Research and Markets: Examine the Yearly Performance of the Biotech Industry

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c91643) has announced the addition of "Biotech Life Sciences: A 20/20 Vision to 2020" to their offering.

This document provides details of the contents and discussion in Biotech 2008 — Life Sciences: A 20/20 Vision for 2020, the 22nd annual report on the biotechnology industry from Burrill & Company. The publication examines the yearly performance of the biotech industry, makes predictions for the upcoming year, and provides insight how scientific, business and policy developments today will alter the healthcare landscape in 2020. One of the important accelerating trends reshaping the biotechnology industry is the emergence of personalized medicine.

Biotech 2008 Key Findings:

- The convergence of genomics, information technology, and nanotechnologies will radically alter every aspect of the healthcare system from the way companies develop and market drugs to the way individuals pay for and receive medical services.

- The biotech industry finished 2007 in good shape with a strong performance on the capital markets, which remained unpredictable all year long.

- The year saw 28 new biotech IPOs; financings and partnering deals collectively raising almost $45 billion for US companies. Although the industry had no difficulty raising money it had a tough time bringing new medicines to market with the prevailing safety-conscious attitude at the FDA taking its toll on new drug approvals.

- Demand for bio-ethanol, bio-diesel, and other alternative energy sources is driving technological innovation in the sector, especially in the production of cellulosic ethanol. Biotech crop acreage grew 12 percent and 12 million farmers around the world are benefiting from biotechnology.

- Internationally, biotechnology showed steady growth with China and India leading the way.

Predictions for 2020:

- Wal-Mart, plus other direct to consumer healthcare delivery institutions, will become the place to go for medical treatment.

- Your Blackberry will constantly monitor your health and alert your doctor of any problems.

- Nano-devices in the blood will diagnose and repair problems.

- Patients will carry their genome and health records on a smartcard.

- To be successful, companies will have to retool from being full-integrated to a virtually-integrated model

- People will be able to purchase organs off-the-shelf or even grow their own.

- Our ability to design and test new drugs using computer simulations (“in silico”), as well as new capabilities to test for harmful side effects on model systems assembled on computer chips (“labon-a-chip”) will continue to improve

- Implants and prostheses that mimic biological functions, restore critical functions to existing organs or tissues, or even augment those functions will begin to appear.

The majority of drug discovery will be conducted in silico.

Business models will be radically different.

- Biotechs dominate innovation

- Pharmas are distributors

- Governments are the major customers

Healthcare will be centrally delivered.

- The $1,000 genome will be a reality

- Smart cards will contain a person’s genome and health records

- Individual decision-making will be embraced in the new healthcare system

Combination therapies

- We will know more about the “circuit” diagrams of disease and new medicines will combine a diagnostic (safety) with a drug along with a delivery device (compliance)

Spare parts

- Driven by progress in stem cells and regenerative medicine

Wellness

- The pendulum will swing to prediction and prevention driven by employers rewarding its employees for engaging in fitness and wellness programs

- There will be a robust nutraceuticals industry

Agbio

- Transgenics becomes mainstream

- Countries develop own GM technology/no longer at whim of multinationals

- GM growth holds steady

- Plant made pharmaceuticals become a reality

Industrial Biotechnology

- By 2020, environmental issues will drive biofuel economy

- Growth trend for biomaterials—feedstocks become less reliant on fossil fuels, more on renewable

Key Topics:

- 20/20 Vision to 2020

- Industry Metrics

- Healthcare

- Wellness

- Emerging Technologies

- Politics and Policy

- Agbio

- Industrial Biotech and Biofuels

- International

- M&A/Partnering

- Finance & Capital Markets

- About Burrill & Company

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c91643.