Listing analysis and research matching biotechnology:
Biotechnology beyond the US
USA based inventors continue to rank highest among the number of inventors filing biotechnology-related patents at the USPTO and have been increasing as a percentage since 1980. Outside the USA, inventors based in Tokyo in Japan and Vancouver in Canada are increasingly filing biotechnology-related patents at the USPTO indicating their growing importance in biotechnology innovation.
China's biopharmaceutical patent footprint
Chinese inventors are increasing filing for biotechnology patents with the American USPTO, peaking at 51 patents in 2003. Many of these patents are being filed by inventors based in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. A large proportion of the biotechnology-related patents are for antibody technology (42%), and a large proportion are being assigned to university institutions.
Biopharmaceutical partnering in China
Multinational pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in China through alliances and the building of new centres. Much of the investment is to supplement rather than replace the research and development already occurring outside China and is focused on development and processes than be easily codified and regulated.
Merck KGaA acquires Serono for US$13.5 billion
In September 2006 the German pharmaceutical company, Merck KgaA, acquired Europe's largest biotechnology company the Swiss based Serono SA for US$13.5 billion in a bid to transform itself into a worldwide player in the field of biological medicines. The major asset Serono brought to Merck KgAa was its market-leading multiple sclerosis franchise with its flagship drug Rebif, a recombinant beta-interferon. The acqusition is timely for Serono, which had been searching for such a deal for a number of months. Serono now functions as Merck-Serono Biopharmaceuticals and is actively looking to build its strength with a wide number of alliances with other biotechnology companies in the areas of neuro-degenerative diseases, cancer, autoimmune diseases, endocrine disorders and reproductive health.
India and China's place in biotechnology innovation
With their growing economies, well-educated populations and low-cost of labour India and China are emerging as attractive places for potential biotechnology investment. Many sizeable biotechnology companies attending the Bio.org conference held in Boston in May 2007 indicated they were keen to enter India and China. Increasing pressures to fill product pipelines and reduce the cost of development make these countries appealling locations for biopharmaceutical partnerships and investment. How far foreign companies will invest in the two countries in the near future will be highly dependent on their compliance with international standards in manufacturing and clinical testing and their protection of intellectual property. Research by Silico shows that while India and China could prove powerful in the field of biogenerics and vaccines, their level of patenting remains modest. raising questions about their role in biopharmaceutical innovation.
Reducing alliance risks
Consultants are in business to disagree with each other. Which makes it odd is that they all agree on at least one thing, somewhere around a half of all alliances 'fail'. But are they right? Research by Silico and IBM conducted among 148 senior executives in the biopharmaceutical industry indicates that far fewer of the partnerships which analysts reported as having failed can be regarded as true failures.
The impact of alliances on share prices
It seems that alliances are good for companies, at least their share prices, whether or not the alliance achieves any positive outcomes. This raises two intruiging questions. First, why equity markets look upon alliances and partnerships so favourably in the first place. Second, does the equity market's view of alliances and the premium given to alliances fluctuate over time?
The impact of cultural factors on alliance performance
Intangible factors such as cultural compatibility, an openness to knowledge sharing and to new ideas and a determination to make the partnership work are the most important factors in predicting the outcome of a partnership. These conclusions are based on data collected from 148 executives in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
The key drivers of alliance formation
Two factors, the deal on offer and the scientific expertise on offer, dominate the underlying reasons senior executives in biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies enter a partnership. This conclusion is drawn from data collected in two surveys conducted among senior executives from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies.
The impact of conditional payment mechanisms on alliance outcomes
Conditional payments are commonly used in biopharmaceutical alliances. Recent research among senior executives in the biopharmaceutical industry by Silico Research and IBM showed that 81% of partnerships were using some form of conditional payment, such as options, milestone and license payments and royalties (n=130). Milestone payments were the most frequently used mechanism with 74% of surveyed partnerships using them. The research showed, however, that conditional payments do not improve the chances of a partnership succeeding.
Hedge funds get a taste for biotechnology companies
Biotechnology companies and hedge funds seem to odd bedfellows. Biotechnology companies operate on time frames frequently stretching into decades, hedge funds typically operate on time frames measured in days. So why are some hedge funds becoming involved in the biotechnology sector?
Life science companies optimistic about 2008
A recent survey by Silico Research has revealed that executives in life science companies are optimistic about the prospects for their industry going into 2008.
BioPartnering 2008
The terms of a deal on offer, a partner's development expertise and their alliance management skills are the top drivers of alliance formation according to senior partnering business development executives in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical devices industry and research institutes who participated in the BioPartnering 2008 survey.
