With more than 1,700 exhibitors, 60-plus Pavilions and Product Focus Zones, and more than 19,000 attendees from around the world, the annual BIO conference once again promises to be the premier global event for the biotechnology industry. Biotechnology represents big business in the United States and around the world. The impact that bio has is supported by the fact that almost every state in the union will be present when the doors of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, open on May 6. According to industry analysts at Battelle, more than half of the nation’s 361 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) have a specialization (employment concentration that is 20% greater than the national average) in at least one of the four major bioscience subsectors. And 13 MSAs have an employment specialization in three of the four major bioscience subsectors; while two have a specialization in all four subsectors — Lincoln, Neb., and Madison, Wisc. (For more information on MSAs, please turn to page 14.) With the market for biopharmaceuticals expected to reach $98.8 billion in total revenue in 2011, almost twice its 2005 revenue of $59.5 billion, according to the San Francisco-based analyst group visiongain Inc., it’s no wonder that states are eager to court domestic and international biotech companies and suppliers to their environs. We are honored to feature the insights from five Governors of biotech-centric states in this special VIEW on Biotechnology Forum. These leaders provide their predictions on where the industry is headed; they discuss their plans for increasing their states’ footprint in the biotech arena, and what they believe are the greatest challenges to achieve sustainable success. Success could yield tremendous dividends; visiongain analysts predict that by 2011, 50% of all drugs approved will be a biopharmaceutical. Additionally, analysts at visiongain say in stark contrast to the pharmaceutical market, the biotech market is still growing significantly with constantly innovative products. Proven methods, such as intravenous infusion and intramuscular/subcutaneous injection, have remained the standard mode of administration, with the novelty coming from new, improved protein therapeutics. The biotech market has demonstrated growth at a stronger rate than the overall market, and according to industry sources, biological drugs now account for around 10% to 15% of the current pharmaceutical market. One possible shadow is the looming patent expirations of many biopharmaceutical products. This, combined with the potential cost savings for healthcare providers, is driving interest in the potential of biosimilars. According to many analysts and experts, however, it is far more complicated to produce and distribute biogeneric drugs than conventional pharmaceuticals. “As with any type of generic, there is the natural hurdle of reproducibility,” says Belinda Tsao-Nivaggioli, Ph.D., CEO of Avicena Group Inc. “Any company that would hope to produce a biogeneric would have to be certain of quality, purity, stringent manufacturing, and production standards, as well as bioequivalency and bioavailability results that match those of the approved nongenerics.” (Please turn to page 10 for more executive-level insights.) Taren Grom Editor Taren Grom We look forward to discussing the latest industry trends at BIO 2007. Please stop by Booth 2924 to say hello. Letter from the Editor April 2007 VIEW on Biotechnology
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Letter from the Editor
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