Biotech Roundup: Monday, March 30

I for one am not quite ready to start my week. If you’re having a lazy Monday too and are looking for productive ways to kill time online, here are a few posts to check out:

FIGHTING BALDNESS WITH BIOTECH The Avelient BioPharm Blog took on the touchy subject of male baldness in a witty and informative post. They gave an overview of the treatments available to date and took a look at a new biotech product in the pipeline.

STATE BY STATE BIOPHARM POLICY ANALYSIS In a witty take-off of our favorite PSA, Eye on FDA continued its series “This is Your State – This is Your State on Drugs” today. They took a look at the state legislation enacted in 2008 and legislation proposed for 2009 that impacts biopharm marketing:

Altogether, 23 states had legislation proposed that was aimed at marketing and advertising of prescription products and 9 had legislation that would bear directly upon the importation of drugs. According to a report by the NCSL, studies demonstrate that the most prescribed drugs are among the most heavily marketed drugs. As state economies hit the skids, there is going to be increased incentive to change that since, in fact, the newest and most heavily marketed drugs turn out to be the most expensive as well…As state budgets tighten, look for increased proposals at the state level that will work to steer prescribers away from newer brand name drugs to generics and even for the possibilities that states may, through resolutions, encourage the federal government to implement an aggressive comparative effectiveness program.

The generics piece might not be relevant to biotech (until some form of FOB legislation is passed), but the rest of the post has some important implications for the industry.

WHEAT FARMERS WAIT TO ASSESS CROP POTENTIAL, EYE BIOTECH FOR INCREASED YIELDS Truth About Trade and Technology had this post Friday about the politically charged issue of biotech wheat:

Wheat farmers, however, are left out in the cold, both literally and figuratively. We not only need to shake off the chill of January, February, and March, but we also want to take full advantage of the Gene Revolution–something that we’ve been blocked from doing, thanks to a toxic mix of political confusion and scientific illiteracy.

Farmers who plant biotech crops have enjoyed large increases in yield. Some seed companies are even talking about new technologies doubling the yields of these crops over the next two decades.

Where’s wheat? Twenty years behind and counting…

BIOTECH STRUGGLING ACROSS THE POND As you might expect, US biotech companies aren’t the only ones facing a cash crunch. FierceBiotech posted this release about major challenges facing the life sciences industry in the UK.

Results from 295 companies were analysed yielding the following key findings:

• 78 per cent of respondents found that access to finance had become more challenging over the last 12 months
• 76 per cent of companies seeking to raise equity finance over the last 12 months have experienced some level of difficulty; of these 47 per cent were not able to obtain all the finance required and a further 37 per cent were unable to obtain any finance
• The majority of companies were seeking to raise less than £1m (44 per cent) closely followed by those seeking to raise between £1-10m (35 per cent)
• The most frequently cited reasons among investors for their reluctance to commit finance included that either the company or the sector was considered too risky
• The impact of the funding difficulties being faced by companies has resulted in plans being abandoned or deferred and reducing head count
• The majority of finance was required for research and development, closely followed by working capital requirements, and protecting intellectual property.