recently launched product is an outstanding innovation for textiles and coatings in outdoor use. UV-resistant mildew protection with Sanitized® TH 12-13 prevents loss of performance in textile treatments even under aggressive insolation. The product, Sanitized® TH 12-13, which can be used on textiles and for polymer coatings, offers long-lasting, UV-resistant protection against mildew.

A large number of treatments are available to protect textiles in outdoor use against environmental influences such as sun, wind and rain. However, user experiences and market observations show that the protective functions do not last in the long term. Sunlight intensity massively impairs the functions applied, with possible consequences such as premature material fatigue and unsightly stains caused by mildew infestation. The new technology, assures a UV-resistant, outstanding anti-mildew effect.

Sanitized® TH 12-13 counteracts destructive infestation by micro-organisms. It is highly temperature-resistant, can be used in conventional application methods and is suitable for aqueous coating systems. Sanitized® TH 12-13 can be used in standard polymer matrices.

Products whose primary function is sun-protection, such as tarpaulins, tents, awnings, parasols and umbrellas, architectural textiles, as well as coated textiles, will benefit from a UV-resistant, anti-mildew treatment using Sanitized® TH 1213, a product that is still convincing even under high air humidity and persistent rain. Naturally, this new product is subject to the company standard of using only registered (BPR registration) and safety-tested antimicrobial active ingredients.

This product innovation has already won the world-renowned international textile machinery exhibition (ITMA) future materials award.

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R&D YOUNG TURKS Perry Alagappan, a student from Clear Lake High School, Houston, Texas won a water-research prize for his project, “Novel Renewable Filter for Heavy Metal Removal: A Practical Application of Functionalized Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes.”

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lagappan’s objective was to develop a renewable Project Olympiad, a 2015 Intel Science Talent Search filter that removes heavy metal contamination in Semifinalist and has delivered a lecture on his research water from electronic and industrial waste. Because at Imperial College (London). many heavy metal filters are non-renewable, the Alagappan is lead author of a paper on this topic that contaminant is released back into the environment when is being submitted to the peer-reviewed journal Nature it is disposed. To create a solution to this problem, he Materials and plans on attending Stanford (California) developed multi-walled carbon nanotubes deposited on University next year. “He has been passionate about quartz wool, purified through oxidation and sonification, water purification ever since he entered high school and and functionalized with epoxides. has been working on the creation of a renewable heavyHis tests showed that the filter efficiently removed more metal-filtration technology for the past three years,” the than 99 percent of cadmium, mercury, nickel, cobalt and paper said. lead from contaminated water and proved the filter to be “This year’s projects included some incredibly complex fully renewable, according to the project paper. research, which centered on improving water quality in Alagappan not just won prize money of $10,000 but developing countries,” said Jeanette Brown, chair of the also a trip to Stockholm to represent the US at the SJWP Review Committee. international Stockholm Junior Water Prize (SJWP) competition. He was also the 2014 Best of Category “It’s a wonderful experience to see what these young Winner in Environmental Sciences at the Intel people are accomplishing, particularly their intuitive International Science and Engineering Fair, a 2014 use of science and innovation to help solve some of our Gold Medalist at the International Sustainable World most pressing water quality challenges.”

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R&D YOUNG TURKS

Creating biofuel from plant seeds A 16-year-old student from Arizona, Shreya Venkatesh, researched creating a biofuel from Jatropha, the same plant that had once interested her greatgrandfather.

Burning fossil fuels is harmful for planet Earth. When SKIPPING TWO GENERATIONS we use coal, oil, and natural gas to heat our houses and start our cars, carbon dioxide is released into the air, Shreya’s interest in Jatropha started with a trip two trapping heat in the atmosphere and causing climate summers ago to India to visit her grandparents. She change. These fuels also release other toxins that began reading her great-grandfather’s research papers damage our health as well as that of plants and animals. on how to control pests in paddy fields. “He was an entomologist (scientist who studies insects),” she Hence all the interest in biofuels: fuels made from says, “and he talked about Jatropha as a toxic plant agriculture rather than out of geology. Trouble is, and a natural pesticide, with special properties. I was whether these cleaner fuels come from corn, algae, soy, interested in learning what those were.” or recycled paper, they usually come with a drawback.

They’re expensive or labour-intensive to create or they Jatropha is a flowering shrub that produces black seeds are already a needed food source or they require a lot of that yield oil that can be converted to biofuel. Because land to produce a relatively small volume of fuel or their this plant isn’t edible—in fact, it’s poisonous—using production method creates other pollutants or some it for biofuel doesn’t reduce food crop yields as in the case of corn or soybeans. And because this hardy plant combination of the above.

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www.worldofchemicals.com can be grown in barren soil, it also doesn’t take up farm land. Moreover, harvesting the oil from Jatropha seeds is fairly simple and requires no scientific knowledge; extracting oil from algae, on the other hand, takes half a million dollars’ worth of equipment.

Shreya ventured to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), where her great-grandfather had been a visiting professor. There, she learned not just about Jatropha’s use as a biofuel, but as biodiesel fuel. Diesel fuels are less flammable than regular biofuels and have more energy per gallon. She also learned that Jatropha oil had already been used to fuel a Boeing 747! “What was amazing was that it hasn’t been used in cars, but it was used as jet fuel on a trip,” says Shreya.

in the bud and absorbed the Jatropha oil from the seed cake by washing and filtering the oil from the paste. After evaporating, the hexane was carried back into the flask and condensed into liquid again. The process repeated itself until the oil from the seed cake took the place of the hexane in the flask. Now that the oil was extracted, it had to go through a process called transesterification to separate it from its byproduct, glycerol. Because she was younger than 18-some materials used in transesterification are toxic and very flammable-Shreya was not permitted to conduct this part of the experiment.

Transesterification breaks down the oil into molecules that form biodiesel as the main product, with glycerin as the byproduct: the oil was chemically reacted She decided to do her own research into the feasibility with an alcohol in the presence of a catalyst, and the of making the oil from this plant more commonly used. triglycerides of the oil were converted to aldyl esters, or biodiesels. As the reaction occurs, the alcohol was “Jatropha is actually native to North America replaced by glycerin, which was then separated from but we don’t use it here. It is used more in the biodiesel and Shreya made biodiesel fuel from Asia and Africa. I was fascinated by that,” Jatropha. The resulting glycerin can also be used for she says. “I wanted to reintroduce it here, as soaps and perfumes, making full use of the entire plant.

a fuel we can use for future generations.”

Shreya’s hypotheses were partly correct. The Jatropha burned cleanly for sure, but it was also more costShreya hypothesized that the oil obtained from the effective that she had expected, largely because they seeds would eco-friendly and efficient, meaning the were able to use the Soxhlet apparatus. “The extraction oil would burn cleanly. Because extracting the oil from of oil from algae and other biofuel feedstock, which rapeseeds and soybeans require expensive equipment, require a photobioreactor, is actually much more she hypothesized that the extraction methods would be expensive,” said Shreya. similarly costly. She also wanted to gauge how much biofuel Jatropha would produce compared with other For her analysis of the output of Jatropha relative to other biofuels Shreya sought the advice of Wagner biofuels.

Vendrame at the University of Florida. Through phone BRINGING JATROPHA TO THE LAB and Skype calls, Dr. Vendrame helped her with this part Shreya conducted much of her research in the lab of P.L. of her research. Ultimately, she also found that Jatropha Viswanathan at the Center of Excellence in Biofuels at produces a smaller yield of fuel than algae, which she TNAU. TNAU has many of its own Jatropha fields. Dr. expected; however, it also yields much more fuel than Viswanathan’s lab, she extracted the oil and measuring corn. the oil content as well as its efficiency.

Shreya first removed the shells of the Jatropha seeds, THE NEXT STEP ground them into a paste, and spooned the paste onto a piece of paper, and wrapped it to create a “seed cake.” To extract the oil from the seeds, she used a Soxhlet apparatus. “At TNAU they were doing research on algae and Jatropha so we collaborated and looked for equipment together. People have been using the Soxhlet for a long time but this was the first time it was used at the university for Jatropha. It worked well.”

Shreya says that to make the production of Jatropha oil even more eco-friendly, she would like to replace the hexane, a hazardous pollutant, with ethyl acetate, which is much cleaner. “A lot of people are skeptical about all the different fuels because they are so many.

They say, ‘we already have corn and algae’ but there are lot renewable energy fuels, and it is so interesting,” said Shreya. “I think we should be taking on these things.”

She put the Soxhlet inside a small flask containing 150 mL of hexane and then moved the whole thing onto a hotplate and set the temperature to 70 degrees. She then slipped the seed cake into the bud of the apparatus and filled a beaker with water just above the bud to cool the seed cake. As the hot plate heated up the flask, the hexane was pushed up the apparatus, where it collected

Shreya conducted research analyzing the costeffectiveness and eco-friendliness of Jatropha biofuel as well as its fuel yield compared with other organic biofuels. For her work, she won a silver medal in the science category at the 2015 International GENIUS Olympiad, an international high school competition about environmental issues.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

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LOGISTICS NEWS

IMO AMENDMENTS IMPLEMENTED SINCE JANUARY 2016

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ew amendments of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) became effective since January 2016, including International Maritime Dangerous Goods, SOLAS, Audits under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme, Carriage of stability instruments and LSA Code lifejacket testing. The IMO is trying to ensure that member states live up to their obligations into international maritime transport and will follow the best practices for safety and environment operations.

The new regulation and changes will become effective since January 1, 2016 and will apply to all ships and shipping companies, providing service at international maritime transport.

SOLAS New regulation of SOLAS convention II-2/1, II-2/3, II2/4, II-2/9.7 and II-2/16.3.3 will introduce mandatory requirement for inert gas systems on board new oil and chemical tankers with deadweight of 8,000 DWT and above, as well as ventilation systems on board new ships. This change aims to increase safety and environmental operation of the world cargo vessels.

New amendments to SOLAS regulation II-1/29 on steering gear updates requirements relating to sea trials, following the increasing problems with failures of rudder, which might cause of running aground and environmental disasters.

Also IMO implement new changes in SOLAS regulation II-2/10, concerning fire protection requirements of new container ships, as the continuing contenatization of the maritime transport.New amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/13.4 implements additional means of es-

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cape from machinery spaces, in case of accident, such as fire and flooding.

In addition SOLAS implement new regulation II-2/20-1, which improves requirements for safety measures for vehicle carriers with Ro-RO ships, used for carriage of motor vehicles with compressed hydrogen or compressed natural gas in their tanks for their own propulsion.

AUDITS UNDER THE IMO MEMBER STATE AUDIT SCHEME The audits under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme become mandatory, trying to improve the quality of service and increase the knowledge of the IMO members in relation with IMO standards and international maritime law. Up to 25 IMO Members audits per year are expected under the audit scheme, which will improve competency and will enforce the applicable IMO instruments by identifying areas in need of improvement.

CARRIAGE OF STABILITY INSTRUMENTS Since the beginning of 2016 mandatory carriage requirements for a stability instrument for oil and chemical tankers gets into force, following the amendments to MARPOL Annex I, the Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (BCH Code), the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code), as well as the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code).

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LOGISTICS INTERVIEW

Compliance to regulations is the only way to improve the transport of dangerous goods‌ ‌says Shashi Kallada, consulting & training - dangerous goods by rail, road, river & sea specialist at Dangerous Goods Consultancy Services, as he delves into the dynamics of the Indian industry of dangerous goods transportation.

BRIEF US ABOUT THE GROWING DYNAMICS OF DANGEROUS GOODS TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM INDUSTRY IN INDIA. Dangerous Goods are those having inherent nature, while in transport, to cause harm to living things, property and environment and are listed by name or meets the criteria of classification as per the transport regulation of the mode of transport.

A substance or article which is dangerous for one mode of transport may be not dangerous for another mode of transport. For instance, magnetized material is a dangerous good as per ICAO Technical Instructions for Air transport however for Sea transport, IMDG Code does not consider magnetized material as dangerous goods.

India has a large volume of dangerous goods in transport within the country and in import and export.

By volume, containerized dangerous goods exports, India is second largest after China in the Eastern hemisphere. Within India the movement is predominantly by road and rail.

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www.worldofchemicals.com In India there are different rules governing transport of dangerous goods by Road & Rail. In near future a well-defined regulation for transporting dangerous goods by Inland Waterways is expected to be published.

WHAT ARE THE SAFEST MODES OF TRANSPORTING DANGEROUS GOODS? Being the cheapest mode, sea has taken more than 90 percent of global transport and is the safest mode of transport of dangerous goods. The reason that makes sea mode the safest mode is because it is away from general public and is able to provide constant monitoring, when required, during the journey.

Most dangerous goods are prohibited by air while goods which require regular monitoring are prohibited by rail. Further at sea, there are more people on board ships who are well trained to deal with incidents and accidents. However, the weather and sea conditions may add to the complexity.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT CENTRAL MOTOR VEHICLES RULES (CMV) TO TRANSPORT DANGEROUS GOODS? HOW DO THEY REGULATE TRANSPORTATION OF DANGEROUS GOODS? Central Motor Vehicles Rules (CMVR) regulates transportation of dangerous goods through its various provisions which includes: • Qualification for drivers • Display of warning signs and emergency information panels • Spark arresters • Consignors’ responsibility • Owners’ responsibility etc.

Violation of CMVR pertaining to carriage of dangerous goods is punishable offence.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

WHAT ARE THE TRENDS IN DANGEROUS GOODS TRANSPORT BY SEA, RAIL, AND AIR AND ROAD FREIGHT? Transport of dangerous goods by sea takes the lion share and in multimodal transport, involving sea, rail and road networks cater to the marine terminals. Air mode carries a variety of dangerous goods which has the advantage of shorter transit time but disadvantage of prohibition and severe restrictions.

How can we improve ‘safety’ while transporting the dangerous goods?

Compliance to regulations and incorporating security measures is the only way to improve safety and minimize incidents of accidents when dangerous goods are offered for transport.

India has a large volume of dangerous goods in transport within the country and in import and export. By volume, India is second largest after China in containerized dangerous goods exports in the Eastern hemisphere WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS? There are various elements of regulatory requirements for offering and accepting dangerous goods for transport. Classification, packaging, marking and labeling of packages, packing of cargo transport units, segregating conflicting dangerous goods, marking and placarding of cargo transport units or vehicles, documentation, etc. Each of these elements are as critical as other.

Carriers do not see what is inside the container, they depend on the information in dangerous goods

declaration provided by shipper.

Most concerns arise from undeclared or misdeclared dangerous goods.

BRIEF US ABOUT THE NEW INTERNATIONAL MARITIME DANGEROUS GOODS REGULATIONS/ AMENDMENT IN 2016 THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT TRANSPORTING THE DANGEROUS GOODS? IMDG Code 37th amendment published in 2014 has come into force from 1st January 2016. This amendment has brought in various changes and additions. The biggest change is the introduction of storage, handling and segregation codes. Also, new UN Numbers are added to the Dangerous Goods List.

Since goods needing particular segregation is now assigned with segregation codes the process of checking segregation requirement is slightly more complicated for those who are not having sufficient skills in navigating through and interpreting the regulations.

EXPLAIN US ABOUT THE DIFFERENT REGULATORY ISSUES IN THIS SECTOR? In multimodal transport each mode has its own regulation for transporting dangerous goods. Shipper/Consignor must have adequate understanding of these regulations and offer dangerous goods meeting the most stringent requirement among the regulations. For instance, a consignment transported by sea to U.S.A must meet the requirements of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 49 for moving from U.S. marine terminal to inland destination. If 49 CFR is having a requirement in addition to IMDG Code, the consignment must meet both or will get penalized or discharge from vessel may be refused.

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LOGISTICS INTERVIEW TELL US MORE ABOUT ROAD, RAIL, AND WATER TRANSPORT LAWS FOR DANGEROUS GOODS IN VARIOUS COUNTRIES? Most countries have their own regulations for road, rail, and inland waterways for transporting dangerous goods. The Primary ones are ADR (The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road), ADN (The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Inland Waterways), RID (Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail), 49 CFR (U.S.A), TDG (Canada) etc.

Apart from country specific dangerous goods inland transport regulations the goods may be subject to other protocols and conventions such as UN Conventions on Ozone Depleting Substances, Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, Australia Group.

WHAT ARE THE SUPPLY CHAIN RELATED CHALLENGES IN THE COUNTRY?

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HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR PLANNING PROCESSES TO MINIMIZE RISKS? Prior offering dangerous goods, the consigning party must ensure compliance to all modal regulations under which the goods may be subject to be transported and have a clear idea what conditions his goods may experience on the journey. This must include the expected weather and security conditions enroute.

Sea has taken more than 90 percent of global transport and is the safest mode of transport of dangerous goods.”

ELABORATE ON THE NEW IMDG CODE 37TH AMENDMENTS? • New section for Lamps containing dangerous goods in application and implementation sets out conditions for lamps which are not subject to the provisions of IMDG Code.

• Addition of International Convention for Safe Containers, 1972, as amended covering Regulations for the testing, inspection, approval and maintenance of containers.

The biggest challenge is in the road transport sector. Unfit vehicles and uncertified drivers for carriage of dangerous goods are a concern.

For a chemical supplier to get a certified driver with minimum skills to read TREMCARD is still a challenge in this country. Adding to this woe is the conditions of roads and red tapes.

• Changes in general provisions concerning radioactive material

WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HAVE FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTIVE SUPPLY CHAINS?

• Changes to text in Classification of solid substances of class 5.1

Only adequate road and rail facility with fit vehicles and skilled employees can achieve unrestricted and incident free movements of goods

• Various changes in chapter 2.7 for radioactive materials

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• Addition of Adsorbed gas under class 2 • Changes to assignment of packing group of viscous flammable liquids

• Amendments to exemptions under Infectious substances

• Changes to proper shipping

names for some goods under class 9 and clarification of absence of letter P in column 4 of dangerous goods list. (Airbags, Seat Belts, Capacitors) • Column 16 stowage and segregation now replaced with column 16a and 16b, Stowage and handling & segregation • Various changes to dangerous goods entries with respect to packing* instructions, marine pollutant, special provisions and complete change of column 16 being replaced by stowage, handling and segregation codes.

• Addition of new UN Numbers from 3507 to 3526 • Changes to many existing and addition of 12 new special provisions • Amendment of limited quantity marking and placarding • Amendment to excepted quantity marking • Amendment to some packing instructions and addition of new packing instructions • New size requirement of OVERPACK marking from 1st Jan 2016 • Various changes to labels and placards • Various changes in documentation and fumigation & Coolant/ conditioning warning mark • Changes in construction and testing of packaging • Addition of stowage, handling and segregation codes Also IMO has issued an Errata and Corrigenda to IMDG Code 37th amendment. It is very important all who have purchased hard copy of IMDG Code to correct the books.

There are many corrections to even segregation provisions. Uncorrected books used for compliance check can run into serious consequences.

Most concerns arise from undeclared or misdeclared dangerous goods.

COMING SOON World Of LABS Laboratory sourcing online

Contact Us: info@worldoflabs.com

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LOGISTICS REPORT

LOGISTICS INDUSTRY

TO WITNESS GROWTH IN EMERGING MARKETS IN 2016 China, UAE, India are the top emerging markets for Logistics industry. A report…

Supply chain executives expect an uptick in emerging markets growth in 2016, despite concerns about further slowing in China, fluctuations in oil prices, and the possibility that the US economy could weaken.

After a year of turbulence, 61 percent of logistics industry executives surveyed say they are unclear on the direction of the global economy or expect more volatility in 2016. In spite of their wariness, roughly the same proportion (59.4 percent) say the International Monetary Fund forecast of 4.7 percent growth in emerging markets is “about right.”

Emerging markets grew an estimated 3.6 to 4.2 percent in 2015, down from 4.5 percent in 2014.

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The results are part of a new survey of more than 1,100 global logistics and supply chain executives in the 2016 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index. The Index, in its 7th year, offers a snapshot of logistics industry sentiment and ranks the world’s 45 leading emerging markets based on their size, business conditions, infrastructure and other factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers and distributors.

For the first time, supply chain professionals surveyed see India – rather than China – as the emerging market with the most growth potential. And in the overall

Index rankings, which are based on economic and social data, India climbed two spots to No. 3, behind only China and United Arab Emirates (UAE), on strong economic performance and initial reforms launched by the government of Prime Minister NarendraModi.

China, the world’s second-largest economy, remains the leading emerging market by a large margin. Among the countries at the top of the Index rankings, UAE (No 2), India (3) and Malaysia (4) leaped over the commodity-dependent economies of Saudi Arabia (5), Brazil (6) and Indonesia (7).

Rounding out the top 10 were Mexico (8), Russia (9) and Turkey (10).

Nigeria (No 17) and Egypt (No 22)

www.worldofchemicals.com

climbed 10 spots in the data-driven portion of the Index, the biggest gains by any country in seven years of rankings. The potential of Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, has come into sharper focus since the government updated the methods it uses to track economic performance. Egypt’s economy and business climate have stabilized under its military government.

depressed prices for commodity exports. Of the 10 countries that slipped furthest in the Index, six are in Latin America: Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Colombia and Venezuela. Even so, Chile continues to be the top-ranked emerging market with GDP under $300 million.

Russia, hurt by Western sanctions and isolated economically since it began backing rebels in Ukraine and intervened militarily in Syria, OTHER EMERGING DOMAINS fell from No 7 to No 9 in the Index.

Tension with Russia and the loss of UAE, home to the powerhouse economic output in the breakaway economies of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Crimea region have hurt Ukraine, has the best business climate and as well.

Ukraine fell four spots in the best “connectedness,” a meathe Index to No 34. sure of infrastructure and transport connections, of any emerging RISK FACTOR market. As a result, UAE ranks as the world’s No 2 emerging market Industry executives view oil pricafter China, even though China’s es and China’s economy as the economy is 25 times larger; India’s leading risks to the global economy is five times larger; and Brazil’s is in 2016. six times larger.

Logistics executives see “economThe most business friendly condiic shock” as the top risk in Asia tions are found in Gulf states. UAE, Pacific, a sign of concern that a Qatar and Oman have the best slowdown in China could ripple business climates – a combination through economies and supply of market access and risk, regulachains elsewhere in the region. A tion, foreign investment, urbanizasignificant percentage (38 percent) tion and wealth distribution. Other said they are reassessing their ChiGulf states also rank near the top in na strategies. In the past, industry business conditions: Saudi Arabia executives said natural disasters (No 5), Kuwait (9) and Bahrain (11). and corruption were the top risks in UAE, Malaysia, China, Chile lead in Asia. “connectivity,” meaning they have For the first time, logistics profesthe best infrastructure and transport sionals see consumer spending in links, along with the most efficient Africa as a more important driver of customs and border administration. growth than energy and minerals.

Countries in Latin America are losing ground to other emerging markets as a result of recession and political turmoil in Brazil, the region’s biggest economy, and

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

They identified Nigeria, South Africa, Ghana and Kenya as Africa’s most promising markets. In spite of recent growth and investment, Sub-Saharan Africa remains a fron-

tier market for most supply chain executives: only 21.2 percent said they have operations there.

The logistics industry is intrigued by the possibility that Iran could emerge from its long economic isolation as the result of an agreement to curtail its nuclear program. In the survey, Iran moved up 12 spots – from No 27 to No 15 – among countries with potential as major logistics markets.

“It was a volatile year for emerging markets, and you see that in the Index. Eight of the top 10 emerging markets shifted places,” said Essa Al-Saleh, president and CEO, Agility Global Integrated Logistics.

“Despite the turbulence, the fundamentals driving growth remain consistent – a rising middle class with spending power, progress in poverty reduction, growing populations. That’s why we are still positive on the outlook for emerging markets and see them driving global growth.”

Transport Intelligence (Ti), a leading analysis and research firm for the logistics industry, compiled the Index.

“The world’s economy is still riven by instability, and emerging markets such as China and Brazil have not been immune. However others, such as Mexico, are in a far stronger position and will benefit from the economic growth experienced in the US and Europe. More than ever, investors in emerging markets need to be discerning and the results of our Index are critical to providing clarity in a confusing and complex world,” said John Manners-Bell, chief executive, Ti. 77

REPORT

GL O B A L CHEM ICAL S M A R K E T TO G RO W T O €5.6 TRILLION BY 2035 The global chemicals market will expand by just 3.6 percent per year between 2030 and 2035. The Asian markets are set to become ever more important for the chemical industry. A Report…

The European chemical industry will see itself especially hard hit, while the Asian markets are set to become ever more important for the chemical industry.

The market for chemical products is expected to grow to some €5.6 trillion by 2035, more than doubling its current size. But even though growth prospects are good, the industry’s dynamism is set to wane: growing at an average annual pace of 4.1 percent now, the chemicals market will expand by just 3.6 percent per year between 2030 and 2035.

The European chemical industry will see itself especially hard hit, annual growth amounting to as little as 1.5 percent through

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2035. Besides sluggish growth in the domestic markets, Europe’s industry has other significant hurdles to clear, such as the high cost of raw materials and energy and increased costs resulting from the tightening of EU regulations, according to the latest study, “Chemicals 2035-Gearing up for growth:How Europe’s chemical industry can gain traction in a digitized world.”

“Even though European chemical companies are highly productive and very innovative, the market has been consolidating for years, especially in Europe,” explained Alexander Belderok, partner at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants. “Major topics like the growing

digitization of industry and new customer demands are placing chemical concerns under ever-increasing pressure.”

FIVE DRIVERS DETERMINE GLOBAL MARKET TRENDS Europe’s share in the global market has been falling for years.Having accounted for one third of the world market in 2000, Europenow makes up just 19 percent, and the tendency is falling. By 2035, experts predict only a 13 percent share of the global market for the European continent, a highly significant market for the European chemical industry being its home market. “On the other hand, the

www.worldofchemicals.com Asian markets, with their already dominant role, are set to become ever more important for the chemical industry,” forecasted Roland Berger partner Alexander Keller.

“Asia will make up some 62 percent of the market by 2035 and create new challenges for chemical concerns.”

The experts found that five key drivers are behind these developments in the chemical industry:

CHEAP ACCESS TO RAW MATERIALS: Regions like the Middle East are massively expanding their chemical production owing to the low cost of raw materials. Production costs for a tonne of ethylene, for example, amount to about $250 – half the cost of producing it in Europe.

American firms and their fracking activities are also squeezing European companies’ margins. While the use of bio-resources is on the agenda of many corporations, it is not yet an economical option.

NEW CHEMICAL CLUSTERS OUTSIDE OF EUROPE: Emerging economies like China and India are expanding their local chemical production and becoming ever less dependent on European exports. India, for instance, plans to move from being a net importer of polyethylene to exporting it by 2016.

China, too, is focusing to an increasing extent on expanding the size of its chemical parks located close to customer industries an exciting development for Western firms: “Given its strong demand for chemical products, China is a focus for many Western companies.

We find them scaling back their involvement in Europe and investing more and more in China as a means of boosting their revenues there,” explained Belderok.

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

REGULATION IS RAISING COSTS: Europe is the world’s most strictly regulated market. There are now nearly 60 percent more EU regulations in place than in 2008, particularly in respect of environmental protection. Companies now face significantly higher costs as a result.

PRODUCTION OFFSHORING TO ASIA: By continuing to move production activities out of Europe, companies run the risk of losing their customer base for premium products. That is why many firms are focusing to an increasing extent on the life science business, where profitability is higher and the market less volatile.

CUSTOMER NEEDS BEING INCREASINGLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT: Customer demands are rising relentlessly. Customers want addon services and they want more functionality in the products they buy. None of this can be achieved without substantial investments in the improvement of chemical products. Many chemical concerns have already made the transition from pure manufacturer to solution provider as a result.

NEXT EVOLUTIONARY STEP OF THE CHEMICAL INDUSTRY

Chemical companies should also make use of the considerable advantages offered by the fourth industrial revolution, which enables much more efficient and customer-centered production, also including the incorporation of customer data along the whole value chain.

Only companies exploring the full range of options will be sustainably successful.

• Global market volume for chemicals will become more than double in the period through 2035 compared to current sales of €2.6 trillion in the industry.

• Europe’s loss of relevance as a chemicals market continues: By 2035 Europe’s market share will be just 13 percent.

• Asia is still gaining ground, its share of the market set to rise to 62 percent by 2035.

• Shorter product lifecycles, product commoditization, difficult access to raw materials and heavy customer demands are major challenges for corporations.

• Chemicals 4.0: The chemical industry will enter into the next evolutionary step, hugely affecting its relationship to customers and also its internal processes and technologies by intensification and digitization.

These trends are going to influence the chemical industry to a significant degree in the coming years; a new world, the fourth generation of chemicals will ensue. “The new challenges affect the entire chemical industry value chain,” commented Keller. “In an application-driven environment, understanding and cooperating with the customer will become even more important to generate value and be sustainably competitive.”

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REPORT

EU R O PE A N AN TIFREEZE CO O L A NT MARK ET OUTLOOK: 2020

Anti-freezing coolant has growth potential with the rising demands of the automobile and aerospace segments. A report‌ Anti-freeze coolants are used in automobiles, HVAC systems and heat exchangers to facilitate heat transfer process in adverse cold weather conditions. Also, they prevent overheating of the vehicle in summer. These are antifreeze agents or chemicals that are added in water in a certain proportion.

This mixture is called an anti-freeze coolant.

verse osmosis, and ion exchange is also gradually making its mark in the market for utilization as an engine coolant. Recent research and development efforts are also being undertaken to explore opportunities in utilization of 1,3 propanediol and glycerin in development of coolant-based fluids.

Antifreeze coolants ensure workability and performance of engines and heat exchangers. Chemicals predominantly used as anti-freeze agents include propylene glycol, ethylene glycol, methanol, and glycerol. Adverse cold climatic conditions and automotive demand from relatively colder regions across the world maintain stable volumes of demand across the world.

Anti-freezing coolant has growth potential with the rising demands of the automobile and aerospace segments. Analysis shows that the European market, due to its geographical location, is the most lucrative market followed by APAC and North America for anti-freezing coolants.

Other applications of antifreeze coolants are found in aerospace, industrial applications, and the electronics industry. Typical application in aerospace includes development of anti-icing and de-icing materials.

Chemicals utilized in the manufacturing of anti-freeze coolants are toxic in nature and are derived from conventional energy sources.

These chemicals are not eco-friendly. Owing to this concern, efforts are being made to develop chemicals such as propylene glycol from renewable sources or materials such as corn,stover, oil bearing crops and other bio-based resources. Recycled ethylene glycol from processes such as distillation, re80

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MARKET OUTLOOK

In Europe, 75 percent of freight is transported through roads. Most countries in Europe witness snowfall, which hampers the efficiency of transportation in Europe. This is the main reason for anti-freezing coolants finding a prominent place in Europe. Besides this, around 16.2 million automobiles are manufactured across 25 countries in Europe. Also, most of the high performance four wheeler companies are located in Germany, UK, France, Italy and Poland. The demand for heavy trucks and light vehicles across Europe will fuel the anti-freeze coolants market.

The aerospace segment is the next big end use segment for anti-freeze coolants. The European aerospace market is the global leader in aerospace product exports. France, UK, and Germany

are home to the leading aerospace manufacturers followed by Poland, and Sweden. Heavy financial investment is made in R&D for the aerospace sector. Stabilization of the European economy in future will increase the demand for effective anti-freezing coolants.

APAC is the next potential market after Europe. Rise in demand for passenger vehicles in emerging economies such as China and India will drive the anti-freeze market vertically upwards.

North America is the next lucrative market for business enterprises offering anti-freeze coolants. The automotive industry has been expanding its business in the Canadian, USA and Mexican markets.

This expansion will offer a lucrative market for anti-freeze coolants manufacturers. Canada and Mexico will see a CAGR growth of 8 percent in automotive coolants.

The aforementioned technological advancements, usage and application across automotive, heat exchangers and aerospace segment are expected to drive growth in consumption of these coolants across the world.

Advancements in aerospace and automotive technologies are likely to trigger healthy double digit growth in the anti-freeze coolant market which may even lead to 1.5 times the growth of the conventional coolants market. Some of the players identified in the marketplace include DOW Chemical Company, Chevron, BASF, Kost USA Inc and others.

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IN THE FIELD OF CHEMISTRY

81

JOBS Quality Manager

R&D Chemist – 1 Year contract job

Research Chemist

Company: Chemtura

Company: Merck

Company: Eastman Chemical Company

Date posted: 01 March 2016

Date posted: 01 March 2016

Date posted: 01 March 2016

Country: US

Country: United Kingdom

Country: US

City: East Hanover, Morris

City: Chilworth

City: Martinsville

Job description: The quality manager will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the quality control lab to ensure optimal quality assurance. He/she should have a bachelor’s degree in the subject or related science area and proven manufacturing knowledge in a chemical environment with hazardous products. The candidate will be responsible for leading and driving quality engagement and the journey to a quality culture, quality management system as AS9100 management.

Job description: The R&Dchemist’s primary role will be to carry out the design, synthesis, purification and analysis of new materials for commercial OPD applications. R&D chemist should have an MSc/PhD in chemistry, material science or relevant discipline plus applicable experience or a degree plus several years of relevant experience. He should possess extensive hands-on experience in the design, synthesis and purification of polymers and small molecules for use in organic electronic applications and also experience in NMR, HPLC, GPC, CV and GCMS analytical techniques.

Job description: The research chemist should contain qualifications like master’s in chemistry, chemical engineering or related field plus 3 to 5 years of product development experience or a PhD in chemistry, chemical engineering, or a related field from an accredited college or university. The candidate should develop coatings and additives utilizing analytical and methodologies (ASTM) and apply understanding to solve specific problems and that can predict failure rate for the end-use of film with consumers and also should able to write scientific reports that include specific conclusions, exact methodology, and supporting analytical data.

Website: https://chemtura.mua. hrdepartment.com/hr/ats/Posting/ view/2852

Senior Chemist Company: The Dow Chemical Company Date posted: 17 March 2016 Country: Korea, Republic of City: Seoul

Job description: The candidate will need to have a bachelor’s or higher degree in polymer science/material science/chemical engineering or related disciplines. Good communication, strong presentation and project management skills. He/she will be responsible for consumer comfort applications - flex moulding, seat cushioning as well as general flex foaming systems in Korean markets and should collaborate closely with regional PU sales team to identify the growth opportunities. The senior chemist will also be involved in the market-focused technical role, covering identification and execution of customer opportunity by working with marketing and commercial organization.

Website: http://www.dow.com/en-us/ careers/job-details?id=1600938

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Website:https://career012. successfactors.eu/career?company=merckgroup&career_ns=job_listing_summary&navBarLevel=JOB_SEARCH&_s. crb=1QjWIVjI2IQjROJpUcCuECZx1pY%3d Senior Development Chemist Company: Solvay Date posted: 03 March 2016 Country: China City: Shanghai Job description: The senior development chemist job qualifications include PhD in organic chemistry and related fields, with more than two years experience in chemical industry. The candidate will be responsible for the lab work to develop new products, which includes planning and execution of the development work and activities in the aroma laboratory to support the development of new products andprocesses related to di-phenol derivative technologies. Chemist should be a master in existing plant chemistry/technologies related to di-phenol derivative products, which are or will be produced in Asia and should have good English communication skills.

Website: http://www.solvay.com/en/careers/job-opportunities/index.html

Website: http://www.eastman.com/ Company/Careers/View_Jobs/Pages/ViewJobs.aspx

Olefins Process Chemist Company: ExxonMobil Date posted: 03 March 2016 Country: Singapore City: Singapore

Job description: The chemist role is part of the Global Basic Chemicals Technology organization supporting ExxonMobil’s olefins plants globally.

Major responsibilities include building and maintaining the organization’s knowledge of chemistry fundamentals relating to olefins recovery processes in the areas of fouling, corrosion, contaminants, additives, acid gas treating, product qualities and specifically, tar chemistry. He/she should contain MS/PhD in chemical engineering or chemistry from a reputed university and 5 to 15 years of experience in a role involving industrial chemistry that required deep understanding of the impacts of chemical mechanisms on unit operations.

Website: http://bit.ly/1pvAQuG

www.worldofchemicals.com Senior Researcher - Catalysis Modeling Company: Shell Technology Centre Bangalore Date posted: 09 March 2016 End Date: 24 March 2016 Country: India City: Bangalore City: East Hanover, Morris

Job description: The researcher should contain qualifications like PhD in chemistry, physics, applied mathematics, computational catalysis science or related qualification. He should be an experienced technical and project management professional with industrial R&D experience in computational chemistry and catalysis science (eg quantum chemistry, density functional theory, molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo, etc.)

Website: https://krb-sjobs.brassring. com/tgwebhost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=30030&siteid=5798&jobid=854377

QC Officer II Company: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. Date posted: 14 March 2016 Country: India City: Jammu

R&D Chemist

Chemist

Company: Clariant

Company: Reliance Industries Limited

Country: India

Date posted: 02 March 2016

City: Airoli, Navi Mumbai

Country: India City: Gujarat

Job description: The chemist’smain job profile includes developing new surfactants for various industrial applications. The ideal candidate will be conducting laboratory experimentation, conducting literature search on assigned developmental project related topics, documentation of test methods and test results.

Chemist should contain knowledge or organic material synthesis, hands-on experience in organic synthesis especially surfactant synthesis is highly desirable, chemistry of surfactants and its application in personal care, home care, coatings, dispersions. A plus point is computer proficiency in MS word, excel and powerpoint.

Website: http://bit.ly/1UBxIZi

Job description:The officer’s key responsibilities include finished product,stability and raw material sampling & analysis, hands on experiences on HPLC/GC, knowledge of 21 CFR part 11 compliances.

The candidate’s educational qualifications should be MSc and 1 to 5 years experience in quality control.

Job description: The ideal candidate should carry out QA/QC activities for a particular discipline at the site in order to achieve business targets and improve profitability. Provide efficient and reliable analytical services to the plant by adhering to lab SOPs and safe work practices in line with implemented lab quality system as per ISO 17025 / NABL standard, perform analytical work to investigate root cause and help to resolve quality issues to ensure onspec product all the time.Co-ordination with other service departments to ensure smooth functioning of lab instruments/equipment round the clock. The candidate’s educational qualifications include bachelors or master’s degree in chemistry and should require relevant industrial experience and RIL laboratory work experience with good communication skills.

Website:http://bit.ly/1XwQssa

Website: http://bit.ly/1Rm0nSQ

Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

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IT IN CHEMICALS

O

nce designed to operate in isolation, chemical manufacturing control systems are now being connected to the virtual world. Production data from control systems are integrated with IT analytic tools and online resources to help reduce production costs, enhance operational efficiencies and improve maintenance. However, control systems that are open to data exchange are also open to the possibility of cyber attacks ranging from espionage to physical damage in the plant. An inclusive approach to cyber security that brings together engineers, IT professionals and corporate leadership can help chemical manufacturers benefit from the latest technology while maintaining a strong security posture.

THE SUCCESSFUL MERGER OF CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH BIG DATA Control systems ‘make things happen’ in a modern chemical manufacturing plant. A combination of hardware devices, software and internal networks are used to activate, manage and monitor physical assets such as pumps, motors, conveyors and valves during the chemical production process.

Components can include supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, distributed control systems (DCS), and other control system configurations such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs).

With the development of internet connectivity, the cloud and other virtual technology, chemical manufacturers are integrating control systems with data analytics, enabling them to extract and analyze a large amount of production-based Big Data. This merger can help to improve process efficiency, streamline procurement, detect potential system failures and support new

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www.worldofchemicals.com

INTEGRATED CONTROL SYSTEMS NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CYBER RISKS FOR MANUFACTURERS

By Tom Burton and Roy Mcnamara

operational strategies for increased competitiveness.

Big Data and analytics can also help identify new business opportunities such as repurposing underutilized resources and reducing operational costs through shared infrastructures and services. As an added benefit, control system processes that were once ‘fixed’ can now be more easily updated, expanded, repurposed or redesigned.

In a recent KPMG survey of 350 IT and engineering managers, 48 percent agreed that by connecting their production systems to their corporate IT systems, they will have the data that will enable them to do proactive strategic planning, and half agreed that Big Data techniques may identify new opportunities for their business that they had not been able to previously identify.

A QUESTION OF SECURITY With increased IT integration, control systems are becoming more complex, more adaptable and more interconnected with both internal and external networks – all of which can lead to security issues.

In the past, control systems were by their nature resistant to unauthorized entry and manipulation. Plants used a mix of manual devices and Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

analog components that operated on fixed instructions wired into circuitry. The hardware was highly specialized, the software was proprietary, and the overall system was designed to operate in isolated, physically secured areas that had little or no connectivity with corporate IT systems, not to mention the outside world through the internet.

As a result, control systems were thought to benefit from ‘security by obscurity.’

The merger of control systems with data analytics can help improve process efficiency and supportnew strategies for increased competitiveness.

Today, however, security by obscurity is no longer a valid assumption.

Some manufacturers use commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software or widely available ethernet and internet protocol devices instead of proprietary solutions, and these products can introduce security vulnerabilities. In addition, today’s internet search tools make it easier than ever for attackers to find control systems, either directly through corporate IT environments or indirectly through supplier networks and social media platforms. Once 85

IT IN CHEMICALS the attackers gain entry to the control system, they can take advantage of the automated, interconnected environment to perform any number of malicious actions.

the IT world leverages de facto technology standards and adapts quickly to new and various computing trends in information sharing and communication.

A German steel mill was attacked in 2014 through a spearfishing campaign that tricked targeted employees to reveal their login names and passwords. The attackers were then able to access the mill’s production systems to inflict physical damage to a blast furnace.

In contrast, a control system is engineered to maintain the integrity of its production process and the availability of its components. Control system networks can be viewed as industrial intranets with two overriding security requirements: 1) no access to the internet or to email should be allowed from control system networks and 2) these networks should be rigorously defended from other plant networks, especially those with internet access. Protection of information is still important, but loss of production translates into an immediate loss of income. Threats to production integrity include those that degrade production, cause loss of view/control, damage production equipment or result in possible safety issues.

In 2005, internet worm infections knocked 13 of DaimlerChrysler’s US automobile manufacturing plants offline for almost an hour, stranding workers as infected Microsoft Windows systems were patched. One of the most highly publicized attacks involved the Stuxnet worm in 2010. Although designed to target only specific SCADA systems, its effectiveness underscored the serious potential for harm by cyber attacks. We should also keep in mind that cyber attacks on manufacturers are not limited to control systems.

The purpose of the attack was apparently the theft of intellectual property. Companies affected included Fortune 100 companies involved in the research and development of chemical compounds and advanced materials, as well as companies that develop manufacturing infrastructure for the chemical industry.

As with any other business risk, the threat of cyber attacks should not be underestimated. At a 2014 conference for the chemical industry hosted by Siemens, nearly 30 percent of attendees reported that their company had detected a breach of industrial security and over 80 percent agreed that industrial security is a growing threat to their business.

In 2011, at least 29 companies in the chemical sector and 19 in related sectors were targeted by Nitro, a Trojan malware, to gain access to the corporate IT environment NOT ALL SECURITY IS ALIKE A comprehensive strategy for cyber security needs to recognize the basic fact that control system security is not the same as corporate IT security. In fact, each side has different security objectives, a different technology background, and a different approach to managing security issues and technology issues in general.

IT systems are business systems whose primary cyber security objective is to protect data from being stolen, destroyed, compromised or examined by unauthorized parties. The software applications that make up the IT portfolio are people-centric and designed to help manage business processes and transactions. Traditionally, 86

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Control systems can include safety instrumented systems (SISs) designed to place the production process into a safe state when process conditions that threaten safety are detected. In addition, control system networks that connect control system workstations with controller-level devices are normally redundant to prevent a network failure from affecting the operation of the control system. In both cases, this technology is typically proprietary to the control system vendors, including specialized hardware and software, custom addressing models and switchover logic.

Because of the differences between IT environments and control systems, the tools and techniques that IT uses to maintain and protect its dynamic network topologies are often not suitable or applicable to statically defined control systems. For example, the lifespan of a typical control system can extend for years, so patches for many older systems may no longer be available or compatible with newer technology. All updates, including patches and virus definition files, should be thoroughly tested with the control system before being approved for installation.

BREAKING DOWN SILOS Despite differences in technology and security objectives, the potential benefits of merging IT and control systems are huge. By following a comprehensive and disciplined cyber security strategy, organizations can mitigate and manage the risks associated with intentional or unintentional convergence of the two environments in a way that is aligned with business goals and objectives.

For many chemical manufacturers, the first step is to break down traditional silos between IT and process engineering. IT professionals and control system

www.worldofchemicals.com engineers often speak a different language and use different approaches to problem assessment, strategic thinking and program execution. This can lead to misunderstandings, delays and miscommunications.

Organizational silos can also be horizontal, separating c-level and even departmental management from staff members supporting security systems. Senior management can be limited in its awareness of cyber threats.

In addition, various departments, suppliers or business associates sometimes consider basic security such as firewalls or passwords to be sufficient, resulting in points of vulnerability that can be readily exploited by attackers.

A large company can have literally hundreds of points of entry, including social media, thumb drives, laptops and tablets, smart phones, email systems and embedded malware. An effective cyber security program should take into account every possible scenario for a cyber attack.

With these thoughts in mind, chemical manufacturers can consider questions like these: – How well do the IT and engineering departments communicate – Does the organization have appropriate top-down management for the effective control of the converged environment?

– Are bottom-up lines of communication in place, including event thresholds for notifying executive leadership?

– Do security policies and practices take into account corporate IT, control systems, facilities and personnelincluding gaps or redundancies?

– Are suppliers (including second-tier and third-tier suppliers) fully involved in the cyber security program?

– Has the cyber security strategy been aligned to the business so that everyone understands what is being protected, and why?

– Does the organization have an enterprise-wide, standards-based approach for managing cyber risks?

STRATEGIC, COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO SECURITY Although every organization is different in its security requirements, a strategic approach based on the efforts of stakeholders across departments, business units and parties outside the organization can serve as a strong foundation for control system security. This approach can be broken down into the following key phases: Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

a) Developing a foundation This starts by identifying all key stakeholders and securing their full cooperation with the security goals of the organization. Working together, stakeholders can identify gaps and develop the appropriate governance mechanisms to manage and control all aspects of control system cyber security. b) Planning and control Build the capabilities to prioritize, coordinate and measure the work to improve security. Then review and design the extended risk and control environment for the control system assets. In particular, look at the risk management regime and ensure that it is appropriate for the control system environment. c) Implementation Design and implement appropriate methods that allow processes to operate with a level of cyber risk that is as low as reasonably practical. Cyber threats are always rapidly evolving, so incorporate a review process that includes regular assessments and upgrades of security measures.

Develop a control system cyber security strategy that is based on solid foundations that are aligned to the organization’s culture, environment and business strategy

CONCLUSION In a recent survey by KPMG in the UK, 80 percent of respondents surveyed said they already have merged, or are planning to merge, their production and corporate IT systems. However, two-thirds of the respondents said their organization had not factored in the significant threat that cyber criminals pose to their industrial control systems and almost half stated that their businesses were not investing enough to improve cyber security.

Cyber security will remain a critical issue for the chemical industry. Bad actors are nothing new; the difference today is how and why they act. Organizations can take an inclusive, coordinated and strategic approach to planning, vigilance and ongoing enhancements to help them manage and mitigate cyber risks.

Authors: Tom Burton, cyber security director, KPMG in the UK. Roy Mcnamara, cyber service development, KPMG in the UK.

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PRODUCTS

MERCK INTRODUCES NEW

FAMILY OF SPECTROPHOTOMETERS

FOR WATER ANALYSIS Merck introduced its Spectroquant Prove, a new class of spectrophotometers for simplified, durable and secure analysis of waste-water, drinking water, beverages and process water. The new spectrophotometers launched in Germany last year, are now available for the Indian market.

Spectroquant速 Prove 100

Spectroquant速 Prove 300

Spectroquant Prove is available in three models to meet a broad range of requirements and offers the largest choice of water test kits and methods including complete documentation, Merck said.

Spectroquant速 Prove 600 Contact: Merck Life Science Private Limited 8th Floor, Godrej One, Pirojshanagar, Eastern Express Highway, Vikhroli (E) Mumbai- 400079

Telephone: Tel: +91 22 6210 9800

Merck, which last month decided to drop business names such as Merck Millipore to strengthen its global brand, has been counting on innovative products to improve the value for customers and help scientists raise efficiency and effectiveness in laboratories.

Fax : +91 22 6663 9893

PRESSOFILTRO FILTER DRYER FOR ASEPTIC API AND FINE CHEMICALS For the manufacture of sterile parenterals i;e. substances which are intended for injection, infusion or implantation into the human or animal body, the issue of sterilization of process equipment is of high priority. Many pharmaceutical production processes require a reproducible and validated cleaning / sterilization. The cleaning ensures that the processing machinery is not contaminated by the product, also batch integrity is guaranteed. The sterilization is used for a safe elimination of microbial contamination such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and their spores forms. The design of steam sterilisable Pressofiltro agitated nutsche filters and filter dryers ensures complete sterility throughout the whole process, from inerting to feeding with suspension, filtration, washing and drying to the discharge of the dry product. In compliance with cGMP and FDA guidelines, the vessel interior and all associated piping is designed to prevent product adherence and to facilitate cleanability.

The aseptic design (of flanges, seals, valves, etc.) provides a complete drainage of CIP liquid and condensate during the heating process.

Contact: HEINKEL Drying and Separation Group Ferdinand-Porsche-Strabe 8, 74354 Besigheim,Germany 88

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Tel: +49 (0) 7143 9692 - 0 Fax: +49 (0) 7143 9692 - 269 Email: info@heinkel.de Web: http://www.heinkel.com

www.worldofchemicals.com

MOCON’S NEW OX-TRAN MODEL 2/22 SERIES ANALYZER MOCON’s new OX-TRAN Model 2/22 Series Analyzer is a stand alone, fully automatic high barrier oxygen transmission rate system. It is ideal for those new to permeation testing while offering all the features and flexibility required by advanced users. The OX-TRAN 2/22 is currently offered in two models, the “H” and the “L” which test in the same range as the OX-TRAN 2/21 “H” and “L” with the added benefits of fully automated testing, faster speed to result, improved accuracy, automatic sequential testing, automatic maintenance of RH, temperature, pressure and flow and a lower cost of ownership. The 2/22 series of permeation instruments are ideal for food, pharmaceutical, medical device companies, film converters, resin and chemical companies who have to test their barriers for OTR and need fast, accurate results.

The OX-TRAN Model 2/22 is benefit rich including ease of use, faster speed to result, lower cost of ownership etc. In addition, the repeatability specification has been improved 2.5 times over the industry-standard model.

LOSE THE BUBBLES- NEW VACUUM DE-AERATION APPARATUS FROM COPLEY SCIENTIFIC IMPROVES THE ACCURACY OF SEMISOLID DOSAGE TESTING.

Contact: Copley Scientific Limited Colwick Quays Business Park, T: +44 (0)115 961 6229 Private Road No. 2, Colwick, F: +44 (0)115 961 7637 Nottingham, NG4 2JY, E: sales@copleyscientific.co.uk United Kingdom Website: http://www.copleyscientific.com Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

Use of the new Vacuum De-aeration Apparatus from Copley Scientific improves the accuracy of semisolid pharmaceutical testing by efficiently de-gassing the medium used in Vertical Diffusion Cells (VDCs) to measure the drug release profile of these products.

Semisolids are creams, ointments, gels or lotions used principally in the treatment of dermatological conditions that are applied topically to the skin to deliver a localized therapeutic response.

The performance of such products is determined by measuring the release rate of the active ingredient, through a suitable membrane held in contact with a receptor medium contained within a VDC. Air bubbles accumulating on the underside of the membrane are the single largest source of problems in VDC testing. As a result, it is essential that the receptor medium used to bathe the membrane is de-gassed prior to use if the generation of air bubbles, and hence impaired diffusion, is not to take place. The new Vacuum Deaeration Apparatus from Copley Scientific is an inexpensive unit specifically designed to provide a source of pre-warmed, de-gassed media for use in VDCs. It operates by heating the receptor media up to 45 °C under vacuum conditions of 90kPa below atmospheric pressure. Performance data suggest that dissolved oxygen can typically be reduced to below 4 ppm within one hour. This compares favorably with the compendial recommendation of less than 6 ppm.

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PRODUCTS

SOFT X-RAY EMISSION SPECTROMETER FOR SEM AND EPMA

Contact: JEOL USA, Inc. 11 Dearborn Road Peabody, MA 01960, USA

JEOL has developed an unprecedented new type of wavelength dispersive spectrometer (WDS) that utilizes a variable grating, allowing the efficient and parallel collection of very low energy-rays (so called “soft” X-rays). This new Soft X-ray Emission Spectrometer (SXES) boasts not only high spectral resolution (0.3eV) which allows for the Nitrogen Kα and Titanium Lℓ line to be separated, but also ultra-low energy, low-concentration sensitivity with the capability to detect Li even at low single digit weight percent concentration. An additional, and maybe its strongest asset, is its ability to do chemical state analysis.

The spectrometer detects differences between conduction band and valence band electrons when they emit X-rays allowing the distinction between bonding and crystal structure in samples containing the same elements. The key features are it has excellent light element detection (suitable for Li), it is ideal for chemical shift analysis of light elements – critical for battery research, it has superb sensitivity - a few 10s of ppm B in steel, it has energy Tel. (978) 535-5900 range (50eV – 210eV), it has extreme resolution 0.3eV Fax (978) 536-2205 and further it has no moving parts - high stability and E-mail: salesinfo@jeol.com reproducibility.

Website:http://www.jeolusa.com

INTRODUCING THE Q EXACTIVE GC ORBITRAP GC-MS/MS

Contact: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 81 Wyman Street Waltham, MA 02454, USA Tel.: 781 622 1000 +1 / +1 978 642 1132 Fax: 781 622 1207 +1 E-mail: info@thermofisher.com Website: http://www.thermoscientific.com 90

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Scientists have long demanded more GC-MS power for detailed characterization of their most challenging samples—power that only Thermo Scientific Orbitrap technology can deliver. That power has arrived in the Thermo Scientific Q Exactive GC Orbitrap GC-MS/ MS system. The Thermo Scientific Q Exactive GC Orbitrap GC-MS/MS system provides comprehensive characterization of samples in a single analysis for the highest confidence in compound discovery, identification, and quantitation. This system offers the quantitative power of a GC triple quadrupole MS combined with the high precision, full scan HR/AM capabilities only available in combination with Thermo Scientific Orbitrap technology.

The features are it has high-resolution, accurate-mass (HR/ AM) system, it has high mass accuracy, it has increased confidence in compound identification and further is widely used in metabolomics, food safety, industrial, clinical, pharmaceutical analyses.

www.worldofchemicals.com

NEW ULTRA LOW NPSHR HIGH FLOW PUMP

Sundyne 14845 W 64th Ave, Arvada, CO 80007, United States

Tel:+1 303-425-0800 Web: www.sundyne.com

The Sundyne LMV-803Lr is an API 610 compliant pump available in either OH3 or OH5 motor mounting configuration that provides ultra-low NPSHr performance – approximately 5 ft (1.5 m), across the entire performance range – for flows to 800 GPM (180 m3 / hr) and heads to 1,000 ft (305 m). The ultra-low NPSHr allows the pump to be installed at grade level, eliminating the expense of installation in a pit and performing maintenance in a confined space. The vertical design is ideal for use in refineries, NGL, petrochemical and chemical plants, as well as handling light hydrocarbon handling services, such as bottom pumps for de-ethanizers. Based on highly reliable Sundyne direct drive technology, the LMV-803Lr is the most rugged pump to date, delivering a compact footprint, low vibration and increased efficiency. Featuring innovative Sundyne inducer technology and a newly redesigned backswept impeller, this model is capable of meeting lower NPSHr requirements than either BB2 or VS style pumps without risk of cavitation. The LMV-803Lr also boasts a robust new 6x4 casing that is engineered to operate reliability in extremely high-pressure applications with maximum case working pressures equivalent to 1,000 psig (70 kg / cm2).

VISIONSCAN MAX, NEW INSPECTION DEVICE FOR BLISTER PACKS .

Sepha Limited Unit 25 Carrowreagh Business Park Carrowreagh Road, Dundonald Belfast BT16 1QQ United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)2890 484848 Fax: +44 (0)2890 480890 E-mail: info@sepha.com Web: http://www.sepha.com Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

VisionScan Max is an automated, non-destructive, tool-less inspection device for blister packs that can detect holes and weak seals down to 15 micron at a rate of up to 8 packs per minute. It enables pharmaceutical manufacturers and packagers to further increase the efficiency of their blister packaging inspection process by minimising operator involvement. The state of the art device incorporates the same imaging technology as VisionScan, which has been adopted by many of the top pharmaceutical companies worldwide. In addition, the VisionScan Max has an automated magazine feed, allowing the operator to load a magazine, start the test and walk away from the machine until the all packs in the magazine has been tested. Each pack is tested and carefully placed in the new “PASS” and “FAIL” magazines for returning to the line or for product recovery. The user-friendly interface allows any menu to be reached within 2 clicks.

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QUOTES Dr Adrian Percy head, research and development, BayerCrop Science

The challenges facing agriculture are so great that we need all of the ideas and creativity from small and big companies, universities and other academic institutions alike

R Kumaresan head, industrial and consumer specialties, Clariant India.

Consumer demand for sustainable and innovative products in personal and home care has increased significantly, and thus brand owners are extensively looking at ingredients that can offer a competitive differentiating advantage

Dr M K Bhan former secretary, department of biotechnology, ministry of science and technology and earth sciences, Government Of India.

Make in India is about declaration of an attitude. Attitude is extremely important. It involves leadership with justice, dealing with fundamental contradictions and learning how to seize opportunities. Scale and quality is what Make in India is about

Dr Cyrus Karkaria

president, Lupin Biotech.

The Indian pharmaceutical industry is currently valued at $22 billion and is expected to touch $50 billion by the end of the decade. The Indian vaccine industry has also put us on the world map. We supply about 75-80 per cent of vaccines to the developing market

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www.worldofchemicals.com Deepak Bhimani

president of Indian Speciality Chemical Manufacturers’ Association (ISCMA), and CMD, Navdeep Chemicals.

With specialty chemicals becoming obsolete very fast due to high competition, companies have to invest heavily in R&D to develop applications to meet the evolving consumer needs. Companies have to adopt inter-disciplinary approach to research. Today, micro-organisms are helping develop specialty chemicals of unique nature in environmentally friendly way. Indian companies can collaborate with global firms to jointly manufacture specialty chemicals in the country. This will act as an enabling factor for the Make in India initiative

Alex Wartini vice president, leather chemicals, BASF

International buyers are becoming more conscious about the compliance of environmental, safety and social standards.

We work closely with our partners to continuously strive for innovation – both technologically and ecologically – to help grow the leather industry

Stuart May business director, specialty ingredients, Ashland EMEA

End-users are helping to drive legislative change across Europe to protect the environment, and that’s moving tape and graphic manufacturers to rethink their products

Markus Heldt

president, crop protection division, BASF. Innovation remains a crucial component of agriculture today.

It is a dynamic market, with ever-changing needs and new challenges, and we are happy that we can contribute with new solutions and technologies Chemical Today Magazine | February 2016

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GLOSSARY PAGE NO

Abbott Healthcare

07

Novartis India

07

Abbott India

07

Orchid Pharma

07

AIOCD Pharmasofttech AWACS

07

Oregon State University

63

Alembic Pharma

07

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

54

AnuhPharma 07

Pfizer Ltd

07

AurobindoPharma

Piramal Enterprises

07

Avantium 10

PricewaterhouseCoopers Pvt Ltd (PWC)

02, 07, 32

BASF

10, 80

Pro Tech International

24

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL)

18

Procter and Gamble Hygiene and Health Care (P&G) 07

Biocon

07, 33

Purdue University

Boston University

36

Ranbaxy 33

Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer Ltd

18

Rashtriya Chemical Factory (RCF)

18

Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF)

06

RB India

07

Rice University

44

Sequent Scientific

07

Sharon Bio Medicine Ltd

07

07

Castrol 30 Chalmers University Of Technology

52

Chevron

30, 80

Cipla Ltd

07

Claris Lifesciences

07

Divi’s Laboratories Ltd

07

Dow Chemical Company

80, 82

Dr Reddy

33

Exxon 30 Florida International University (FIU)

40

Glenmark Pharmaceutical

07

Henkel 10

94

PAGE NO

63

Shell 30 Shree Renuka Sugars Ltd

02, 20

SINOPEC 30 SMS Pharmaceuticals

07

Stanford (California) University

66

Strides Shasun

07

Syncom Formulations India

07

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

69

The University of Texas

36

Torrent Pharmaceuticals

07

Hindustan Insecticides Ltd (HIL)

06

Imperial Chemical Industries

26

India Glycols Ltd

28, 29

Total 30

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL)

18

Unichem Laboratories

07

Indiana University

63

University of California, San Diego

63

Ipca Laboratories

07

University of Delaware

37

Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd

18

University of Florida

61

Kost USA Inc

80

University of Guelph

39

Louisiana State University

54

University of Lincoln

53

Lupin

07, 92

University of Manchester

65

Macleods Pharmaceuticals

07

University of Nebraska Medical Center

62

Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) 18

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

48, 63

Merck Ltd

07

University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry 62

NatcoPharma

07

University of York

53

National Fertilizers Ltd (NFL)

06

Vimta Labs

07

Nectar Lifesciences

07

Washington State University

38

North Carolina State University

48, 63

Western University

39

ORGANIZE, PLAN & TAKE DECISIONS

ERP

by Kimberlite Softwares

www.kimberlitesoftwares.com email: info@kimberlite.softwares

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