Major Events In Biotech Business, Industry Watch

This episode of Industry Watch podcast takes a thorough look at the effects of the acquisitions and business decisions being made in the Biotechnology industry. 

The hosts begin by discussing acquisitions of gene therapy companies (and giving a quick explanation of gene therapy for those who don't know much about it) motivated by larger pharmaceutical firms having their patents go out of date. These acquisitions are a means for traditional healthcare companies to capitalize on the rise of gene therapies. The actions of these larger firms say a lot about the increased legitimacy of gene therapy techniques in the modern healthcare system. 

The host brings up the example of RegenXBio, a company breaking into the 8 billion dollar market for solutions to wet age-related macular degeneration (a common cause of blindness in the elderly). Often times, patients get injections on a monthly basis to mitigate and slow the effects of wet AMD. However, RegenXBio and companies like it being able to use gene therapy to eventually cure the disorder have the potential to seize the majority of the customer base.

The modern healthcare system is coming to recognize the innovations in biotechnology in the past 20 years as worth incorporating into patient treatment. The advancements in sequencing technology have allowed genetic medicine to become feasible by dropping the cost of finding one's genome from tens of thousands to a few hundred dollars.