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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Herceptin Targets Breast Cancer Stem Cells

kavin submitted, created time 5 months 3 weeks (www.sciencedaily.com)

A gene that is overexpressed in twenty percent of breast cancers increases the number of cancer stem cells, the cells that fuel a tumor’s growth and spread, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The gene, HER2, causes cancer stem cells to multiply and spread, explaining why HER2 has been linked to a more aggressive type of breast cancer and to metastatic disease, in which the cancer has spread beyond the breast, the researchers say

1 comment | Blog It | Email It | Keywords: HER2 women's health herceptin breast cancer cell lines breast cancer cells Lapatanib cancer stem cells fat,tumors stem cells cancer