Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
established pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. Genentech developed recombinant human insulin,
which was then marketed by Eli Lilly under the trade name Humulin. The merger of biotech capabil-
ity with pharmaceutical experience helped accelerate development of the biopharmaceutical sector.
Many of the earlier biopharmaceutical companies no longer exist. The overall level of specu-
lative fi nance available was not suffi cient to sustain them all long term (it can take 6-10 years
and US$800 million to develop a single drug; Chapter 4). Furthermore, the promise and hype of
biotechnology sometimes exceeded its ability actually to deliver a fi nal product. Some biophar-
maceutical substances showed little effi cacy in treating their target condition, and/or exhibited
unacceptable side effects. Mergers and acquisitions also led to the disappearance of several biop-
harmaceutical concerns. Table 1.4 lists many of the major pharmaceutical concerns which now
manufacture/market biopharmaceuticals approved for general medical use. Box 1.1 provides a
profi le of three well-established dedicated biopharmaceutical companies.
Box 1.1
Amgen, Biogen and Genentech
Amgen, Biogen and Genentech represent three pioneering biopharmaceutical companies that
still remain in business.
Founded in the 1980s as AMGen (Applied Molecular Genetics), Amgen now employs over
9000 people worldwide, making it one of the largest dedicated biotechnology companies in
existence. Its headquarters are situated in Thousand Oaks, California, although it has re-
search, manufacturing, distribution and sales facilities worldwide. Company activities focus
upon developing novel (mainly protein) therapeutics for application in oncology, infl ammation,
bone disease, neurology, metabolism and nephrology. By mid 2006, seven of its recombinant
products had been approved for general medical use (the EPO-based products 'Aranesp' and
'Epogen' (Chapter 10), the CSF-based products 'Neupogen' and 'Neulasta' (Chapter 10), as
well as the interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist 'Kineret', the anti-rheumatoid arthritis fu-
sion protein Enbrel (Chapter 9) and the keratinocyte growth factor 'Kepivance', indicated for
the treatment of severe oral mucositis. Total product sales for 2004 reached US$9.9 billion.
In July 2002, Amgen acquired Immunex Corporation, another dedicated biopharmaceutical
company founded in Seattle in the early 1980s.
Biogen was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1978 by a group of leading molecular
biologists. Currently, its global headquarters are located in Cambridge, MA, and it employs in
excess of 2000 people worldwide. The company developed and directly markets the interferon-
based product 'Avonex' (Chapter 8), but also generates revenues from sales of other Biogen-
discovered products that are licensed to various other pharmaceutical companies. These include
Schering Plough's 'Intron A' (Chapter 8) and a number of hepatitis B-based vaccines sold by
SmithKline Beecham (SKB) and Merck (Chapter 13).
Genentech was founded in 1976 by scientist Herbert Boyer and the venture capitalist Robert
Swanson. Headquartered in San Francisco, it employs almost 5000 staff worldwide and has 10
protein-based products on the market. These include hGHs (Nutropin, Chapter 11), the anti-
body-based products 'Herceptin' and 'Rituxan' (Chapter 13) and the thrombolytic agents 'Ac-
tivase' and 'TNKase' (Chapter 12). The company also has 20 or so products in clinical trials.
In 2004, it generated some US$4.6 billion in revenues.
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