BioBusiness

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I wrote in the December 2005 issue of Streetalk that no matter who won the election between George Bush and John Kerry, the result would have been good news to the biopharm industry - if for different reasons. I said that with President Bush back in office for a second term, industry red tape would be diminished and the life sciences sector would shift into higher gear.

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In the increasingly competitive world of drug discovery and development, the role of branding is more important than ever. With all the various sectors - big pharma, generics, specialty pharma, and biotechnology -vying for limited dollars, branding must begin early in the development process and, ultimately, play an integral role not only in taking a product to market, but also in sustaining that product against competition, perceived and real.

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The holidays are upon us. It's the time of year that begins with gala parties in December and ends when you finally realize what you spent, usually around April 15 of the next year. Too Scrooge-like? Hope not. I just partook of some bad eggnog.

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Biotechnology in Germany

A German biotechnology company based in Martinsried, GPC Biotech, raised €78.6 million in June through public and private placements in Germany, the US, and other countries. "Our recent financing was one of the most successful biotech offerings in terms of proceeds for the year to date, on either side of the Atlantic," said Dr. Bernd Seizinger, CEO of GPC. It is now one of the few German biotechnology companies listed on NASDAQ.

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Though still relatively modest by international standards, the Netherlands' biotechnology industry has made impressive gains in recent years and now provides investors with a compelling alternative to more established European "heavyweights" such as Scandinavia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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Over the last 20 years, France has become a major hub of the European biotechnology sector. The renewed French interest emerged from the perception that progress in biotechnology is good not only for the country's economy but also for the well being of people worldwide and both the private and the public sectors.

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The concept is not new. Companies comparing performance and practices and then mutually identifying the best solutions to common operational challenges has been a part of business for years. What is different is that this is happening in the biopharmaceutical industry, which, until recently, has been primarily focused on filling the pipeline and on improving the manufacturing processes themselves. This focus was not misguided- the biggest challenge facing biopharmaceutical companies until the last five years was convincing everyone that they were legitimate players that can develop and supply therapeutics consistently, and not isolated success stories.