There's more than one way to build a biotech company. And this year's Fierce 15 companies reflect a range of companies operating with a spectrum of business models.
There are virtual companies on this year's list with only a handful of staffers, others with dozens on board. Some have a plentiful supply of venture dollars, others make do with lean-and-mean budgets. A select group are pursuing plans to go the distance on clinical programs, others are clearly styling themselves for a buyout. All of them have done outstanding work.
One of the executives for this year's Fierce 15 asked me recently how many companies we consider before we select the final list. It's not as easy an answer as you might think. There were more than 200 nominations filed from readers, and I promise you we considered each and every one of them before putting this project to bed. But there were also plenty of instances of one-on-one requests--emails, phone calls, tweets--that come with the territory of writing a daily report on the global industry. And every time a biotech does something remarkable, Executive Editor Ryan McBride and I will file it away in the memory banks for further reflection.
Click here to view a video of FierceBiotech Editor John Carroll announcing the Fierce 15 at BioPharm America >>
After doing this for 10 years, it would be nice to say we've perfected the process. But perfection doesn't exist in the biotech field. We strive to do great work. And I'm happy to say we've attracted more than 100,000 subscribers since we completed our first Fierce 15 back way back in 2003. But believe me, some of these Fierce 15 companies will succeed, others will fail--some spectacularly. If anything, the growing appetite for risk reflected in this year's Fierce 15 raises the odds against successful drug development.
There are, of course, a number of you out there who made the short list but fell out of the final round. Keep up the good work, though. Next year we'll be back with our 11th Fierce 15 report, and hard work along with exceptional results will be rewarded. Always.
Until then, click on to the 2012 Fierce 15 and our tribute to the innovators in biotech. -- John Carroll, editor-in-chief. Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn.