Large labs scramble biotechs

Without biotech, no future for pharmacy? You might think so, judging by the proliferation of mergers and alliances between biotechs and large laboratories, those companies that manufacture drugs from living organisms. Last transaction date, redemption, announced Tuesday, the small American biotech Spoiler Therapeutics by Roche. The Swiss laboratory would cost initially $ 25 million to access the expertise of spoiler, an innovative technique allows the insertion of active ingredients targeted at the heart cells. If the results are inconclusive and that the products are finally sold, Roche may pay up to 1.1 billion dollars.

On Monday, the Swiss lab had already announced the purchase of another biotech, the California BioImagene for about 100 million dollars. And the other major labs are no exception.Sanofi-Aventis has announced the July 1 takeover of the U.S. biotech TargeGen. That's about the 25th agreement reached by the French laboratory with a biotech since arriving at his head Chris Viehbacher in December 2008. These alliances are not confined to Europe and the United States. Earlier this year, bioMérieux has acquired, for 10 to 15 million euros, a Chinese group, Meikang Biotech specializes in the manufacture of rapid tests.

"The major laboratories multiply this kind of agreement from two to three years to overcome a deficit increasing need for innovation in-house and access to proprietary technology platforms," said Vincent Genet, director of the activity of the firm Alcimed health."Smaller biotechs, in turn, can not afford to assume alone the costs of development of their drug candidates."

Progressive Funding

But it is rare that manufacturers take immediately all the risk. Most operations are based on incremental funding. Paid as and drug development, they can be supplemented by royalties on the commercialization of products.

These operations, which often have no impact on buyers for several years, have "nothing to do with mergers with large biopharma," says Vincent Genet. After the acquisition of Genentech by Roche last year for $ 47 billion, Sanofi-Aventis discussed today a merger with Genzyme. The operation seems to stumble on the price.According to the American press, Genzyme seeks in effect more than 18.4 billion dollars (14 billion euros) that Sanofi would have offered.

These mergers, which provide great laboratories of developing products and marketed drugs, may provide access to "a very different economic model," said Vincent Genet. This changes the perception of the laboratory, giving it a more focused biotech. This may also contribute favorably to income through sales made. A biotech can also expand the universe of which seizes lab. This is the case of the manufacturer of Botox, Allergan, valued near $ 20-billion. It would give the buyer access to the cosmetics market and emerging countries.

• Sanofi-Aventis lowered its forecast for 2010
• Genzyme refused an offer below 75 dollars per share
• Wall Street is moving upward
• Wall Street limits losses
• Genzyme and Sanofi negotiated an agreement to 20.7 billion