What Is Genzyme?

From a strategic viewpoint, it is my belief that Pills & Co should make a play to purchase Star Genomics for these reasons:

Lilly’s unique proficiency is its capability to bring about drug advancement. Lilly has the skill to identify prospective drug applicants by frequently improving processes with their research and development. To give an example, in the 1960s Lilly started a line of oral and injectable antibiotics called cephalosporins. Lilly has many examples such as this in which they are the first company to do XY or Z. The company is continually investing in new alliances and technologies around the world to aid in their research and to expand their abilities. The company will be able to achieve further patents as a result of their new alliances and technology research.

“The Tech Museum of Innovation”. http://genetics.thetech.org. 6 January 2006. Web. 6 February 2016.

company was one of the first to develop recombinant proteins using genetic technology. Two of its

The book “from Alchemy to IPO the business of Biotechnology” is a synopsis of the biotech industry from its inception to late 1900’s . Author Cynthia Robbins – Roth writes a first hand narration from amidst the blooming industry as she was one of the first senior scientist to be recruited by Genentech. The book gives a complete picture from the roots of biotech , the major milestones achieved and the process of getting the product out to the market. It also covers the financers, venture capitalist and the common man’s view of the biotech industry from time to time, during its progression.

In the summer of 2009, the Food and Drug Administration and the 23andMe organization started negotiations on regulating the company’s delivery of genetic health probability data. A couple of years after, the FDA all of a sudden alerted the organization to quit offering its Personal Genome Service. The FDA felt the test was considered a “medical device”. This classification would require the organization to gain FDA approval. The letter served as a notice to the organization since they were no more speaking with the office.

Yamada reorganization of drug discovery at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) following a merger to combat bureaucracy in decision making, approval, and authorization. This reorganization was necessary for the continued success of the company. Often the process for drug discovery and market is a slow and tedious process which can cost a company a lot in resources and financially. The smaller biotech companies are able to move quicker and push new drugs to market faster. The shift, Yamada thinks,

Early in 1997, Genzyme Corporation began negotiations with Geltex Pharmaceuticals in an attempt to launch a joint venture to market Geltex's first product, RenaGel. Geltex was a young biotech research company with only two products in its pipeline, and they didn't have the resources necessary to launch RenaGel on their own. Genzyme, on the other hand, was a quickly growing company that experienced revenues of $518 million in 1996. They were attracted to the joint venture with Geltex because of the likelihood of increased earnings, as well as the joint venture being an excellent fit for Genzyme's specialty therapeutics. Genzyme also felt that the joint venture would lead to a similar deal in launching Geltex's second product, CholestaGel.

Since its humble beginning as a small drugstore, Merck has placed a large amount of importance on improving the health and well-being of its customers. As drug patents expire and genetic forms of their top products become available, Merck’s strategy is to do the unexpected; instead of raising the price of their older products in favor of patent protected new drugs, Merck focuses on reducing their cost in order to better compete with their generic counterparts. Additionally, Merck’s plan for growth now encompasses a much more aggressive pursuit of new drugs in their pipeline through extensive research. Merck became the second largest health care company in the world after the merger with Schering-Plough in 2009 and has

BioMarin was founded as a subsidiary of Glyko Biomedical in 1996 and started operations in 1997. While Glyko provided the initial start-up funds, BioMarin also sold 2.5 million common stock to its founders. The company has a history of success in fundraising. Examples of some key financing activities experienced a few years after inception include private placements to independent investors and Glyko Biomedical in 1999 worth $26 million and a 50:50 joint venture with Genzyme in 1998 worth $30 million. BioMarin raised a combined sum of $58 million

The CEO and Co-founder of Seattle Genetics, Dr. Clay Siegall, recently sat down for an interview with Inspirey. Seattle Genetics is a biotech firm whose specialty is developing drugs to help combat fatal diseases like cancer where there has not been significant drug improvement for decades. Dr. Siegall who holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from George Washington University and a B.S. Degree in Zoology from the University of Maryland stated in his interview with Inspirey that he has always had an interested in medicine and the use of technology. This interest led him to fulfill a desire of becoming his own boss, by taking control of his own patents, products, and developments.

The company is so large that no one drug can lift it from its current sales doldrums. In addition, the company was once highly attractive to investors, but its recent stock price fell to 1997 lows. This may put pressure on the company to attempt acquisitions at a time when the company is ill-equipped to integrate a new company into its organization, and it is engaged in a cost-cutting program at a time when it may need to invest even more in research and development (McTigue Pierce, 2005).

In June 2000, the publicly funded Human Genome Project (HGP) and the private firm Celera Genomics Inc. announced that they had completed sequencing the human genome. This unprecedented accomplishment is expected to enable doctors to diagnose, treat and even prevent numerous genetic diseases. As these two entities worked on sequencing the human genome, there was also a separate and less publicized race to patent as many human genes as possible.

DNA DTC is a company whose genetic products and services includes research, exome sequencing, and whole genome sequencing, but tests carry a steep price tag. Another company, Genelex is different from the previous companies, and specializes in paternity and pharmacogenomics, which simplified, is the study of individualized effect of drugs based on genetics. Genelex and other companies similar to them could be a threat by repositioning themselves, to combat health based genomic sequencing.

The word Gene derives from the Greek “genesis” (birth) or “genos” (origin) and was first coined by Wilhelm Johannsen in 1909. At that time, little or nothing was known about the existence of DNA, and the word gene was used to describe the Mendelian concept of a phenotypical trait that is transmitted through inheritance (Johansen, 1909).