Bio Job Blog : Bio Jobs : Biotechnology Jobs : Biopharmaceutical Jobs : Bioscience, Biotech Jobs : Bio Job Blog : Biocareer : Bio-Business Training, Biotechnology Training : Jobs in Biology : Internships in Biology : Internships in Biotechnology

Several years ago RNAi was hot and it was touted as a technology that would revolutionize modern pharmaceutical science. I never thought RNAi had much promise beyond being a research tool but what do I know? 

With this in mind, I felt exonerated today after reading that Roche had divested all of its RNAi assets to a small Madison, WI drug discovery company called Arrowhead Research. In exchange for the assets, Roche acquired an equity position in the company.  About a year ago Roche formally announced that it was exiting the RNAi business, but until now was unable to find a buyer. 

According to a press release, Arrowhead now owns the Roche Madison Inc facility (formerly the Mirus R&D facility in Madison, WI), which employs a team of 40 scientists. Arrowhead also gets licenses from several leading firms, including Tekmira Pharmaceuticals for RNAi drug delivery technology and Alnylam for RNAi intellectual property and short interfering RNA structures. Arrowhead was already in the RNAi delivery space.

Previously, Roche spent roughly a half-billion dollars to amass its position in RNAi, including $331 million paid to Alnylam Pharmaceuticals in 2007 for access to RNAi technology and $125 million for the purchase of Mirus Bio in 2008. Arrowhead, in contrast, is paying Roche no money for these and other assets; instead it is giving the Swiss firm an ownership stake of slightly under 10%.

Many other big pharma companies have also abandoned their efforts in the RNAi space. While RNAi works in the lab as a research tool, the inability to successfully deliver it to internal cellular targets has prevent companies from commercializing it. I hate to say it, but “I told you so.”

Until next time....

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!!!!!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (2)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Not too long ago, the mere mention of the word “vaccine” caused most big pharma executives to break out into a cold sweat. Once derided as low margin products and potential market busters—once most populations are immunized the incidence of disease declines and the market begins to falter—vaccines, primarily pediatric ones, have made a huge comeback over the last five years. 

One of the main reasons for the resurgence of the vaccine industry, was passage of US legislation that better-defined the legal obligations of vaccine makers and inclusion in the legislation of provisions that cap the size of awards made to persons claiming injury after vaccination. Another factor that contributed to the growing popularity of vaccines was emergence of the middle class in vast and concomitant improves in the healthcare systems of emerging markets that include South America, Asia and Africa. Unlike the mature vaccine markets in the US, Europe and Japan (because of low birthrates), the Asian, Latin American and African markets are poised for explosive growth over the next two decades.

In a recent article entitled “Vaccines-The Sustainable Blockbuster Business” Frost and Sullivan’s Senior Healthcare Analyst Barath Shankar Subramanian provides some interesting and insightful factoids about the vaccine industry. They are:

Pediatric vaccines are leading adult vaccines and represent the fastest growing segment of the global vaccine market

Europe is the world’s leading vaccine producer with over 90% of total production

The top five vaccine manufacturers (all big pharma companies) produce more than four-fifths of global vaccine revenues while other manufacturers (approximately 40) account for only one-fifth.

The North American market accounts for over 50 percent of the total spend on vaccines

North America and Europe supply only 14 percent of the world’s vaccine demand; the rest is met by suppliers in developing markets

Government investment, not-for-profit spending and industry alliances/ partnerships, in addition to private R&D spending, are helping to drive the current resurgence of the global vaccine industry

At present, there no fewer than 80 new candidates in late stage clinical development. Further, almost 40 per cent of the new vaccine candidates are for indications that currently have no vaccines on the market.  Finally, improvements in vaccine delivery are helping to drive the improved uptake of vaccines. For example, aerosols, transdermal skin patches, oral drops and even pills—all designed to eliminate needles and improve patient compliance and overcome cold chain supply issues are currently being developed.

From a business perspective—as far as sustainable markets go—the pediatric segment of the vaccine market is a clear winner. Currently, the leading global causes of vaccine-preventable, deaths for children under five include: pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, measles, Hemophilus influenzae b (Hib) infections, pertussis and tetanus. To that end, it is likely that governments in emerging markets will continue to add existing and new vaccines to government-mandated immunization programs. This is almost certain to propel the vaccine market to new heights over the next 10 years or more.

Until next time...

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting (think biologics!)

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Pfizer today announced that it will purchase Bristol, TN-based King Pharmaceuticals for $3.6 billion in cash or $14.25 per share: an approximately 40% premium over King’s closing share price yesterday.

King is a diversified specialty pharmaceutical drug delivery and clinical development company with expertise in delivery of easy to abuse or misuse pain medicines, self injecting delivery devices and animal health

The acquisition will help Pfizer push forward with its new emphasis on biopharmaceuticals and rare disease drugs; both currently require parenteral administration to patients.

The King acquisition is consistent with Pfizer’s M&A strategy to enter new therapeutic areas and markets. In the last 10 years or so Pfizer has acquired Warner Lambert, Pharmacia, Wyeth and several smaller companies including Sugen, Copely Pharmaceuticals, Encysive Pharmaceuticals, Serenex and others.

Whether or not Pfizer can successfully integrate King’s expertise and business units into its existing monolithic corporate structure remains to be see. Pfizer is still trying to right itself after it acquired Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for $65 billion early last year.

Big pharma companies—flush with cash—have been on a buying spree of late. Unfortunately, the availability of this cash is directly related to the massive downsizing and layoffs that have taken place in the industry over the past few years. That said, if I were a King employee, I would be dusting off my resume!

Until next time

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Cambridge, MA-based Alkermes announced today that it is restructuring its operations following the termination by Eli Lilly and Company of its inhalable AIR Insulin program (Alkermes manufactured the inhaler delivery device). The company is reducing its workforce by approximately 150 employees and closing its AIR commercial manufacturing facility in Chelsea, MA. The company is taking these actions based on its current expectations of the financial impact of Lilly's termination of the AIR Insulin program.

The job cuts, effective this week, represent almost 18% of Alkermes’ total workforce. Employees affected by the restructuring will be eligible for a severance package that includes severance pay, continuation of benefits and outplacement services. The company expects cost savings from the restructuring in the range of $15 million to $20 million in fiscal 2009.

In other news from across the pond, the trade group, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), reported today that the UK pharmaceutical industry lost about 8.000 pharmaceutical jobs or about 10% of its workforce over the past three years. The ABPI asserts that there is a direct link between job cuts and changes to the British government’s pricing mechanisms for medicines. A spokesperson for the group said “Every time a new PPRS (Pharmaceutical Price Regulation Scheme) comes into force there is a decline in the number of jobs”. Not surprisingly, the group is urging the government to not make any changes in the PPRS.

The UK pharmaceutical workforce has taken a number of big hits of late– Pfizer recently closed a manufacturing plant in Kent, while British drug makers AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline both announced substantial global job cuts many of which were located in Britain.

Until next time….

Good Luck and Good Job Hunting!!!!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link