According to the survey of the consultant Arthur d

Almost 50 of the new marketed molecules are now from discovery or manufacturing processes using biotechnologies. More doubt therefore: the biotech will finally take their medical and economic promises. Not too early tell investors! waiting for nearly thirty years that this discipline in products more they cost in R & D. Finally add the pharmacy industry, who rely on this manna to renew aging drug portfolio and threatened by generics. According to the survey of the consultant Arthur d. Little, more than 3,300 companies exercising this specialty of both sides of the Atlantic. Their combined turnover is more than $ 46 billion: 33.6 billion for U.S. businesses and 12.8 billion for the European. This sector "drawn by science" also remains the largest consumer of any industry research budgets. In 2002, the U.S. biotech have injected $ 33.6 billion in R & D (61 of their turnover). The report is of the same order for the European: $ 7.6 billion (59 of the turnover in R & D). "We are on the brink of an unprecedented therapeutic revolution", indicated recently Pierre the deaf, the President of the Leem, the Union of producers of drugs (drug companies). Data allows to summarize the scope of the "revolution": on the thousand of molecules in development in the United States, more than 350 are biotechnological in nature. They are directed to 200 diseases: cancers, infectious disease, autoimmune diseases, neurological diseases, AIDS. Much of these drug candidates will not end the marathon that leads to the authorisation of placing on the market (AMM). But the potential is amazing.

According to the world Organization of the health (who), two-thirds of the 18,000 currently identified human diseases do not benefit from satisfactory drug treatments. Only the level of required investments rest black point which continues to climb: close to $ 800 million to develop a new molecule and at least $ 1 billion to build a production unit of "Biologics" to current safety standards.

New business model

Some experts expect that this advent will mean a complete change in the "business model" of the pharmaceutical industry. On the one hand, classical molecules produced by chemical synthesis and much génériquées and thus relatively inexpensive. On the other, "smart" molecules to patients genetically selected. These "custom" therapies will surely be very effective and more surely still... very expensive. The family of monoclonal antibodies is one of the most promising tracks. A dozen of diseases are affected by these molecules and all the "Big Pharma" and "Mab" (monoclonal antibodies) in their cartons: rheumatoid arthritis, disease of Cröhn, rejection of kidney transplantation, breast, lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphoid leukemia. Coupled with a radioactive isotope or a toxin, these molecules know destroy selectively the diseased cells by binding to specific surface receptors. Antibodies were discovered in 1900, the technique of production (animal cells) dates from 1975-2004 mark their widespread diffusion. "It is a real progress even though many questions remain open." How associate them with conventional means "How to identify potential responders", says Professor Christmas Milpied hematologist at hôpital hôtel-dieu of Nantes. The high cost of these molecules is another query which will become more acute, with the request of the patients who will require to benefit from these new generation treatments. What place can play the France in this huge competition which is in place. Amgen France President Marc de Garidel 31 biomolecules are under development in France, against 194 in the United Kingdom, 79 in Switzerland and Sweden 32. This expert who heads the French subsidiary of the number one global biotech firms identified black spots in the hexagonal system: regulatory and administrative constraints a little favourable environment for investment, a low culture of academic research and a lack of mobility between the public and private researchers.