As outlined in the first part of this article scanning the rapidly evolving technology landscape of bispecific and multispecific antibodies, interest in them has been renewed big time because various manufacturing, stability and safety issues have been addressed. The field now encompasses a multitude of approaches for creating antibodies against a variety of targets and the number of companies entering this space is surging.
Antibodies containing two binding sites – bispecifics – are hot items these days generating a great deal of buzz in the industry. This is due to the fact that many of the new therapeutics now in development based on this technology hold much promise due to their synergistic effects conferred by binding two targets.
The pace of the industry's mergers and acquisitions (M&A's) activity is a closely tracked statistic. The number of deals conducted each year not only reflects the vibrancy of the sector but also speaks to the business strategies of pharmaceutical companies. The common trend over the past five years or so has been for pharma firms to boost their thinning product pipelines by acquiring biotech's own innovation.
SAN FRANCISCO - With more than 10,000 biotech, pharma and investment execs in town for three investment conferences there is no better time to take the temperature "readout" on the mood of the industry.
As the biotechnology industry continues to expand its global footprint it is giving rise to a plethora of new biotech clusters, particularly in emerging countries. Cities around the world are latching onto the significant economic potential that a thriving biotech hub can bring. As a result they are taking steps to build or expand regions and offering access to research excellence, highly qualified employees as well as lucrative tax and financial incentives.
Despite the positive reception that the Street afforded Intercept Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Kythera Biopharmaceuticals Inc., which each priced their initial public offerings (IPOs) at the top end of their ranges on the same day back in October, the bullish response to those two biotech offerings was not, it turned out to be, a harbinger for others to quickly follow suit.
There is no denying the potential of cancer vaccines. The strategy of an injected therapeutic designed to boost the body's natural ability to protect itself, through the immune system, against abnormal cancer cells has captured the attention of researchers and companies alike for decades.
A lot of ink has flowed describing the tough times that big pharma companies are experiencing as each, lemming-like, tumbles off the patent cliff. Certainly, the pain of shrinking revenues is clear for all to see. AstraZeneca plc, for example, recorded a 15 percent decline in third-quarter revenues, to $6.68 billion, as loss of exclusivity on four products – Seroquel IR, Atacand, Nexium and Merrem – played havoc with its bottom line. Revenues from schizophrenia drug Seroquel IR (quetiapine), alone, dropped by more than $850 million, or 82 percent, in the quarter. Merck & Co. Inc. also lost market exclusivity...
The "new normal" is not only causing big pharma firms to adapt their business strategies to current realities (see the cover story in this issue), but it also has cascaded down to impact companies which are just starting out on their journey of drug development. The "new normal" might not seem that much different from previous periods of fiscal constraints the biotech sector has experienced during its history.
There is no doubt that the business landscape for pharmaceutical companies has changed fundamentally. The billions of dollars invested annually into research and development has not yet translated into enough marketable products to replace those that have been lost to generic competition.
