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Genentech, Inc. (), a composite of Genetic Engineering Technology, Inc., is a leading biotechnology corporation, which was founded in 1976 by Robert A. Swanson, a venture capitalist, and biochemist Dr. Herbert W. Boyer. It is considered to have founded the biotechnology industry.
One of its founders, Dr. Herbert W. Boyer, is considered to be one of the pioneers in the field of recombinant DNA technology (the company's ticker symbol reflects Boyer's contribution to the field). Boyer worked with Arthur Riggs and Keiichi Itakura from the Beckman Research Institute, and the group became the first to successfully express a human gene in bacteria when they produced the hormone somatostatin in 1977. David Goeddel and Dennis Kleid were then added to the group, and contributed to its success with insulin in 1978.
Currently (2006), Genentech employs more than 10,000 people and Arthur D. Levinson is the Chairman and CEO. The Swiss pharmaceutical conglomerate Hoffmann-La Roche owns the majority of Genentech shares *.
Product Timeline
- 1982 - Human Insulin - First ever approved genetically engineered human therapeutic
- 1985 - Protropin® (somatrem) - Supplementary growth hormone for children with growth hormone deficiency.
- 1987 - Activase® (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator)- To dissolve blood clots in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
- 1990 - Actimmune® (interferon gamma 1b) - Treatment of chronic granulomatous disease.
- 1993 - Nutropin® (recombinant somatropin) - Growth hormone for children and adults for treatment before kidney transplant due to chronic renal insufficiency.
- 1994 - Pulmozyme® (dornase alfa) - Inhalation treatment for children and young adults with cystic fibrosis - recombinant DNAse.
- 1997 - Rituxan® (rituximab)- Treatment for specific kinds of non-Hodgkins lymphomas.
- 1998 - Herceptin® (trastuzumab) - Treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients with tumors that overexpress the HER2 protein.
- 2000 - TNKase® (tenecteplase) - "Clot-busting" drug to treat acute myocardial infarction.
- 2003 - Xolair® (omalizumab) - Subcutaneous injection for moderate to severe persistent asthma.
- 2003 - Raptiva® (efalizumab) - Antibody designed to block the activation and reactivation of T cells that lead to the development of psoriasis.
- 2004 - Avastin® (bevacizumab) - Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for the treatment of metastatic cancer of the colon or rectum.
- 2004 - Tarceva® (erlotinib) - Treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
- 2006 - Lucentis® (ranibizumab injection) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved LUCENTIS(TM) (ranibizumab injection) for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The FDA approved LUCENTIS after a Priority Review (six-month). Genentech started shipping product on June 30th, 2006.
Diversity
Genentech was named one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 2004 by Working Mothers magazine.
Named as one of the 100 best corporate citizens 2005 by the Business Ethics Magazine
Fortune Magazine has named Genentech number one on its 2006 list of the "100 Best Companies To Work For." This is the first number one ranking for the company, which has been named to the list for eight consecutive years. The ranking is based on anonymous employee responses to a survey as well as an evaluation of the company's policies and culture.
Facility locations
Genentech's corporate headquarters is at South San Francisco, CA, with additional manufacturing facilities in Vacaville, California and Porrino, Spain. In June, 2005, Genentech purchased Biogen Idec's manufacturing facility in Oceanside, California.
References
External links
- Official website
- A Cancer Drug Shows Promise, at a Price That Many Can't Pay New York Times, February 15, 2006, Alex Berenson
Companies based in San Mateo County | Biotechnology companies | Pharmaceutical companies | Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
"Genentech"