Forbes takes a close look at Genentech's new venture in immunology. After a string of huge successes in oncology, its researchers will now be judged by their success in a new field. Scientist Andy Chan has been brought in from UC San Francisco to help search for more effective therapies for rheumatoid arthritis [1]. He's looking to new advances in genomics to identify the right approach. It's a risky bet, with some high-profile programs in the field that have already experienced trouble. RA drugs also aren't likely to fetch the big prices that cancer therapies can command.
"When I first came to Genentech," research chief Susan Desmond-Hellmann tells Forbes, "we were just starting to develop Avastin. Right now, immunology feels that way."
- read the article [2] on Genentech from Forbes
Related Articles:
Genentech hiring researchers in big R&D push. Report [3]
Genentech inks $300M pact with AC Immune. Report [4]
Autoimmune disease research points to new therapies. Report [5]
Links:
[1] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/story/scientists-unveil-new-pathway-for-rheumatoid-arthritis/2006-08-17
[2] http://www.forbes.com/home/business/2007/01/25/genentech-new-direction-biz-cz_mh_0126genentech.html
[3] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/genentech-hiring-researchers-in-big-rd-push/2007-01-10
[4] http://www.fiercebiotech.com/story/genentech-inks-300m-pact-with-swiss-biotech/2006-12-07
[5] http://www.fiercebioresearcher.com/story/autoimmune-disease-research-points-to-new-therapies/2007-01-25