In 2012 and Q1 2013, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in the chemical industry was low. Now, according to consensus view of the world´s leading consultancy firms, M&A activities in the chemical industry are expected to take off.
The Indian Supreme court has rejected a key patent of Novartis for their cancer drug Glivec. The verdict adds to a series of strikes against multinational pharmaceutical companies to gain patent rights in India, potentially one of the biggest pharmaceutical markets in the world.
Membrane technologies are applied for seawater desalination to address one of the world´s biggest challenge: scarcity of clean water. Scientific progress is reported with nano-scaled perforated graphene membranes. Potentially this would allow more affordable water desalination and give access to abundant clean water.