From Alchemy to IPO: The Business of Biotechnology

Cynthia Robbins-Roth

List Price:   $17.50

Paperback: 272 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins; (April 10, 2001)

ISBN: 073820482X

This clearly written book focuses on the business side of biotechnology and it begins with the founding of Genentech and Amgen as case studies.  The author was a research scientist at Genentech in the early days and explains in detail how Bob Swanson and Herb Boyer began their company and kept it afloat during its early vulnerable years.  Dr. Robbins-Roth left the lab bench to become a biotech business writer and consultant, and she brings her science background to analysis of business trends.  Her website is www.bioventureconsultants.com Jim uses this as the text to accompany his business class. JdK

Biotechnology: The Science and the Business

V. Moses (Editor), Ronald E. Cape (Editor)

List Price:  $158.00

Hardcover: 686 pages

Publisher: Taylor & Francis; 2nd edition (August 1, 1999)

ISBN: 9057024063

Other Editions: Paperback (2nd) | All Editions

This book does exactly what a book for a comprehensive course should do:  it integrates a discussion of the science behind biotech with the business end and the regulatory end.  It suffers from the blessing and curse of different authors writing every chapter: they know their subject but the writing style is very uneven.  Another blessing and curse, it covers the broadest possible components of the field and includes alcohol production, flavor ingredients, pesticides, and oil production.  Ronald Cape, one of the founders of Cetus, served as one of the editors for the first edition and this new edition still makes many references to long-dead Cetus.  The regulatory discussions, although they do cover oversight by the FDA and U.S. Patent law, often show a European bias.  Last, it’s expensive; the hardback costs $ 150 although the paperback can be purchased for  $ 56.  JdK

Exploiting Biotechnology
Sheila Moses, Vivian Moses

List Price:   $87.95

Hardcover: 332 pages

Publisher: Taylor & Francis; (January 1, 1995)

ISBN: 3718655705

In-Print Editions: Paperback | All Editions

One of the authors of the above book wrote this book.  It is not as comprehensive as the “Biotechnology - The Science and the Business” book above, but it has several interesting chapters on intellectual property (Chapter 5), management (Chapter 6), and changes in healthcare (Chapter 7).  Jim found it in one library, but had trouble finding himself a copy. JdK

First Fruit: The Creation of the Flavr Savr Tomato and the Birth of Biotech Food
Belinda Martineau

List Price:   $24.95

Paperback: 224 pages

Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books; 1st edition (July 1, 2002)

ISBN: 0071400273

The author is a former Calgene scientist who tells the inside story of the Flavr Savr tomato, the first Genetically Modified food to go to market.  After their release, these tomatoes enjoyed a brief period of glory, and then suffered a spectacular decline and ultimate failure.  It is a very interesting story of good science and bad business.   JdK

Evolutionary Innovations: The Business of Biotechnology
by Maureen D. McKelvey

List Price:   $110.00

Hardcover: 319 pages

Publisher: Oxford Univ Pr; (August 1996)

ISBN: 0198289960

In-Print Editions: Paperback | All Editions

The Golden Helix: Inside Biotech Ventures
Arthur Kornberg

List Price:   $24.00

Hardcover: 287 pages

Publisher: University Science Books; (March 1995)

ASIN: 0935702326

In-Print Editions: Paperback | All Editions 

The Biotech Investor's Bible
George Wolff (Author)

List Price:   $29.95

Hardcover: 336 pages

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1 edition (May 30, 2001)

ISBN: 0471412791

This book explains the business side of biotechnology to investors, and contains a very good assessment of individual biotechnology companies.  Specifically, it ranks biotech companies into “tiers” according to their maturity and potential, with “Tier 1" being the very few biotech companies that are actually breaking even.  It’s good to get a feel for the way that investors view the industry.  The disadvantage of this or any other book of its type, of course, is that it is likely to go out of date very fast. JdK