Research and Markets: U.S. Market for Orthopedic Biomaterials 2010 Reveals in 2009 the Orthopedic Biomaterials Market was Valued at Almost $3.5 Billio

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets(http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e4f5eb/u_s_market_for_or) has announced the addition of the "U.S. Market for Orthopedic Biomaterials 2010 (Executive Summary)" report to their offering.

In 2009, the orthopedic biomaterials market was valued at almost $3.5 billion. The total orthopedic biomaterials market has experienced growth, despite the economic downturn, which began in 2008. The market started to spike in 2009 and peaked in 2010 largely driven by rapid growth in the stem cell, hyaluronic acid and synthetic bone graft substitute market segments.

This comprehensive report critically examines the following market segments:

• Bone graft substitutes
• Cartilage repair
• Growth factors
• Hyaluronic acid
• Machined allografts
• Resorbable fixation
• Stem cells
• Tendon grafts
• Platelet rich plasma
• Bone marrow concentration systems

This report provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of market revenues by device type, market forecasts through 2016, unit sales, average selling prices, market drivers and limiters and a detailed competitive analysis, including manufacturer market shares and product portfolios.

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

1.1 Total Orthopedic Biomaterials Market

1.2 Growth Factor And Bone Graft Substitute Market

1.3 Machined Bone Allograft Market

1.4 Hyaluronic Acid Viscosupplementation Market

1.5 Resorbable Fixation Device Market

1.6 Tendon Graft Market

1.7 Cartilage Repair Market

1.8 Platelet And Bone Marrow Concentration Market

1.9 Stem Cell Market

1.10 Leading Competitors

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e4f5eb/u_s_market_for_or

Advances in Tissue Engineering 2010

Advances in Tissue Engineering 2010
18th Annual Short Course
August 11 through 14, 2010
Rice University, Houston, Texas Focusing on advances in the science and technology of tissue engineering and featuring leading scientists from Rice University, the Texas Medical Center, industry, and other institutions.
The course will survey the latest knowledge and technologies in the world of patient-specific therapeutics - from transplantation of cells and tissues to artificial organs. Course Features Program & Speakers

CONTACT AND INFORMATION

BIOTRIBOLOGY: The Tribology of Living Tissues

BIOTRIBOLOGY

The study of friction, lubrication and wear in biological systems, specifically articular joints.

As in man-made machines, excessive wear and tear of moving parts can cause grave breakdowns in the human body. When artificial materials such as polyethylene or titanium perform poorly in the real world of bone, muscle and blood, a special subset of tribologists are summoned. These specialists in biological friction and lubrication-called biotribologists-are helping medical researchers understand wear-related breakdowns and create treatments that get the body up and running again.

With 206 bones in the adult human body, powered by about 600 muscles, there is much to understand and much that can go wrong, tribologically speaking. In addition to bones and muscle, the body relies on many other moving parts: the beating heart, chewing teeth and blinking eyes. The body also produces its own unique lubricants-tears, saliva and synovial joint fluid-which biotribologists must understand as completely as their counterparts in machine labs grasp the properties of oil and synthetic lubricants.

"From a scientific viewpoint, there are many interesting questions about the tribology of moving tissues," says Myron Spector, professor of orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. "In the human body many tissues move in relation to one another, and the body has to allow for that movement or the tissue will split and break down."

MAKING HIP REPLACEMENTS LAST

Artificial hips are widely considered the most successful advance in orthopedic surgery in the last 100 years. With its high success rate, hip replacement surgery offers people with diseased joints not only freedom from pain but also the chance to walk, run or even dance again. An estimated 300,000 people in the United States undergo hip-replacement procedure each year.

Still, the success is incomplete. Based on the wear characteristics of their component materials, artificial hips should last a patient's lifetime. But in reality these devices last only 12 to 15 years in the human body. Replacing them means another major surgery for the patient.

Biotribology on the microscale and nanoscale

20 January 2009

Prof Ille C. Gebeshuber Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia http://www.ille.com

Category:

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology Biochemistry Engineering Engineering (miscellaneous), Mechanics of Materials Materials Science Biomaterials Physics and Astronomy Surfaces and Interfaces

Biotribologists gather information about biological surfaces inrelative motion, their friction, adhesion, lubrication, and wear, and apply this knowledge to technological innovation as well as to thedevelopment of environmentally sound products.

In micro- and nanotribology, at least one of the two interacting surfaces in relative motion has a relatively small mass, and the interaction occurs mainly under lightly loaded conditions. In this situation, negligible wear occurs and the surface properties dominate the tribological performance (Bhushan 2000). Biological systems also excel at this scale and might serve as templates for developing the next generation of tools based on nano- and micrometer scale technologies (Scherge and Gorb 2001).

A few examples of biological systems with amazing tribological properties at the micro- and nanoscale level are given below:

* Diatoms arealgae just a couple of micrometers in size (Round, Crawford and Mann 1990) that have rigid surfaces inrelative motion and have evolved self-healing adhesives, nanostructuredamorphous silica surfaces, and interconnected junctions (Gebeshuber 2007, Gebeshuber and Crawford 2006, Gebeshuber et al 2002).

* White blood cells serve as the police of the body's immune system. Theyflow in the blood stream and have to be stopped at the site of aninflammation. An exquisite arrangement of different, switchableadhesives enables controlled deployment of anti-inflammatory agents inour bodies (Orsello et al 2001).

* The Gecko can easily climb up walls and run on ceilings. The measurement of the adhesive force exerted by a single Gecko hair (Autumn et al 2000) has opened a new field of research: dry adhesives.

*Tough underwater adhesives produced by diatoms and the molecular mechanistic origin of the ‘glue’ responsible for the high fracture resistance of the abalone shell (Smith et al 1999) conclude the biological examples.

Current synthetic adhesives and lubricants are not perfect, and the low friction coefficients in many natural systems are yet to be achieved in artificial systems. Technological innovations, completely new ideas, and unconventional approaches can all be learned from nature. These approaches have been tested and improved upon for millions of years; they are continuously being optimized with respect to their function and environment. The perfect material is not pure, homogenous, and with constant parameters, but can be controlled over time, has the capacity to self-repair, and disintegrates after disposal. Living systems possess all these abilities.

Biomicro- and nanotribology, the investigation of micro- and nanoscale tribological principles in biological systems, may be a path to realizing simultaneously ‘smart’, dynamic, complex, environmentally friendly (nontoxic, biodegradable, able to be integrated in biogeochemical cycles without sinks), self-healing, and multifunctional lubricants and adhesives. A biomimetic and bioinspired approach to tribology should therefore be considered further (Gebeshuber and Drack 2008).

Stem cells 'can treat diabetes'

An experimental stem cell treatment has enabled patients with type 1 diabetes to go for as long as four years without insulin injections, researchers say.

A US-Brazilian project with 23 patients found most were able to produce their own insulin after a transplant of stem cells from their own bone marrow.

Even those who relapsed needed less insulin than before.

But writing in the journal JAMA, the team warned the treatment may only work in those very recently diagnosed.

The treatment is designed to stop the immune systems of those with type 1 diabetes, a condition which usually develops in childhood, from mistakenly destroying the cells which create insulin.

To measure its effectiveness, team from Northwestern University in the US and the Regional Blood Centre in Brazil, looked at levels of C-peptides, which show how well the body is producing insulin.

Twenty of the 23 patients who received the treatment became insulin-free - one for as long as four years. Eight had to return to insulin injections, but at reduced levels.

The treatment did not work in three of the patients, and it was also unlikely to work in patients more than three months after diagnosis of diabetes, said Dr Richard Burt of Northwestern. This was because by this stage, the immune system had destroyed the body's islet cells.

It was also unlikely to be have any therapeutic benefits for those with type 2 diabetes, mainly associated with obesity, as these patients still make insulin.

Dr Iain Frame, director of research at Diabetes UK, said: "although this remains an interesting area of research, the importance of a limited extension to this study should not be overstated - this is not a cure for Type 1 diabetes."

He added: "we would like to see this experiment carried out with a control group for comparison of results and a longer-term follow up in a greater number of people.

"It is important that the researchers look at the causes of the apparent improvement in insulin production and C-peptide levels in some participants. In particular, it is crucial to find out whether this is associated with the timing of the treatment or possible side effects of it rather than the stem cell transplant itself.

"It would be wrong to unnecessarily raise the hopes of people living with diabetes about a new treatment for the condition on the back of the evidence provided in this study."

-BBC News

European Society of Biomaterials 2009, Lausanne

Boom time for biomaterials

Rapid developments are afoot in the field of biomaterials, and are likely to have major effects on patient care soon. But science isn't the only thing defining the pace of progress.
Introduction
In this issue of Nature Materials we take a look at recent advances in the field of biomaterials — the study of interactions between in vivo or in vitro biological systems and materials — and look at what we can expect in the future. The move of modern biomaterials from lab to hospital may seem to be a rapid one, but humans have been augmenting the body with implants for centuries. As far back as 200 AD it is thought that iron dental implants were used in Europe, and the Mayans fashioned nacre teeth from sea shells around 600 AD; both types of material became integrated into the bone after implantation1.

Artificial human epidermis in a liquid-culture flask; new skin grafts grown from patients' own cells have lower risks of rejection.
Although what constitutes the very first biomaterial may remain somewhat ill-defined, it is clear that modern biomaterials are evolving at an intense pace. From simple implants like intraocular lenses, which restore sight to millions of cataract patients every year and were first used more than half a century ago, to more complex materials that not only perform mechanical tasks in the body, but can also interact with and even direct the body's response for maximum restorative power. Indeed, researchers are becoming adept at creating grafts and implants that don't only mimic the body, but actually encourage it to 'colonize' the foreign material itself, growing new skin, cartilage or blood vessels. This boom is in part a result of more specific knowledge about the human body at the cellular level. The improved understanding of body tissue and its interaction with materials, together with the increase in collaboration from scientists from different disciplines to help disseminate this knowledge and enable its use in engineering, has allowed the rapid developments that we are now seeing.
The step changes in the approach to biomaterials are examined in our special issue: the evolution of biomaterials from simple embedded devices to more complex functional materials that control biological interactions is examined in our Commentary from James Burns, who argues that it is likely to be the most prosperous research and development direction in the future for the field2. And developments in the field of tissue engineering are reviewed by Molly Stevens and colleagues3, who are of the opinion that the field is better served by trying to generate less complex materials that can stimulate the body to heal and improve itself using biology as a tool, rather than concentrating on more and more complex materials to replace body tissues themselves.
A field such as biomaterials touches on many ethical questions, from sample sources to how advances are deployed into clinical care across the population. The wider public, politicians and policy makers quite rightly have a role in considering these questions, resulting in research in this area regularly being scrutinized and influenced by external factors. For instance, a current research area in biomaterials focuses on how materials properties, such as mechanical elasticity or chemical properties, can influence the differentiation and growth of cells; indeed, this is a common theme for papers within our own pages4, 5. For this type of study, stem cells are of particular use, as they begin as unspecialized cells with the ability to grow into different types of cell depending on need. The well-publicized ethical debate surrounding the sourcing of stem cells from embryos has been going on for some years, and is not limited to those that are used in biomaterials studies.
On 9 March 2009, President Obama lifted restrictions laid down by the Bush administration on federal funding for research into new stem cell lines. A single embryo can provide a theoretically limitless source of stem cells as the line can be grown indefinitely. However, researchers have been in need of stem cell lines with more diverse genetic make up, including those with genetic problems such as Parkinson's and autoimmune diseases. Obama's move has freed US scientists to add to the currently available 21 stem cell lines, broadening research possibilities into specific genetic problems. Clearly, these political and ethical debates are needed, but some US researchers felt that the Bush administration's stance put them at a disadvantage compared with their colleagues in other countries6. Legal factors, such as the fear of litigation mentioned by Robert Langer in our interview7, will also have a role in what research scientists and companies are willing and able to undertake and fund.
Back in the biomaterials research lab, the multidisciplinary approach that is helping to fuel growth fits perfectly with the ethos of materials science in general, and reflects the tactics used by a large number of our authors and readers. We look forward to seeing what happens next, and hope that science, not external factors, will be the major determinant of the nature of future research and the speed with which these developments occur.
Top of page
References
Ratner, B. D. et al. Biomaterials Science: An Introduction to Materials in Medicine (Academic Press, 2004).
Burns, J. W. Nature Mater. 8, 441–443 (2009). Article
Place, E. S., Evans, N. D. & Stevens, M. M. Nature Mater. 8, 457–470 (2009). Article
Mitragotri, S. & Lahann, J. Nature Mater. 8, 15–23 (2009). Article ChemPort
Benoit, D. S. W., Schwartz, M. P., Durney, A. R. & Anseth, K. S. Nature Mater. 7, 816–823 (2008). Article ChemPort
Owen-Smith, J. & McCormick, J. Nature Biotech. 24, 391–392 (2006). Article PubMed ChemPort
Nature Mater. 8, 444–445 (2009). Article

Nature Materials 8, 439 (2009) doi:10.1038/nmat2451

Siemens Introduces Next-Generation Molecular Diagnostics Technology for HIV-1 Viral Load Testing

21/01/2009Siemens AG, Healthcare Sector
Siemens Healthcare received CE marking approval to sell the new VERSANT kPCR Molecular System and the VERSANT HIV-1 RNA 1.0 Assay (kPCR) for monitoring the viral load of HIV-1 infected patients who are undergoing antiviral therapy. Viral load testing measures the plasma levels of the virus, which is critical when monitoring and guiding patients’ HIV therapy. "With nearly three million people diagnosed as HIV positive each year, innovation to improve both workflow and patient care is critical,” said Donal Quinn, CEO, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. “We are pleased to offer clinical laboratories leading-edge molecular technology that supports effective diagnosis and treatment of this challenging and devastating infectious disease." The VERSANT kPCR Molecular System, a kinetic polymerase chain reaction analyzer, delivers excellent assay performance with high sensitivity and broad range. The system delivers versatility through its quality nucleic acid extraction technology and ability to streamline workflow and improve efficiency in the clinical laboratory. The fully automated system offers enhanced software that interfaces with medical Laboratory Information Systems, which are used to download patient work-orders and upload patient test results. “The VERSANT kPCR Molecular System represents a significant expansion of our molecular diagnostics portfolio that will allow us to offer a growing menu of infectious disease and genomic tests, as well as sample preparation solutions for our customers,” said David Okrongly, senior vice president, molecular diagnostics, Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics. The VERSANT HIV-1 1.0 Assay (kPCR) is run on the VERSANT kPCR Molecular System and allows viral load changes to be distinguished accurately, improving HIV viral load management. It also demonstrates excellent precision across the entire reporting range and equivalent detection of HIV RNA genotypes.

Early Detection of Increased Thrombosis Risk

02/02/2009Siemens AG, Healthcare Sector
Siemens Healthcare has developed Innovance Antithrombin, a new test for determining congenital and acquired antithrombin deficiency. Insufficient levels of protein in blood can lead to increased thrombophilia. Reason: Antithrombin ensures balanced blood coagulation by reducing the activity of thrombin and coagulation factor Xa which are responsible for blood coagulation. Innovance Antithrombin detects insufficient antithrombin activity, enabling the early detection of an increased risk of thrombosis in patients. Innovance Antithrombin by Siemens Healthcare is a new chromogenic test for the automatic quantification of functionally active antithrombin in human citrated plasma. In contrast to antithrombin activity tests based on the inhibition of the coagulation factor thrombin, Innovance Antithrombin determines the activity of the antithrombin protein through the inhibition of coagulation factor Xa. This prevents distortion of the test result if a patient was given specific medication to prevent or treat thromboses, such as hirudin or other thrombin inhibitors. Innovance Antithrombin can be used with the automatic coagulation measuring devices from Siemens such as BCS and BCS XP as well as Sysmex CA-500, Sysmex CA-1500 and Sysmex CA-7000. The new test by Siemens is also suitable for diagnosing congenital or acquired antithrombin deficiencies which are known to be linked with an increased risk of thrombosis. Antithrombin deficiencies manifest themselves in reduced activity of the antithrombin protein. Two types of congenital antithrombin deficiencies are distinguished: in case of deficiency type I, the total quantity of existing antithrombin protein is reduced, whereas in case of deficiency type II, the protein concentration is normal, but the protein is defective in respect of its inhibitor function. Acquired antithrombin deficiency exists if less antithrombin protein is produced or more is spent than usual. This may result, for example, from liver diseases, DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation), sepsis, acute hemolytic transfusion reaction, nephrotic syndrome or major surgical interventions. The test can also serve for monitoring the substitution therapy with antithrombin concentrates. The test kit components of Innovance Antithrombin are ready for use and therefore especially fast and easy to use. The test is based on a chromogenic measurement principle. Citrated plasma is mixed with a surplus of coagulation factor Xa. If heparin is present, part of coagulation factor Xa is bonded and deactivated by the antithrombin present in the specimen. Surplus, uninhibited coagulation factor Xa then splits a chromogenic substrate. In this process, coloring is released, the concentration of which is detected with a photometer. The higher the concentration of the produced coloring, the higher was the quantity of uninhibited coagulation factor Xa and the lower was the concentration of functionally active antithrombin originally present in the plasma specimen.

Infection: New Mode Found Of How Diseases Evolve

Researchers found a new way that bacteria evolve into something that can make humans sick. 20/02/2009
Researchers have discovered a new way that bacteria evolve into something that can make sick. The finding has implications for how scientists identify and assign risk to emerging diseases in the environment. The researchers found that bacteria can develop into illness-causing pathogens by rewiring regulatory DNA, the genetic material that controls disease-causing genes in a body. Previously, disease evolution was thought to occur mainly through the addition or deletion of genes. "Bacterial cells contain about 5,000 different genes, but only a fraction of them are used at any given time," Brian Coombes, lead investigator of the study, said. "The difference between being able to cause disease, or not cause disease, lies in where, when and what genes in this collection are turned on. We have discovered how bacteria evolve to turn on just the right combination of genes in order to cause disease in a host. It is similar to playing a musical instrument – you have to play the right keys in the right order to make music." With infectious diseases on the rise, the finding has implications on how new pathogens are identified in the environment. Scientists currently monitor the risk of new diseases by assessing the gene content of bacteria found in water, food and animals. "This opens up significant new challenges for us as we move forward with this idea of assigning risk to new pathogens," Coombes said. "Because now, we know it's not just gene content – it is gene content plus regulation of those genes." MEDICA.de; Source: McMaster University

Firms gloomier on outlook -By Robin Chan & Fiona Chan

PESSIMISM is increasingly taking hold of local companies with most now resigned that things will get worse over the next few months.
The weak sentiment is affecting industries across the economic spectrum, from hotels to petroleum and manufacturing. 'Firms are becoming more realistic in their outlook,' said HSBC economist Prakriti Sofat. 'There is no escaping the fact that things are deteriorating much faster than expected.'
All clusters within the manufacturing sector are downbeat, according to a survey conducted among about 390 firms by the Economic Development Board in recent weeks.
And about 60 per cent of the 1,400 services companies surveyed by the Department of Statistics also anticipate slower business in the wake of the global economic decline.
The most downbeat industries in manufacturing are computer peripherals and petroleum while hotels in the services sector are mired in gloom with 100 per cent of those surveyed believing that there is no way but down.
All other sectors have at least a few firms which believe that things will improve by June.
A comparison with the same survey last October provides a stark illustration of just how quickly sentiment has deteriorated.
Last October, four in 10 hotels, restaurants and caterers were still optimistic. They predicted a brighter outlook for March this year, with more than 90 per cent expecting to keep the same number of jobs or hire more people by the year-end.
Now not a single hotel surveyed in the recent poll retains such optimism.
Manufacturing is almost as grim. Last October, only 18 per cent of firms were pessimistic but now that has rocketed, with 57 per cent of manufacturers expecting conditions to worsen in the next six months.
All manufacturing industries apart from biomedical manufacturing are predicting job cuts in the next few months. They believe output will fall across the board, ranging from a 14 per cent decrease in food, beverages and tobacco production to a 100 per cent drop in some electronic modules and components.
One of the few bright spots is pharmaceutical firms, with 26 per cent believing that things will look up, although more than half still think it will get worse.
Job cuts are the most visible manifestation of the mood.
Chipmaker Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing announced yesterday that it plans to cut more than 500 jobs here after forecasting a net loss of about US$147 million (S$221 million) for the first quarter.
The manufacturing sector lost 6,200 jobs in the last three months of last year, said the Manpower Ministry yesterday.
Employment is also likely to fall for services firms, according to the survey. In almost every industry, from wholesale and retail trade to financial and business services, there are more firms predicting job cuts than those anticipating more hires. Overall, 53 per cent of services firms expect things to get worse, with banks and fund managers among the gloomiest.
The Government expects the economy to shrink by up to 5 per cent this year after growing 1.2 per cent last year. Last week, Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam unveiled a $20.5 billion 'resilience' Budget to help firms improve cashflow and preserve jobs.
Ms Sofat said: 'We are seeing things being done to cushion the blow somewhat, but it remains to be seen how much of that will actually go through. There will be more layoffs over the year, there is no escaping that fact.'
This article was first published in The Straits Times on January 31, 2009.

Pfizer to buy Wyeth for $68B; cut 8,000 jobs

TRENTON, New Jersey - Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drugmaker, said on Monday it is buying rival Wyeth for $68 billion in a deal that will quickly boost Pfizer's revenue and diversification and if it works as advertised help the company become more nimble.
The deal came as New York-based Pfizer set out a full house of issues: a 90 percent drop in income, a hefty charge to end an investigation, a severe cut in its dividend, a shockingly low profit forecast for 2009 and 8,000 job cuts starting immediately.
That's all on top of the colossal problem triggering this deal: the expected loss of $13 billion a year in revenue for cholesterol fighter Lipitor starting in November 2011, when it gets generic competition.
Pfizer also plans by 2011 to cut about 8,190 jobs, 10 percent of its workforce, as part of what it expects will be a staff reduction totaling 15 percent of the combined companies' workers implying a total job loss of almost 20,000.
By buying Wyeth, Pfizer will mutate from a maker of blockbuster pills to a one-stop shop for vaccines, biotech drugs, traditional pills and nonprescription products for both people and animals.
But plenty of pharmaceutical industry mergers have not lived up to their initial promise, including the deals that enabled Pfizer to leapfrog to the top of the industry buying Warner-Lambert in 2000 and, in 2003, Pharmacia Corp. Pharmacia was itself the result of the difficult marriage of Michigan's Upjohn & Sweden's Pharmacia, which took years and eventually new management to get beyond culture clash and fully integrate.
Pfizer and Warner-Lambert, likewise, had differences over Warner's focus on consumer health and Pfizer's “big corporation" image, plus “no vision as to which divisions would win out and which people would keep their jobs," recalled analyst Steve Brozak of WBB Securities.
“A lot of the turmoil that those acquisitions created hurt morale and productivity there's no doubt about that," Pfizer Chief Executive Jeff Kindler conceded during a news conference.
“We're in a much better position to bring on board the scientists and programs and projects that Wyeth has," Kindler said.
The cash-and-stock deal, one of the industry's biggest ever, is expected to close late in the third quarter or in the fourth quarter. It comes as Pfizer's 2008 fourth-quarter profit takes a brutal hit from a $2.3 billion legal settlement over allegations it marketed pain reliever Bextra and possibly other products for indications that had not been approved.
“In one single transaction, the combination with Wyeth advances every single one of (our) strategies," Kindler told reporters during a news conference.
Those goals include increasing sales in emerging markets, enhancing the ability to treat specific diseases, such as Alzheimer's, and becoming a top player in vaccines and biologic drugs, which are made from living cells.
Pfizer, also known for the impotence pill Viagra, said it will pay $50.19 per share for Madison, New Jersey-based Wyeth.
Pfizer shares closed down $1.80, or 10.3 percent, to $15.65 Monday. Wyeth shares ended 35 cents lower at $43.39.
Analysts were split on how good the deal is but saw no benefit for consumers.
“This deal doesn't bring Pfizer the cure for Lipitor" revenue losses, but it brings short- and long-term cost savings, said Erik Gordon, biomedical analyst and professor at University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. “It increases Pfizer's research capabilities in biologics, and it's good for Wyeth because Wyeth will now be able to tap into Pfizer's marketing machine."
Credit Suisse analyst Catherine Arnold wrote to investors that the deal's addition to Pfizer earnings “should be massive," and could start even before the second year.
The deal likely will close, she added, and the amount of cash and debt that Pfizer has put together makes other suitors for Wyeth unlikely
Brozak said it still doesn't solve Pfizer's long-term problem of not having enough promising drug candidates.
“The question becomes what are they going to do to fill that research gap," Brozak said.
Meanwhile, Pfizer is halving its dividend to 16 cents per share and eliminating five of 46 manufacturing sites. Those closings will cost about $6 billion before taxes, of which $1.5 billion has been incurred, Pfizer said.
Pfizer has not identified which plants it will close. Wyeth said there's been no decision on job cuts among its staff due to the acquisition.
Pfizer said the new cost-cutting program will reduce spending by about $3 billion, $1 billion of which will be reinvested in the business.
Pfizer Chief Financial Officer Frank D'Amelio said the company will put up $22.5 billion in cash and $23 billion in stock for the purchase, with $22.5 billion in debt covering the rest.
The deal is being financed by five banks: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barclays, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan Chase.
The tie-up will bring about $4 billion in cost savings by the end of 2012 and should add to Pfizer's earnings per share in the second full year after closing.
Both companies' boards approved the deal but Wyeth shareholders must do so. Wyeth's CEO, Bernard Poussot, will stay on through the transition but not beyond that. The companies did not discuss the fate of other top Wyeth managers.
The deal is likely to be reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission, which typically handles pharmaceutical acquisitions. FTC spokesman Mitch Katz said the agency doesn't comment on pending transactions.
Fitch Ratings downgraded Pfizer's credit rating to 'AA' from 'AA',' and placed the company's ratings on a negative watch. Fellow ratings agencies Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's are reviewing their ratings.
Acquiring Wyeth adds strengths in vaccines and biologic drugs. Together, the two companies will have 17 products with annual sales of $1 billion or more.
Shortly after announcing the Wyeth deal, Pfizer said fourth-quarter profit plunged on a charge to settle investigations into off-label marketing. The company earned $268 million, or 4 cents per share, compared with profit of $2.72 billion, or 40 cents per share, a year prior. Revenue fell 4 percent to $12.35 billion from $12.87 billion.
Excluding about $2.3 billion in legal charges, the company says profit rose to 65 cents per share.
Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected profit of 59 cents per share on revenue of $12.54 billion.
In 2009, Pfizer expects earnings per share between $1.85 and $1.95, below forecasts for $2.49. The outlook includes costs of 21 cents per share related to financial strategies tied to the acquisition, Pfizer said.
Wyeth said Monday its fourth-quarter profit declined 5.6 percent, to $960.4 million, or 71 cents per share, down from $1.02 billion, or 75 cents per share, in the 2007 quarter.
Excluding restructuring charges, the company earned 78 cents per share in the latest quarter. Revenue fell 7 percent to $5.35 billion, dragged down partly by unfavorable currency exchange rates.
Analysts expected Wyeth to earn 79 cents per share on revenue of $5.79 billion.

From : http://www.khaleejtimes.com

900 New Biomedical Jobs to be created in Singapore this year

DESPITE facing challenges from the slowing global economy, the biomedical sector will create 900 new jobs this year as companies go ahead with their expansion plans here.
These include firms such as Wyeth, Abbott, GSK Bio, Schering Plough and Perkin Elmer, Minister of Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang said in Parliament on Monday.
To date, 11 of the world’s top pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have already invested in more than 25 manufacturing facilities in Singapore, with another seven new plants set to open in the next three years.
‘We are confident that more will come to Singapore so that they can reach out to the Asian market more effectively,’ said Mr Lim. ‘Demand for effective medicines will continue to grow because people become more affluent and people age.’
Singapore should also ‘prepare for the upturn’ by entering new niches, such as medical technology and biologics, which are complex molecules derived from cells of mammals, bacteria and yeast.
Biologics in particular is expected to grow at 13 per cent a year, compared to just 0.9 per cent for the traditional pharmaceutical market, Mr Lim said.

Biomedical research is ripe for a stimulus - Garret FitzGerald

As Congress debates a major economic stimulus package, investment in energy research is high on the agenda. While this promises benefit to our economy and security, it highlights the value of reinvigorating our investment in another area of science -- biomedical research. The wealth and health of the nation can be measured in breakthroughs in the treatment of heart disease, AIDS and cancer, high quality jobs, and profitable industries. A recent report from the UK suggested a return on investment in biomedical science of 40%. So far, the US has managed to sustain its pre-eminence in biomedical research. Research publications and patent filings suggest our continued (though narrowing) leadership in innovation, our research universities continue their dominance of the global rankings, and the US remains the leading site of research conducted by pharma and biotech. But both the academic and industry sectors of our biomedical research enterprise are highly vulnerable. The budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has declined by more than 10% in real terms over the past 5 years. Most strikingly, initial success rates for grants that mark scientific independence have dropped into single figures and the average age of first recipients is now in the mid forties. Ironically, just as other countries invest in science and base their funding strategies on the NIH, our system is reverting to the model previously prevalent in Europe and Japan: aging leadership and indentured scientific servitude of the young. Given the increasing options elsewhere, our restrictive visa policy post 9/11 and the cultural legacy of the Bush years, our workforce is vulnerable. Just as China finances our economy, it also provides much of the human capital that sustains our biomedical research enterprise. Both forms of support are vital, yet mobile. Many large pharmaceutical companies are, for now, cash rich and casting around for acquisitions. However, just like the auto industry, their current business model is unsustainable. The number of new drugs approved by the FDA has fallen linearly from 53 in 1996 to 17 in 2007, the same number as in 1983. A slight bump upwards to 21 approvals in 2008 includes 3 drugs eventually approved on reconsideration and 3 radiocontrast agents. In other words, it doesn't buck the trend. This coincides with downward pressure on drug pricing. The growth in prescription drug sales -- 10% of the $286.5 billion US healthcare budget in 2007 -- had plummeted even before the present crisis: generics now account for roughly 60% of the market and are rapidly growing in market share. Pharma has reacted by shedding jobs in the US -- more than 100,000 over the past 5 years -- and moving research to join drug production in lower cost economies overseas. Anticipated future revenue for the industry has shifted dramatically towards Asia. The current crisis is likely to accelerate these trends. As pharma conserves its resources, it becomes less likely to extend credit to the academic sector -- a source of funds for biomedical research complementary to the NIH. Indeed, the same political factors that will depress drug prices are likely to drive down Medicare reimbursements to our major academic health centers. This will be compounded by the dramatically shrinking endowments, both of our universities and the charities that support biomedical research. Given these interacting pressures, how might a portion of the stimulus package be used to reinvigorate the enterprise? - Restore funding for the NIH. The new director must have resources to fuel innovation by individual investigators and invest in infrastructure -- including the national integration of healthcare information systems -- to allow universities translate the fruits of basic discovery into clinical benefit. Welcome as the stimulus money will be, it is a 2-year injection of resource. It can best support research programs and preserve jobs by providing bridge funding for those many grants now funded on the second round of review. Restoration of programmatic stability will require an increase in year - on year funding for the NIH. The touted funding of 1500 2 year R01 project grants by April would be a foolhardy Procrustean response to the constraints of stimulus funding. - Accelerate this translational process by integrating strategically the disparate missions of the NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services -- particularly its Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). - Introduce a more graded process of drug approval and withdrawal. Use this reform specifically to reward innovation and to foster the progressive personalization of medicine. Fund programs that foster interaction of the FDA with academia. This would afford FDA scientists access to critical mass in emerging sciences. It would also provide a neutral testing ground where unanticipated concerns or opportunities relating to drugs, before or after their approval, might be pursued -- something of a Jet Propulsion Lab for the FDA. - Incentivize both the academic and industrial sectors to reform outmoded restrictions on intellectual property. These are configured on unrealistic expectations and impede the evolution of a modular interaction between the sectors as a drug moves from discovery through development. - Finally, foster the re-engagement in science of American youth. Develop integrated programs from grade school to graduate school. Develop training programs that blend traditional disciplines both for "blue skies" research and for development new therapies. Reinvest in the programs that had accelerated the time for visa approval for visiting scientists. Develop strategies, just like our competitors, to recruit and retain top talent from abroad.
From : http://www.the-scientist.com/

Biomedical sector takes steps to handle harsh financial realities - Meredith Wadman

The financial crisis has not been kind to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, with prominent names such as Merck and DeCode Genetics taking recent blows.

DeCode, the pioneering Icelandic genetics and genomics company, watched its share price plunge from a 52-week high of $4.39 last December to 34 cents at closing on 13 November. This month, the company is scheduled to ask a panel convened by the NASDAQ stock exchange not to delist it now that its market capitalization has fallen below $50 million, the minimum required to trade on the tech-heavy exchange.
Although deCode is perhaps the most visible biotech struggling to survive, it is hardly alone. The Washington DC-based Biotechnology Industry Organization reported last month that nearly 100 publicly traded biotech companies have less than six months of cash remaining.
The picture is not much prettier on the pharmaceutical side, where, by the end of October, the AMEX Pharmaceutical Index, a composite of widely held, big pharmaceutical companies, had plunged more than 21% for the year.
New Jersey–based Merck was among the companies taking drastic action to trim costs. In October, as it reported a 28% drop in profits for the third quarter, it announced it would cut 7,200 jobs—more than 10% its workforce.
"We will get past this," says Mark McClellan, a former US Food and Drug Administration commissioner who now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, DC think tank. But he predicts that in the long run the current economic setback, combined with the financial pressure resulting from the growth of mandatory spending programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, will mean growing scrutiny for biotech and pharmaceutical companies: "There will be increasing attention to the question: are these products truly valuable? Are they making a real difference in the health of Americans, given how much money we're spending on them?"

Informatics and Biomedical Services Firm Looks Toward the Future of Healthcare

Binovia's new bITomed employs cross-training to improve healthcare efficiencyand patient careOMAHA, Neb., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing the need to streamlinethe information flow in today's technologically advanced patient-carefacilities, Binovia, an informatics and biomedical services firm, hasintroduced bITomed (bye-T-omed), a service that cross-trains technicians inbiomedical engineering and information technology (IT). bITomed technicians ensure that medical information is properlytransmitted starting with the electrodes on the patient's skin to a centralmonitor and from there to medical records, referring physicians and billing.Binovia is one of the only companies in the country that cross-trainstechnicians in biomedical engineering and IT. The fusion of IT and biomedical engineering departments provideshealthcare facilities with quality customer service as well as the ITknowledge necessary to ensure information reaches its destination. By using abITomed technician, healthcare facilities can increase efficiency, especiallyin rural areas where one employee can fill the needs for both biomedicalengineering and IT. "At Binovia, we see the bITomed as a tool to help hospitals transmitpatient information to electronic medical records (EMRs) which will berequired by the government in the future," said Jesse Fisher, Binovia's ChiefExecutive Officer. Fisher has seen firsthand how bITomeds can improve patient care bydecreasing downtime and described this recent situation, perfectly suited fora bITomed technician. "A neo-natal monitor at a Binovia client healthcare facility wasn'tsending information to the nurse's central station," said Fisher. "Withoutreceiving vital sign information, nurses could not monitor the baby's vitalsigns, nor determine if the baby's health suddenly declined." "The hospital's IT department found no problem on their end and thebiomedical department confirmed that the monitor was working properly.However, the nurse's station still wasn't receiving the information. OurbITomed, because of cross-training, was able to solve the problem quickly andget the neo-natal monitor transmitting again." Binovia currently services healthcare facilities with bITomed technicians.Fisher expects the need for bITomed cross-trained technicians to expand around250 percent over the next two years as the use of informatics and biomedicaltechnology increases in healthcare facilities. About Binovia: Binovia provides superior informatics and biomedicalservices customized to the technologically advancing needs of healthcarefacilities. With the appropriate solution for each client, Binovia providesinformation technology and biomedical engineering to healthcare facilitiesthroughout the United States. For information visit www.binovia.com . Suzanne Titus 402-331-0202 stitus@binovia.comSOURCE Binovia

Paper predicts bioengineering future

Over the next 25 years, the development of more sophisticated biomedical devices will revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of conditions ranging from osteoarthritis to Alzheimer's disease, according to MIT professors in an article in the February 7 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The MIT article was also one of three from the issue to be featured at a February 6 media briefing on "Opportunities for Medical Research in the 21st Century." It was selected from among 24 in the special theme issue.
In the article, Associate Professor Linda G. Griffith and Professor Alan J. Grodzinsky explored the recent history of biomedical engineering and made projections for the future of field. Dr. Griffith presented the article at the New York media briefing, which was a collaboration between the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation and JAMA.
"The most visible contributions of biomedical engineering to [current] clinical practice involve instrumentation for diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation," wrote Professors Griffith and Grodzinsky. Dr. Griffith has positions in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Division of Bioengineering and Environmental Health (BEH). Dr. Grodzinsky is director of the Center for Biomedical Engineering and a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Biomedical engineering is broadly defined as the application of engineering principles to problems in clinical medicine and surgery. A revolution in disease diagnosis began in the 1970s with the introduction of computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonic imaging.
The field also has been responsible for the development of new therapeutic devices such as the cochlear implant, which has helped many hearing-impaired people in the United States experience dramatic improvement. Cardiovascular therapy also has been changed by the introduction of life-saving implantable defibrillators in the 1980s. In addition, vascular stent technology for the treatment of aneurysms, peripheral vascular disease and coronary artery disease has made it possible for minimally invasive procedures to replace major surgery.
"Cell and tissue engineering also has emerged as a clinical reality," the authors wrote. "Products for skin replacement are in clinical use and progress has been made in developing technologies for repair of cartilage, bone, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, blood vessels, the nervous system and urological disorders."
At the same time, biomedical engineering is undergoing a major ideological change. "The fusion of engineering with molecular cell biology is pushing the evolution of a new engineering discipline termed 'bioengineering' to tackle the challenges of molecular and genomic medicine," the authors wrote. "In much the same way that the iron lung (an engineered device) was rendered obsolete by the polio vaccine (molecular medicine), many of the device-based and instrumentation-based therapies in clinical use today will likely be replaced by molecular- and cellular-based therapies during the next 25 years."
Professors Griffith and Grodzinsky expect to see continued growth and development in the field of biomedical engineering, resulting in new diagnostic and treatment options for patients. "In the next 25 years, advances in electronics, optics, materials and miniaturization will push development of more sophisticated devices for diagnosis and therapy, such as imaging and virtual surgery," they wrote.
They suggest that the new field of bioengineering will give rise to a new era of "lab on a chip" diagnostics, enabling routine and sensitive analysis of thousands of molecules simultaneously from a single sample.
"A potentially even greater impact of bioengineering will result from the increased ability to incorporate molecular-level information into complex models. The result will be a revolution in diagnosis and treatment of diseases ranging from osteoarthritis to Alzheimer disease," they wrote.
"Either by looking for single-signature molecules (e.g., cancer antigens) or by using appropriate algorithms to derive relationships between many interacting molecules, early prediction of onset of disease may be possible," they continued. "For example, osteoarthritis might be detected just when cartilage degradation begins and before damage is irreversible; Alzheimer's disease might be detected in early adulthood when it is believed lesions might first form and before cognitive decline."
"In each case, new drugs developed with the aid of molecular and cellular engineering will likely be available to combat disease progression," they concluded. "For osteoarthritis, these advances would obviate the need for joint replacement surgery... For Alzheimer's disease, which lacks current therapeutic options, the impact of bioengineering will be extraordinary."

Engineering the biomedical future

The new head of a collaborative university biomedical engineering department hopes to transform it into a world leader in education and research.
Renowned biotechnology expert Larry McIntire became the chairman of the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University in July. In the next five to 10 years, McIntire hopes to transform the institution into the world's leader in biomedical engineering education and research. Whether he's successful could play a significant role in the future of medicine and patient care.
To understand why McIntire chose to come to Atlanta, you must understand where the future of medicine is headed. Modern medicine will be completely driven by technology, McIntire said. In particular, developments in medical imaging will play a critical role in diagnosing illness and computer- assisted surgeries will play an increasingly important part in providing effective treatment.
"In the medical world, we like to use the phrase 'from the bench (science) to the bedside (patient),' " McIntire said. "There has to be a bridge between science and patients, and technology is that bridge."
Unique partnership
In 1997, the Emory School of Medicine joined with the Georgia Tech College of Engineering to form the Georgia Tech/Emory Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME). There are only a handful of other institutions around the country that have formed such partnerships, McIntire said. There is a similar collaboration between Harvard and MIT, but the venture between Emory and Georgia Tech is noteworthy because it is one of the few formed between a public and private institution.
More important than the anomaly of the collaboration is that Emory and Georgia Tech are committed to raising funds to increase the size and scope of the program. This is what lured McIntire from his position in Houston.
Prior to coming to Atlanta, McIntire served as the chairman of Rice University's Department of Bioengineering as well as Rice's Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering. The Rice program consisted of 12 full-time faculty members, with plans to increase that number to 15 in the coming years, McIntire said. The Georgia Tech and Emory program already has 21 staff members, with plans to grow to 35 in the next three to five years.
"The size of your staff plays an important role in the areas you can cover," McIntire said. "At Rice, our focus was largely on cell studies and engineering. In Atlanta, that will be one of five areas we will focus on. You need critical mass to expand your areas of interest."
Don Giddens, the former BME chairman, now serves as dean of the Georgia Tech College of Engineering. Two of the program's main research areas will be cardiovascular research and brain imaging, Giddens said. BME is currently developing a tissue engineered vascular graft that could be used to help bypass surgery patients whose own arteries are unavailable for use.
Improved diagnostics
"In the field of imaging, we are working to be able to identify areas in the brain that would allow us to diagnose neurological problems before they become problems," Giddens said. "If we can find the trouble spots earlier, we can treat cancer, Alzheimer's and seizures at a much earlier stage."
In addition to his own research, McIntire is charged with recruiting faculty members and increasing communication between the two institutions.
Part of that goal will be accomplished by bringing faculty at both institutions geographically closer. The department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory and Georgia Tech recently moved into the new U.A. Whitaker Building for Biomedical Engineering on the Georgia Tech campus. The building is in a quadrangle that includes the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience and the new Environmental Science and Technology Building. There are plans for a fourth building, which will be called the Molecular and Materials Science and Engineering Building. The schools have raised $10.8 million of the $60 million the new building is expected to cost, said Georgia Tech information specialist Larry Bowie.
McIntire plans to organize a number of faculty retreats and to bring in influential speakers to encourage staff at the two institutions to interact more frequently.
"I think there is a great deal of overlap taking place that people don't even know about," McIntire said. "A big part of my job is to find ways to increase communication."
McIntire is the perfect man for the job, Giddens said.
"Larry's what we refer to in the business as a hard-core engineer," Giddens said. "He has a tremendous background in all of the sciences. But because of his work at Rice, he also knows how to run a medical school from an administrative standpoint."
McIntire is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead. From hiring new staff to conducting research to graduating the first undergraduate class, he seems to be enjoying his stay in Atlanta so far.
"I'm probably one of the few people who don't think Atlanta summers are very hot," said McIntire, who moved here with his wife, also a scientist. "We have a chance to make this partnership something very special."
Sonny Lufrano is a contributing writer for Atlanta Business Chronicle. Reach him at atlantatechbiz@bizjournals.com.

Beyond Research Non-research careers in biomedical sciences

A career in biomedical sciences is not just limited to research. In fact, jobs in non-research areas far outnumber the available research positions. Senior managers from Lonza Biologics tell us more about these career possibilities.
By John Yip
Singapore has made significant progress in its biomedical industry in recent years. Manufacturing output grew to S$18 billion in 2005, and provided employment for 10,200 people, a new record for the industry.
Plans are in place to strengthen the industry’s ability to translate clinical discoveries into actual drugs for the global marketplace. This will require further expansion in the scope of research and manufacturing operations in Singapore.
As such, the recently announced joint venture between Lonza Biologics and Singapore’s Bio*One Capital to build a US$250 million large scale mammalian cell culture plant at Tuas Biomedical Park represents a significant milestone for the local industry.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new plant was held on 15 February this year. The facility will include up to four mammalian bioreactor trains, each with a fl exible capacity of 1,000 to 20,000 litres inclusive of their respective purifycation units, and is expected to provide employment for more than 300 people when completed in 2009. It will be Lonza’s second large-scale mammalian manufacturing plant, and Singapore’s first commercial-scale biopharmaceuticals manufacturing facility.
Lonza BiologicsLonza Biologics, part of the Lonza Group based in Switzerland, specialises in microbial fermentation and mammalian cell culture starting from strain or cell line construction, through process development to manufacture for clinical or commercial supply.
It has been a leading participant of the global biotechnology industry since 1980. Lonza currently operates three 20,000 litre stirred bioreactors in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (USA) and Slough (UK). A fourth 20,000 litre bioreactor will be put on stream in 2006. Together with the announced project in Singapore, Lonza is well placed to keep up with the increasing number of biopharmaceuticals being launched globally, and it expects the business sector is to deliver strong growth in the years to come.
That growth also means more job opportunities for aspiring engineers. This year, Lonza has been actively seeking to place local undergraduates on training attachment programmes at either one of its manufacturing facilities in Portsmouth or Slough.
In fact, a few of Lonza’s senior managers came to Singapore in early April to interview more than 130 students from local universities who applied for the attachment programme. “I was personally very impressed by their background and their confidence levels. There were very few applicants we would reject outright,” says John McGrath, VP Global Operations (Mammalian).
A wide mix of talents needed“We like dynamic people who are flexible and team-orientated,” says Ann Taylor, Head of Human Resources – LBP. Even though there are no firm plans at the moment, Lonza will be looking to hire people for its production, engineering, maintenance and validation operations by early next year. Potential employees need not necessarily have an academic background in engineering or chemicals, but they will need to demonstrate a wide mix of talents.
“In a company like Lonza, there will always be opportunities for internal movement into other departments, even across international borders,” says Ann. “These openings can be openly viewed at the company’s website (www.lonza.com) — anyone within the company is free to apply for those positions.”
John is also keen to point out that a career in biomedical sciences is not limited to research and development alone. A lot of students have the mistaken perception that R&D is the only exciting area to work in. In truth though, manufacturing can turn out to be just as exciting and dynamic as research.
“Aspiring candidates need to be aware that research only makes up a small percentage of the available jobs at Lonza,” says John. “The career opportunities in the non-research areas are very broad and very diverse. We have jobs in manufacturing, quality assurance and regulatory affairs — there are more than 20+ career choices available. To think only of a career in research would very much limit your choices.”
Training and developmentBesides its attachment programme, Lonza provides a wide range of internal and external training to support an employee’s career development.
Core training in cGMP (current Good Manufacturing Practices) will be especially important. cGMP consist of guidelines, recommendations and agreements that are often derived from government regulations. Anyone involved in the planning, construction, validation and maintenance of modern pharmaceutical facilities will need to keep up with advances in technology, and be aware of how external regulation will affect biochemical production.
In this respect, both John and Ann are pleased to see that tertiary institutions in Singapore have begun to place a greater emphasis on practical training. “cGMP is a very good example,” says Ann. “It used not to be taught at universities. But now, they realise that students need to be taught about it before they get into the commercial world.”
“It used to be that students would have just done biology, microbiology or genetic engineering,” says John. “These are very specialized disciplines. In contrast, the graduates that are now coming out of Europe, the US and Singapore are taught enough about each area to be very adaptable.”
John further observes that most courses focused on biotechnology today include industrial placements to give students much needed hands-on experience. “These developments tie in very closely with the types of operations at Lonza.”
The future looks goodIn closing, those who are interested in biomedical sciences should take note that there are definite signs that the industry is starting to mature. In other words, long-term career prospects in the industry are looking better than ever before, especially for fresh graduates.
“There has been a lot of media attention on new products, on the new class of drugs that are being brought to market. We’re starting to see a lot more entry-level graduates who’ve studied courses directly related to biotechnology all around the world,” says John. “The industry is growing, and is projected to grow into the next decade.”
Indeed, as long as they are willing to explore the full range of job opportunities available, the future looks good for capable young graduates in biomedical sciences.

Tianjin banking on biomedical future

A high-profile biomedicine research institute is under construction in Tianjin, and several projects are expected to be developed there, Cheng Jinpei, vice-minister of science and technology, said yesterday.
Most of the construction work will be completed by the end of this year in the rising North China economic power-house, he said.
Developed at a cost of 1 billion yuan ($140 million), the Tianjin International Biomedicine Research Institute has already recruited two deputy directors to manage the operation, Cheng told China Daily on the sidelines of 11th NPC.
The two are from multinational pharmaceutical companies and have been tasked with bringing the very latest biomedical technologies and projects to Tianjin, he said.
"The institution is designed to research and convert biotechnology into usable drugs and, more importantly, integrate biomedicine resources within the coastal city of Tianjin," Cheng said.
The research center will differentiate itself from Beijing's Zhongguancun and Daxing institutes by focusing on the commercialization of biomedical research, he said.
Rao Zihe, president of Nankai University in Tianjin and director of the research institute, said the top priority for the lab is to commercialize biomedical technologies.
Although the main focus for projects has yet to be decided, research into cancer treatments and the development of stem cell bio-drugs are two promising options, Rao said.
Members of the research institute will also seek to broaden the scope of existing research, he said