Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - July 2008 - (Page 6)

6 News & Analysis July 2008 Pharmaceutical Executive Europe News & Analysis For more on these news stories and all the latest breaking pharma news, look at our website www.pharmexeceurope.com, which now features daily updates, interactive surveys and dedicated sections for your particular area of interest. NEWS UK biotech turns to war Biotech industry theorists and practitioners gathered in London this month to ‘play’ a new wargame, which draws on strategic military techniques to tackle the current lack of funding that is threatening the sector. The UK Biotech Business Development Wargame, the brainchild of the Bioscience Futures Forum, has been designed to generate and test innovative ideas to change the investment climate. “Without sustained investment, the UK biotechnology sector will find it impossible to convert innovative bioscience into new medicines,” warned Gill Samuels, chair of the Bioscience Futures Forum. “The wargame will provide new insights into what has become an entrenched problem around financing the UK industry, and we believe this has the potential to make a significant contribution to its future.” The lack of investment in the UK biotechnology sector has reached a critical level and a significant number of companies have less than 12 months’ cash left to fund their research programmes. Conversely, the US has 50 biotech companies that have achieved a market capitalisation of more than $1 billion (€643 million), compared with only two in the UK. It is hoped that the wargame will help find solutions to the UK's biotechnology economic problems. The game will simulate the progression of a commercially funded biotech company whose valuation is assessed by the results of its clinical trials. Feedback from the game can be found at http://www.bffwargame.com/index.htm “Sanofi Pasteur's commitment to global health is exemplified by significant investments in vaccine production infrastructures,” said Wayne Pisano, president and CEO of Sanofi Pasteur. “The new facility will provide a high-end production work environment for dedicated people who produce vaccines for the world.” In addition to the production plant, a further €100 million is being spent on a building, which will be used for the formulation of vaccines. and biotech company which employs 7500 people and which had sales of around $670 million last year. The 10-year agreement covers a range of oral and skin treatments. Sinclair will initially provide finished products to Wockhardt, but switch to local manufacture as soon as possible. What CEOs want A new survey to be released later this month points to people skills and talent shortages as the biggest concerns for pharma CEOs. Regulatory concerns follow closely, according to the sixth annual IBM Global CEO Study (which is the first one to feature a life science component). Collaboration was identified as a key area in need of improvement, with CEOs looking to formulate new alliances and partnerships to generate new ideas. According to IBM, CEOs are examining other industries that have gone through similar transformations in recent years to better ascertain what they need to do to survive the recent changes in pipeline and patent expirations. For more information, visit Pharmaceutical Executive’s website. Roche in anti-cancer agent deal ThromboGenics and BioInvent International have entered into a license agreement with Roche for their jointly developed anti-cancer agent TB-403. Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay ThromboGenics and BioInvent and upfront payment of €50 million. The two companies could also receive an additional €450 million based on the completion of certain development and commercial milestones and Sinclair’s passage to India Sinclair Pharma (UK), a specialty pharmaceutical company, has concluded its first marketing distribution agreement in India. The agreement was signed with Wockhardt, an Indian pharmaceutical Sanofi opens €100 million plant Sanofi Pasteur has opened a new €100 million vaccination production plant in Val de Reuil, France. The company, a division of sanofi-aventis, says that the plant has been designed to be capable of the rapid production of immunisation drugs in the event of an influenza pandemic. Another A nglo-Indian collaborati on is agre ed. Richard Ro ss/Getty Im ages http://www.pharmexeceurope.com http://www.bffwargame.com/index.htm http://www.bffwargame.com/index.htm http://www.bff-wargame.com http://www.bff-wargame.com http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/News/Pharma-CEOs-Expound-on-Industry-Change/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/527131?contextCategoryId=43753 http://pharmexec.findpharma.com/pharmexec/News/Pharma-CEOs-Expound-on-Industry-Change/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/527131?contextCategoryId=43753

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - July 2008

Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - July 2008
Contents
From the Editor
News and Analysis
Calendar
The Long Shadow of January
Biotech in the War Zone
Just Do It
Patient Power!
Keep Talking
Partnering with the Patient
Vivre la Differentiation

Pharmaceutical Executive Europe - July 2008