The Scientist 14[20]:1, Oct. 16, 2000


NEWS

Biotech Needs Collaborations, Joint Ventures

Necessary for survival in today's world, partnering also has its perils

By Arielle Emmett

The biotech industry can no longer survive as a city of independent ventures. Collaborations, commercial alliances, joint ventures--a web of scientific, manufacturing, sales, and financial partnerships--is now the norm rather than the exception. Overwhelming benefits have resulted in terms of a faster pipeline for new drugs and technologies, survival financing for emerging companies, international partnerships, and joint distributorships for drugs. Many young-company officials say they must collaborate to compete. But perils do exist, and many successful biotech companies are beginning to spend more time and resources to figure out how to end relationships gracefully, not just begin them.

Snapshots of industry collaborations are revealing for what they achieve and don't achieve. For example, Biosite, a San Diego-based biotech company with specialties in human antibody...

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