23andMe: Will the personal-genomics company need Big Pharma to make money?
23andMe held its official launch today, as expected, and in the process managed to address a few of the nagging questions that remained after I reviewed its service over the weekend. “Addressed” is definitely the operative word here, though, because firm answers are still in short supply.
For instance, can personal genomics really make money for a startup like 23andMe? (To recap briefly for those joining the show already in progress, the company will scan your… Continue Reading
Big Pharma’s personalized-medicine consortium: Is it for real?
Medical treatment that’s tailored to your individual genetic profile — “personalized medicine,” for short — has been a long, long time in coming, as I’ve noted here and here. Part of the reason, of course, is that personalizing medicine cuts against the economic interests of major players in the medico-industrial complex, particularly the large biotech and pharma companies whose business models have long been based on the prospect of getting as many patients as possible… Continue Reading
Is Big Pharma down for the count?
Between the sweeping job cuts across Big Pharma, falling stock prices, stalled drug approvals, safety problems with drugs like Avandia and an expected avalanche of generic competitors to billion-dollar brand-name drugs, it’s certainly starting to look like the traditional drug industry’s best days are behind it.
In fact, good news is pretty much in short supply no matter where you turn. Consider just this litany from this AP story (courtesy of the Baltimore Sun) I linked… Continue Reading
How drug reps do that thing they do
Two fascinating papers in the open-access journal PLoS Medicine turn a spotlight on the practice of “detailing” — the office visits that drug-industry salespeople use to flatter and manipulate their way into the good graces of the doctors they want to influence.
The first and most eye-opening paper is co-authored by Shahram Ahari, a former Eli Lilly sales rep, and Adriane Fugh-Berman, a Georgetown University professor who researches drug marketing. Together, the two outline a variety of… Continue Reading
Patent fight: Tech vs. pharma, round one
A long-awaited struggle over patent reform appears to be upon us, the Washington Post reports today (hat tip to the WSJ’s Health Blog). It pits the tech industry against pharmaceutical/biotech companies over intellectual property protections that, depending on where you stand, are either largely a nuisance or an industry’s lifeblood.
Both the House and Senate are expected to introduce bills today that reflect the tech industry’s long-standing desire to weaken the protection patents offer their holders… Continue Reading
Patent fight: Tech vs. pharma, round one
(Note: This item has been copied over to the Life Sciences page from its original location on the VentureBeat main page. To view it in its original context, with comments, click here.)
A long-awaited struggle over patent reform appears to be upon us, the Washington Post reports today (hat tip to the WSJ’s Health Blog). It pits the tech industry against pharmaceutical/biotech companies over intellectual property protections that, depending on where you stand, are either largely… Continue Reading
Is Big Pharma tiptoeing into embryonic stem cells?
(Note: This item has been copied over to the Life Sciences page from its original location on the VentureBeat main page. To view it in its original context, with comments, click here.)
For what appears to be the first time, a major drug company has plunked down a significant equity investment in embryonic stem cells.
Earlier today, VentureWire reported (sub required) that Novocell, an early-stage San Diego biotech that aims to treat diabetes with the embryonic cells,… Continue Reading
Is Big Pharma tiptoeing into embryonic stem cells?
For what appears to be the first time, a major drug company has plunked down a significant equity investment in embryonic stem cells.
Earlier today, VentureWire reported (sub required) that Novocell, an early-stage San Diego biotech that aims to treat diabetes with the embryonic cells, is hoping to raise $35 million in a third round of funding. The interesting thing, however, isn’t so much the money as the identity of the lead investor: Johnson & Johnson… Continue Reading