USDA Sued Over Drug-Growing Crops
A coalition of environmental groups and consumer advocates sued the U.S. Agriculture Department in federal court on Wednesday to try to halt the experimental planting of biotech crops engineered to make medicine.

Staffing needs seen in biotech industry
A top Labor Department official said yesterday that community colleges nationwide could boost their courses in the life sciences next year as part of an effort to meet the staffing needs of the biotechnology industry.

Getting Investors’ Pulses Beating Again
Any biotech slowdown will be temporary, says VC Nick Galakatos, who believes 2004’s ‘promising products’ will be a catalyst for the sector

Financial Snapshot For October 2003
Stocks On New Plateau

Vatican steps in on biotech foods debate
The Vatican stepped into the charged debate over genetically modified food on Monday, convening a conference with a view to possibly endorsing biotech crops as a means of alleviating world hunger.

A survey of strategic licensing practices in the pharmaceutical industry
Alliances often appear to be a relatively cost-effective and rapid answer to fill dwindling pharmaceutical company pipelines; however, studies suggest that over half of all alliances fail to achieve their intended outcomes. This survey has, therefore, been carried out to understand the key strategic and operational challenges associated with the in- and out-licensing process and to provide some insight into improving the situation.

The Generic Retribution
The generic industry has always been overshadowed by branded pharmaceuticals. The government policies and the mandate have also always favored branded pharmaceuticals. However, as the lawmakers come face to face with the rising drug costs and unmanageable healthcare expenditure, and in wake of growing public outcry, the government�s stance seems to softening. The generic industry�s appeals, which have been falling to deaf ears for so long, are finally being heard.

October sees a frenzy of biotech IPOs
October was the busiest month in three years for initial public offerings in the biotechnology sector. But the performance of the newly listed companies has been lacklustre as investors proved wary of betting on businesses that have yet to show a profit.

Venture Financing: Ready To Rebound?
There’s little doubt that the financing window has opened up, but investors, analysts and biotech companies themselves are still questioning just exactly how wide it will be and how long it will last.

Analyzing Brand-name and Generic Drug Costs in the U.S. and Eight Other Countries
A new Wharton study comparing average prices for pharmaceuticals in nine countries � the United States, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom � shows that average prices are highest in Japan, while prices in other countries are between 6% and 33% lower than prices in the U.S. Canada�s prices are the lowest.