February 5, 2012

Biotech Deal Activity a Mixed Bag During Major Conference

MD Becker Partners' Life Science Digest: Biotech Deal Activity a Mixed Bag During Major Conference

Last week, thousands of registrants gathered in San Francisco, California for the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference [JPMHC] to hear 25-minute presentations from 364 life science companies.  For industry executives and investors, deal activity emanating from the annual event typically serves as a good barometer for the rest of the year. Adding to an already hectic [...]

Drug Development Spotlight: The mTOR’s New Clothes?

MD Becker Partners' Life Science Digest: Drug Development Spotlight - The mTOR’s New Clothes?

In 1837, Hans Christian Andersen authored a short tale titled The Emperor’s New Clothes.  The main character, so enamored by his appearance and his clothing that he had a different suit for every hour of the day, was swindled by a pair of weavers purporting that they could create clothing from a magical fabric that [...]

Past Pitfalls and Potential Promise for Pancreatic Cancer

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Next month [November] marks Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month.  Visibility for the disease is already on the rise due to recent celebrity victims, including Apple’s Steve Jobs and Hollywood actor Patrick Swayze. According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer is a devastating disease with the worst mortality rate and an overall 5-year survival rate lower [...]

Biotech Deal Activity Declines…The Pause that Refreshes?

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* MD Becker Partners reporting live from the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference This week, nearly 6,500 registrants gathered in San Francisco, California for the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference to hear 25-minute presentations from 338 life science companies.  For industry executives and investors, the annual event serves as a good barometer for the rest of the [...]

Three Recent Biotechnology Activist Wins by Carl Icahn

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Although a controversial topic, activist hedge funds and private equity firms typically use a small equity stake in an underperforming company to put public pressure on its management and board of directors with the goal of increasing stakeholder value through cost cutting, changes in corporate strategy or management, capital restructuring, asset divestiture and other tactics.  [...]