The annual hunt officially begins today. It's a hunt that involves the biggest ideas in biotech, the most daring characters in biopharma, and entrepreneurs doing things that have never been done before. Fierce 15 season has arrived, meaning that our online nomination form is live and the process of selecting companies for the annual list has begun.
Expect a new twist or two in the 2012 Fierce 15 list, which our staff has worked hard to improve every year since its debut in 2003 (see below for a collection of previous reports). Yet the fundamentals of the special report will remain the same: 15 privately held drug developers or platform biotech outfits (please, no public companies) with the potential to have a huge impact on the treatment of human diseases. In the past, we've selected many companies with solid venture-capital backing, major pharma partnerships and all-star executive rosters. Yet none of those things are requirements.
We don't care where a company is headquartered. In fact, we're hoping that companies outside of the main U.S. biotech hubs get their fair share of attention this year. Could this be the first year a Chinese company makes the list? Still, we do like to see a dedication to the best qualities in the biotech industry, including commitment to improving care for patients, transparent business practices and, among other things, taking necessary risks to create value for all stakeholders involved in a venture.
Reader nominations weigh heavily into the selection process, led by FierceBiotech Editor-in-Chief John Carroll. Please use the online survey to submit your nominations. Please get your nominations in before the end of June, and look for the Fierce 15 report in September. -- Ryan McBride (Twitter | email)
- FierceBiotech's 2011 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2010 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2009 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2008 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2007 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2006 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2005 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2004 Fierce 15
- FierceBiotech's 2003 Fierce 15