Biotechnology - Genomic and Proteomics/IP Profile of Biggest for-profit companies in BGP/BGP Company Profiles - Data

Amgen

• Headquarters: Thousand Oaks, CA
• 16,900 employees (2008 Corporate report)
• History of acquisition:
  • 1994 - Synergen, Inc.
  • 2000 - Kinetix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
  • 2002 - Immunex Corporation
  • 2004 - Tularik, Inc.
  • 2006 - Abgenix, Inc.
  • 2006 - Avidia, Inc.
  • 2007 - Ilypsa, Inc.
  • 2007 - Alantos Pharmaceuticals Holdings, Inc.
• Subsidiaries:
  • Amgen Australia Pty Ltd.;
  • Amgen N.V.; Amgen Canada Inc.;
  • Amgen Greater China Ltd.;
  • Amgen GmbH (Germany);
  • Amgen S.A. (France);
  • Amgen S.p.A. (Italy);
  • Amgen K.K. (Japan);
  • Amgen B.V. (Netherlands);
  • Amgen-Biofarmaceutica (Portugal);
  • Amgen S.A. (Spain);
  • Amgen (Europe) AG (Switzerland);
  • Kirin-Amgen, Inc. (Switzerland);
  • Amgen Limited (U.K.);
  • Amgen Sales Corporation (West Indies).
• Unlike many biotech companies, has been consistently profitable. Net profit in 2006 was US$2.9 Billion
• History: **Managed to turn itself from a drug research company into a pharmaceutical company while maintaining steady sales - extremely rare in the industry.
  • Founded in 1980. By 1986 was starting to turn a profit, but did so not through drug development but through research partnerships with established pharma firms
  • 1987, develop erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates red blood cell creation. Sold the marketing rights to Johnson&Johnson
  • Epogen proves to hugely popular - over $250m in sales in 1991 alone
  • Between 1992 and 1996, Amgen's R&D budget goes from $182 million to $663 million
• It has ten approved drugs for 15 conditions, 23 agents are being tested earlier in the approval pipeline as of 2009
  • drugs include: Epogen, Aranesp, Enbrel, Kineret, Neulasta, Neupogen, Sensipar / Mimpara and Nplate
• As a side-result of this research, also publishes in academic journals
• Others/Notes:
  • Amgen - marketing and R&D collaborations with (Powell pp. 72): ARRIS, Envirogen, Glycomex, Guilford, Interneuron, Regeneron, and Zynaxis. these companies develop the product that Amgen later produces and markets. Perhaps there are instances of commons-like sharing here. Further investigation needed
  • Seems to be engaging in some instances of open-ended research with universities. e.g., collaboration with MIT's Whitehead institute
  • Further instances of academic collaboration here
  • The results of some scientific collaborations are being released into the commons
• It says its committed to sharing clinical testing results as soon as possible

Genentech

• Headquarters: South San Francisco
• 11,000 employees ("Genentech," Wikipedia)
• Owned by Swiss pharma company Hoffman - La Roche (Hoffman-La Rouche)
• synthetic human insulin was their first famous product, many others produced using the Boyer-Cohen rDNA process
• Papers by company employees: http://en.scientificcommons.org/genentech_inc
• Others/Notes:
  • Collaborated with Apple to create Open Source search engine for protein and DNA sequences (http://www.apple.com/ca/press/2002/02/genentech.html) called Apple/Genentech BLAST
  • Hoffman-La Rouche is engaging in academic collaboration to study the safety of InnoMed PredTox ("Hoffman-La Rouche," Wikipedia)
• In general, this seems to be a company that encourages its scientists to publish
  • examples of papers
  • Video of Genentech's Joe McCracken explaining incentives to publish
• It has four-year post-doctoral program and also offers Clinical Research Fellowships
• supplies reagents for other research organizations' work: http://www.gene.com/gene/reagents-program/reagents-program.jsp
• Seems committed to engaging relevant stake-holders in public policy issues. Worked with the American Academy of Opthamology and the American Society of Retina Specialists to develop guidelines and answer questions about Avastin (http://www.gene.com/gene/news/press-releases/press_statements/ps_122007.html)
• Has a separate board to advise the company on issues of scientific research (http://www.gene.com/gene/research/resourceboard/)
• company gives researchers 20% free time to work on projects of their own
• VP for business development says the organization survives through science, not marketing.
  • http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=1613
• Collaboration with UC San Diego Scientists (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/19205)
• Funding for undergraduate research programs (http://www.genentechfoundation.com/about_focus.html)
• Providing infrastructure support for UCSF (http://news.ucsf.edu/releases/new-ucsf-mission-bay-campus-countrys-largest-biomedical-university-expansio/)
• Collaboration with Rockefeller University to look at therapeutic antibody potency (http://www.scienceblog.com/community/older/2000/D/200003674.html)

Genzyme

Who

• 2007, US$2.89B operating income, $3.81B revenue ("Genzyme," Wikipedia)

What

• Cerezyme (treats Gaucher's disease) accounts for 30% of company's revenue
• Renagel, for dialysis patients
• Fabrazyme, for Fabry's disease

Where

• Cambridge

Commons-Based, Peer-Production, and Open Access News

• Developing community support groups for victims of the diseases it treats (e.g. http://www.fabrycommunity.com/global/fc_p_hp_homepage.asp)
  • Complete list of communities at: http://www.genzyme.com/home/global_sites.asp
• Has established registry for victims of Gaucher's disease (https://www.lsdregistry.net/gaucherregistry/)
• All company-sponsored clinical trials registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (http://www.genzymeclinicalresearch.com/)
• Partial catalog of researchers' publications (http://www.genzyme.com/research/patents/pat_home.asp)
• Grants for science education and health-services in local communities (http://www.genzyme.com/commitment/community/grant_application.asp)
• Building outreach into China. Will establish research center there by 2010. Will it support universities there? (http://www.genzyme.com/corp/media/GENZ%20PR-042208.asp#TopOfPage)

Gilead Sciences

Who

• 3,400 hundred employees (http://www.gilead.com/corporate_fact_sheet)
• Growth based in large part on acquisition of other companies

What

• Products for HIV/AIDS, respiratory and heart conditions, and liver disease
• Over a dozen drugs in the development pipeline, Phase I or later

Where

• Foster City, California

News

• 1990 reaches agreement with Glaxo to research and develop "antisense" -- genetic code blockers
• Goes public in 1992
• 1996 - first commercial product, Vistide, treats cytomegalovirus
• 1999 - acquires NeXstar Pharmaceuticals
• 2003 acquires Triangle Pharmaceuticals
• 2006, FDA approves Atripla for HIV-victims
• 2006 acquires Corus Pharma, Inc.
• 2006 acquires Myogen, Inc.
• 2006 acquires Raylo Chemicals, a pharma producer - is Gilead Sciences trying to become a pharma company?

Commons-Based, Peer-Production, and Open Access News

• Gilead seems to have created an HIV/AIDS Clinical Cooperation Grant (http://www.gilead-grant.de/disclaimer.html)
• publishes the results of clinical trials
• Collaboration with UCSF on HIV targets (http://today.ucsf.edu/stories/gilead-sciences-and-gladstone-to-collaborate-on-hiv-targets/)
• Project to bring HIV/AIDS drugs to third-world (http://www.gilead.com/access_developing_world)
• Foundation for bringing healthcare to under-served communities (http://www.gilead.com/Gilead_Foundation)

Biogen Idec

What

• Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's disease, and a treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma which is co-marketed with Genentech
• Most revenue derived from Avonex, it's MS treatment

Where

• Kendall Scquare, Cambridge
• from Wikipedia: commercial affiliates in "Germany, France, Spain/Portugal, UK/Ireland, the Benelux, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, and Austria"
• Research centers in San Diego and Research Triangle Park, N.C.

News

• 2003, Biogen and IDEC merge

Commons-Based, Peer-Production, and Open Access News

• Gives educational grants to med schools (http://www.biogenidec.com/site/community-relations.html)
• Sponsors "Citi Biotech Day" (http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/health-care/biogen-idec-present-th-annual-citi-biotech-day/)
• Has US$100million venture capital fund to encourage Biotech research
• Cooperated with Genentech to research and produce lymphoma treatment
• Biogen Idec Innovation Incubator (bi3) seems to be a way for Biogen to buy start-up ventures (http://www.biogenidec.com/site/biogen-idec-innovation-incubator.html)
• Student labs for high school students in Cambridge and San Diego (http://www.biogenidec.com/site/community-relations.html)

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