First, hat's off to Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello for winning the Nobel prize in medicine for their work in RNA interference. The prize is a boon not only to the scientists, whose work has had a profound influence on our understanding of the way genes affect disease, but also to the biotech companies who have staked out RNAi as their focus for new therapies. An endorsement of this kind enhances their prospects and spotlights their field.
Next, I'd like to get the ball rolling on our fifth annual Fierce 15 issue. Veteran readers will know that every year we select 15 up-and-coming private biotech companies that show tremendous promise in the field of drug discovery. We won't be announcing '07 winners until the spring, but this is a good time to get your thoughts on which biotech companies seem to stand out so far this year. You can e-mail them to me. Just list the reasons why you think they should be on the list and send it off. I'm keeping a short-list of prospective candidates and as we head in to the fourth quarter, it's time to brush it off. We have several different types of sponsorships available for the Fierce 15. - John Carroll