Sinners, Repent? No. Scientists, Relent!
Reading last weekend’s Wall Street Journal review of “The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It” I was struck by an anecdote. It’s about an interview the reviewer did with a scientist who works in the field…
Conference Etiquette – is There an App for That?
There’s a new contagious condition circulating that has even infected the biotech sector: e-Distraction, with bad manner side effects of indecorum, insensitivity and more. The wealthy are often regarded as egocentric and out of touch with reality by the 99…
And the Bio-Oscar Goes to . . .
I have a fondness for the movies and I perform a function in the biotechnology market, so it’s a bonus when I can combine the two. I’ve written about the correlation between the movie and drug businesses before, so indulge…
Is H5N1 Easy to Catch Already? Is That Good News?
The virus in the 2011 movie Contagion ‑ about a rapidly spreading, highly lethal virus and the panic that ensues ‑ is based partly on the H5N1 bird flu virus. Scientists have lauded Contagion for its scientific accuracy in showing…
The Death of ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’?
Unlike every other country in the world at the time, the U.S. founded its judicial system on the premise “innocent until proven guilty.” Under that guiding principle, the burden of proof – in any enforcement action – lies with the…
What Would Albus Do? And What Should We?
There’s a story, sometimes used to illustrate the difference between counseling and research psychology, about a man who pulls out one, then a second, then a third drowning person out of a river. When he sees a fourth, he starts…
Licensing or Acquisition? Big Pharma Shares How They (and YOU) Decide
When I was at the Biocom Global Life Science Partnering Conference last week, one of the more interesting debates I heard was about whether it’s better to in-license an asset or acquire the whole company.
The FDA: Stuck in 1984
While 2012 has dawned everywhere else in the world, it’s still 1984 at the FDA. With its Bad Ad program, whistle-blower suits and spotters of conference crimespeak serving as its globalwise eyes and ears, the agency has adopted Big Brother…
Like Warren Buffett, J&J Throws Down Incubator Gauntlet . . .Who’s Next?
When people talk about Johnson and Johnson’s new San Diego incubator, Janssen Labs, they can’t help but be a little bit skeptical about the fact that J&J isn’t taking any options or first-rights to compounds developed by its incubator tenants….
San Diego Scene: Sanford-Burnham Queuing Up Behind J&J to Launch Incubator
The San Diego biotech industry has been buzzing this week with the grand opening of Johnson and Johnson’s new incubator, Janssen Labs. But already plans for another San Diego incubator are being laid, this time at the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research…
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