Roche (Basel, Switzerland) announced last week that it signed a drug-development deal worth up to $1.1 billion with the biopharmaceutical company Aileron Therapeutics (Cambridge, MA) to discover, develop, and commercialize “stapled peptides,” or drug candidates that use peptide-stabilization technology to enhance potency and cell permeability. So are stapled peptides a potential magic bullet in biopharmaceutical development? Read more »

Now it’s official. Rumors about sanofi-aventis’s (Paris) desire to purchase Genzyme (Cambridge, MA) have stirred speculation for weeks. The French drugmaker laid its cards on the table on Sunday by publishing its offer letter to Henri Termeer, Genzyme’s CEO. Sanofi proposed to pay $69 in cash per Genzyme share, or a total of about $18.5 billion, to acquire the biologics manufacturer. On Friday, Genzyme shares closed at $67.62.

Termeer’s response came this morning. It can be summed up in two words: nothing doing. Read more »

Have you ever allowed yourself what you thought was ample time to drive somewhere, only to be delayed by a construction crew that was repairing the roads? Obviously, things don’t always work out as we plan them. Judging by its latest announcement about its facility ameliorations, Genzyme (Cambridge, MA) must have learned this lesson, too. Read more »

In the current economic slump, generic versions of branded drugs have become a bigger thorn in innovators’ sides than before. To safeguard their profits for just a bit longer, many companies have paid generic-drug manufacturers to delay the introduction of their products to the market. US and European authorities have called these arrangements anticompetitive, though, and events on Capitol Hill last week indicate that they might not be tolerated much longer. Read more »

There is no secret that China’s role in the current and future global pharmaceutical market is and will be substantial, but the mindset for Western pharmaceutical companies has largely focused on the opportunity in that country. In looking at recent investment trends, however, perhaps the bio/pharmaceutical industry needs to more fully consider the potential competition from domestic Chinese pharmaceutical companies. Read more »

The field of synthetic biology took a step forward last week with the news that researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JVCI, Rockville, MD), a genomic-research organization founded and headed by J. Craig Venter, who helped map the human genome, had successfully constructed the first self-replicating synthetic cell. The work lays the possibility for advancing the technology one day into developing pharmaceuticals, vaccines, biofuels, and other industrial products. Read more »

Research and development (R&D) scientists may have been feeling down in the dumps lately. Many of them have lost their jobs in the last few months as a result of mergers and cost-cutting projects. But these sometimes underappreciated workers may soon get more respect, thanks to a US government initiative. Read more »

The dust has partly settled since President Obama signed the “Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010.” By now, analysts have had a chance to examine the act’s details and get a sense of what practical effects the legislation will have. So what will healthcare reform mean for pharmaceutical manufacturers? Read more »

Big biopharmaceutical companies likely struck up a chorus of “We’re in the Money” upon hearing Ernst and Young’s report that the world’s established biotechnology markets achieved profitability in 2009 for the first time ever. Mostly by dint of cost cutting, major players such as Genzyme (Cambridge, MA) moved out of the red and into the black. Making a profit was no small feat during the economic downturn, and large biopharmaceutical companies have a right to celebrate. Small companies and startups, however, are more likely to sing along with Bob Dylan, “It’s not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ there.” Read more »

Spring is in the air, and it’s time for a trip to the Javits Center for the annual INTERPHEX conference and exhibition. The editors of Pharmaceutical Technology and BioPharm International have arranged a series of interviews during the conference. We’ll be talking to pharmaceutical professionals, information-technology experts, and regulators about current challenges in manufacturing and about what the future might bring. Read more »