Biogen, Genentech to codevelop cancer drug

piggy submitted, created time 2 months 6 days (finance.yahoo.com)

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) -- Biogen Idec Inc. said Thursday it will pay Genentech Inc. $31.5 million upfront under a deal to co-develop a potential cancer treatment.

The companies will develop GA101, now in early-to-midstage studies as a possible treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Both conditions are blood cancers.

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Roche confirms Genentech bid, nine-month sales down 2%

sea-maid submitted, created time 2 months 2 weeks (www.reuters.com)

ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG confirmed its commitment to a $43.7 billion bid for the rest of Genentech Inc and reported a two percent fall in nine-month sales to 33.3 billion Swiss francs ($29.26 billion).

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Genentech Set Back by Cancer-Drug Study

jerry submitted, created time 2 months 4 weeks (online.wsj.com)

Genentech Inc. and OSI Pharmaceuticals Inc. said a late-stage trial showed that adding the cancer medicine Avastin to the drug Tarceva didn't prolong the lives of patients with advanced lung cancer.

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Genentech faces buyout by Roche. Will it be worth it?

Darkfrog submitted, created time 5 months 2 weeks (www.nature.com)

To the tune of $43.7 billion USD, Roche is about to buy out Genentech. Of course Roche already owns over 50% of Genentech stock, a good controlling interest, but up until now has taken a very hands-off approach, acting more like the other company's investor than its boss, content with its rights to market Genentech products outside the U.S. It seems as if that is about to change. The concern here is what the deal might mean for the culture of biotechs and the researchers who work for them

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