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Tuesday, December 11, 2007

 

Top Layoffs of 2007 in Pharmaceutical and Biotech Industry

2007 has been a rough year for a number of the pharmaceutical and biotech industry’s biggest players. Concerns about patent expirations, falling sales due to drug safety concerns, redundancy from acquisitions and a general need streamline operations contributed to these companies’ decisions to cut employees. Check out this list of the top five pharma and biotech layoffs of 2007 for more on the cuts and a look at what these companies are doing to turn things around.

1. Pfizer - 10,000 jobs

Without a doubt, the most talked-about layoffs of the year happened at Pfizer, where the world's largest drug developer announced in January that it would chop a staggering 10,000 jobs from its workforce. Jeffrey Kindler was picked as CEO of the struggling drug giant last summer in an attempt to turn the company's flagging fortunes around. Then came the stunning blow that was trocetrapib's failure in a Phase III trial. The therapy was designed to replace Lipitor, Pfizer's (and the world's) $12 billion-a-year bestselling drug, which goes off-patent in 2010.

To save money, Pfizer announced that it would streamline operations by closing three research centers in Michigan and two manufacturing plants while laying off 10,000 workers, 2,200 of which were sales people. Since then, Pfizer has been on a warpath to secure its pipeline from future threats, and with good reason; the company is faced with the loss of 41 percent of its revenue to generic competitors between 2010 and 2012. The company has taken a particular interest in biotech drugs , which are less susceptible to generic competition. Pfizer has laid bare its pipeline for analysts, invested $50 million in biotech start-ups, and created its own a biotherapeutics and bio-innovation center out in California.

2. AstraZeneca - 7,600 jobs

Back in January, AstraZeneca announced that it would cut 3,000 jobs as part of a three-year plan to streamline the company’s global supply chain and find $900 million in savings by 2010. In July, AstraZeneca more than doubled the planned cuts to include 7,600 employees, or about 11 percent of its workforce. The cuts were primarily to the company's European sales and marketing operations along with R&D in a variety of countries around the globe. Analysts regard the cuts as a smart move and evidence of a fundamentally strong company.

Despite strong quarterly earnings, the company said the cuts were necessary to prepare for the lean times coming years. AstraZeneca is facing generic competition for its heart drug Toprol XL and is also working to fill its pipeline after several disappointing finishes for its experimental therapies. The company has made a number of big acquisitions this year, including the massive $15.6 million buyout of MedImmune and a $400 million development deal with Silence Therapeutics in the hot RNAi field.

3. Bayer - 6,100 jobs

Last year Bayer defeated Merck KGaA in a bidding war for Schering, forking over $20 billion for the drugmaker. The acquisition left Bayer with some overlap, and the company axed 6,100 jobs in March as it integrated Schering into the fold. Half of those jobs were in Europe with about 1,000 pink slips going out in the U.S. Bayer cut 2,850 administrative posts, 1,400 R&D positions and 1,850 production jobs. By the end of next year, Bayer said it will reduce R&D costs by $210 million a year.

4. Johnson & Johnson - 5,000 jobs

In July Johnson & Johnson took the axe to its pharma division in a bid to cut up to $750 million in costs. Included in the cuts was a plan to reduce the company's workforce by four percent, or almost 5,000 employees. According to J&J, the cuts are designed to improve the company's cost structure and ensure profitable growth in the coming years. While J&J plans plans to continue investing in new technologies, it faces some significant patent losses among its current therapies. In addition, both J&J and Amgen have been embroiled in the anemia drug safety controversey, which has impacted sales of the company's best-selling drug Procrit. Medicare, which spends more money on anemia drugs than any other pharmaceutical, recently decided to limit the amount of anemia drugs that it will reimburse for.

Two of J&J’s biotechs, Alza and Scios, bore the brunt of the cuts. Acquired for $12 billion six years ago, J&J is closing Alza's Mountain View facility and will lay off 600 workers. The pharma giant is also largely ending the R&D efforts at Alza, which had been structured to tweak the pharma giant's therapies. Scios--which markets Natrecor--has already seen the pink slips fly and more cuts are expected. Two other J&J companies working in medical devices are also expected to undergo significant restructuring, related primarily to the problems the company has been having in the drug-eluting stent market.

5. GlaxoSmithKline - 5,000 jobs*

Count GlaxoSmithKline's Puerto Rican plant as an early Avandia casualty. The drug maker will close the factory in Cidra, Puerto Rico, and transfer production of the diabetes med (and its cousin Avandamet) to other plants. The 900-strong workforce in Cidra will be cut to 250 by year's end.

Of course, the Puerto Rican shutdown is just part of the cost-cutting pain at Glaxo. Yesterday, the company announced a big restructuring plan that will trim $1.4 billion in costs over the next four years and shrink its payroll by at least 5,000. Glaxo also plans to outsource manufacturing of its off-patent drugs, so some 40 percent of the job cuts will come in that sphere. Implementing the restructuring plan is expected to cost $3.1 billion.

6. Bristol-Myers Squibb - 4,800 jobs*

The long-awaited details on Bristol-Myers Squibb's job cuts have finally arrived. The company announced that it would cut more than 10 percent of its 43,000-person work force--roughly 4,800 jobs. Many positions being axed are related to operations, such as human resources, information technology and finance. Manufacturing will also take a serious hit; already the company has announced that it's closing a packaging facility in Colon, Panama, plus manufacturing facilities in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, and Barcelona. So far, 1,300 employees have been given notice and an additional 3,500 workers will be cut by the end of the year.

According to the company's announcement, the cuts are part of BMS's overall strategy to "transform the company...into a next-generation BioPharma company that pairs the scale and resources of a mid-sized pharmaceutical company with the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative focus of a biotech startup." Sound familiar? BMS is divesting itself of its Massachusetts-based medical imaging division; it's also reviewing "strategic alternatives" for ConvaTec and Mead Johnson, two other nonpharmaceutical divisions.

7. Amgen - 2,600 jobs

For years, the world's biggest biotech could do no wrong. Big, rich and influential, Amgen set the mold for what smaller biotechs hoped to imitate as they aspired to join Amgen as one of a handful of Big Biotech companies. But recently the biotech has looked more like an aging Big Pharma company as anemia drug sales have been hammered by safety concerns and older therapies face new competition.

Inevitably, Amgen did what was necessary. Plagued by falling sales of its blockbuster anemia drugs Aranesp and Epogen, Amgen slashed about 14 percent of its workforce--up to 2,600 jobs--as part of a widespread restructuring aimed at slicing out a billion dollars in expenses. The restructuring includes closing of some facilities and reductions in various operating units. And much to Ireland's disappointment, Amgen said it would "postpone indefinitely" a planned €800 million manufacturing facility in County Cork as well.

*These job cut announcement occured after the date this report was originally published. BMS announced cuts on 12/6/07 and GSK on10/25/07.

Sources: FierceBiotech


Tuesday, December 4, 2007

 

Journal Impact Factors for 2005: 201-500

PROG NUCL MAG RES SP 6.462
ANNU REV BIOMED ENG 6.457
BRAIN RES REV 6.402
TRAFFIC 6.4
J IMMUNOL 6.387
CELL MICROBIOL 6.333
HYPERTENSION 6.331
ANN SURG 6.328
ASTROPHYS J 6.308
SOLID STATE PHYS 6.25
MOL BIOL EVOL 6.233
J PATHOL 6.213
MOL MICROBIOL 6.203
CEREB CORTEX 6.187
DRUG RESIST UPDATE 6.172
THORAX 6.15
RNA 6.145
CHEM BIOL 6.138
PLANT PHYSIOL 6.114
STEM CELLS 6.094
PROTEOMICS 6.088
BIOL REV 6.038
J CLIN ENDOCR METAB 6.02
BIOINFORMATICS 6.019
AGING CELL 6.013
AM J TRANSPLANT 6.002
J HIGH ENERGY PHYS 5.944
ANTISENSE NUCLEIC A 5.941
PHARMACOGENETICS 5.882
ADV MAR BIOL 5.875
STROKE 5.855
J BIOL CHEM 5.854
AM J CLIN NUTR 5.853
AIDS 5.835
ADV ATOM MOL OPT PHY 5.833
MOL ENDOCRINOL 5.807
AM J PATHOL 5.796
CLIN CANCER RES 5.715
ADV ORGANOMET CHEM 5.688
PHYS TODAY 5.685
REV MED VIROL 5.685
ANAL CHEM 5.635
PROG MATER SCI 5.586
STRUCTURE 5.543
NUCL PHYS B 5.522
TRENDS MOL MED 5.505
HUM REPROD UPDATE 5.449
MOL THER 5.443
MOL CANCER RES 5.417
CURR DRUG METAB 5.416
BMC DEV BIOL 5.412
ASTRON J 5.377
RADIOLOGY 5.377
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOL 5.369
CURR OPIN PHARMACOL 5.366
MON NOT R ASTRON SOC 5.352
ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP 5.342
DIABETOLOGIA 5.337
MUTAT RES-REV MUTAT 5.333
CURR OPIN LIPIDOL 5.314
ENDOCRINOLOGY 5.313
CATAL REV 5.312
NEUROBIOL AGING 5.312
EMERG INFECT DIS 5.308
PHYS LETT B 5.301
GOLD BULL 5.296
NEUROIMAGE 5.288
ANTIVIR THER 5.286
WILDLIFE MONOGR 5.286
CARDIOVASC RES 5.283
LAB CHIP 5.265
J THROMB HAEMOST 5.262
J APPL CRYSTALLOGR 5.248
DEV BIOL 5.234
J MOL BIOL 5.229
J HYPERTENS 5.218
CLIN PHARMACOKINET 5.195
J VIROL 5.178
PROG QUANT ELECTRON 5.176
MOL CANCER THER 5.171
DRUG METAB REV 5.153
ECOL LETT 5.151
PROG BIOPHYS MOL BIO 5.148
CURR OPIN COLLOID IN 5.146
J CLIN PSYCHOPHARM 5.145
ONCOLOGIST 5.134
AM J GASTROENTEROL 5.116
CARCINOGENESIS 5.108
CRIT CARE MED 5.077
AM J EPIDEMIOL 5.068
GENET EPIDEMIOL 5.064
MEDICINE 5.057
J CLIN PSYCHIAT 5.038
J PINEAL RES 5.025
DNA REPAIR 5.016
ADV IMMUNOL 5
BMC STRUCT BIOL 5
CRIT REV TOXICOL 5
PHILOS T ROY SOC B 4.997
MIS QUART 4.978
FISH FISH 4.974
FREE RADICAL BIO MED 4.971
PSYCHOTHER PSYCHOSOM 4.966
BMC BIOINFORMATICS 4.958
BRIT J PSYCHIAT 4.956
J INFECT DIS 4.953
SLEEP 4.95
NEUROLOGY 4.947
CURR MOL MED 4.941
CELL CALCIUM 4.939
J HEPATOL 4.931
KIDNEY INT 4.927
J MED CHEM 4.926
CHEM-EUR J 4.907
ENDOCR-RELAT CANCER 4.905
CURR MED CHEM 4.904
ARCH NEUROL-CHICAGO 4.9
EUR J IMMUNOL 4.876
CURR OPIN NEUROL 4.873
ECOL MONOGR 4.855
ANNU REV NUCL PART S 4.852
PHYS REV D 4.852
BBA-MOL CELL RES 4.844
GENE THER 4.836
ADV VIRUS RES 4.83
CURR PHARM DESIGN 4.829
CHEM MATER 4.818
BIPOLAR DISORD 4.812
CANCER 4.8
J CEREBR BLOOD F MET 4.786
CLADISTICS 4.783
J CATAL 4.78
TRENDS CARDIOVAS MED 4.771
FRONT ECOL ENVIRON 4.745
EPIDEMIOL REV 4.722
BIOSCIENCE 4.708
J MOL MED-JMM 4.702
INT J CANCER 4.7
BIOMATERIALS 4.698
J NUCL MED 4.684
PROTEINS 4.684
HUM-COMPUT INTERACT 4.682
CEPHALALGIA 4.657
BREAST CANCER RES TR 4.643
MOL CELL NEUROSCI 4.641
PHYSIOL GENOMICS 4.636
ADV SYNTH CATAL 4.632
J LEUKOCYTE BIOL 4.627
MOL PHARMACOL 4.612
J NEUROCHEM 4.604
J APPL ECOL 4.594
CMLS-CELL MOL LIFE S 4.582
EARTH-SCI REV 4.581
HAEMATOL-HEMATOL J 4.575
ENVIRON MICROBIOL 4.559
INT J RADIAT ONCOL 4.556
CANCER TREAT REV 4.549
INT MATER REV 4.533
J COGNITIVE NEUROSCI 4.533
CURR TOP MICROBIOL 4.531
ACM T INFORM SYST 4.529
BIOSTATISTICS 4.529
TRENDS PARASITOL 4.526
CURR OPIN HEMATOL 4.51
BIOPHYS J 4.507
ECOLOGY 4.506
ANNU REV EARTH PL SC 4.5
APOPTOSIS 4.497
BMC MOL BIOL 4.485
INT REV PHYS CHEM 4.484
INT J OBESITY 4.482
INT REV CYTOL 4.481
J NEUROPATH EXP NEUR 4.471
MATRIX BIOL 4.469
DRUGS 4.466
AM NAT 4.464
CELL PROLIFERAT 4.462
CANCER EPIDEM BIOMAR 4.46
NEUROSCIENTIST 4.458
AM J PHYSIOL-ENDOC M 4.456
BIOTECHNOL ADV 4.455
BMC EVOL BIOL 4.447
LIVER TRANSPLANT 4.447
CHEM PHYS CARBON 4.429
CHEM COMMUN 4.426
AM J KIDNEY DIS 4.412
J GEN PHYSIOL 4.41
J INVEST DERMATOL 4.406
CURR TOP MED CHEM 4.4
CELL SIGNAL 4.398
CURR DRUG TARGETS 4.398
VITAM HORM 4.394
AM J MED 4.388
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINO 4.381
ANTIMICROB AGENTS CH 4.379
AM J SURG PATHOL 4.377
ORG LETT 4.368
J BIOL RHYTHM 4.367
J CELL PHYSIOL 4.362
CURR OPIN RHEUMATOL 4.352
J AM MED INFORM ASSN 4.339
HUM GENET 4.331
J MED GENET 4.33
ADV POLYM SCI 4.319
ANN ONCOL 4.319
HUM BRAIN MAPP 4.317
VLDB J 4.317
MOL NEUROBIOL 4.311
PAIN 4.309
BIOCHEM SOC SYMP 4.308
MOL IMMUNOL 4.307
EUKARYOT CELL 4.303
BBA-BIOENERGETICS 4.302
MOL ECOL 4.301
GENETICS 4.289
PROG HISTOCHEM CYTO 4.286
NEW PHYTOL 4.285
J ECOL 4.277
GLIA 4.276
J PHYSIOL-LONDON 4.272
PEDIATRICS 4.272
REV MINERAL GEOCHEM 4.271
AM J MED GENET C 4.265
AM J PHYSIOL-RENAL 4.263
CURR OPIN INFECT DIS 4.258
PLANT BIOTECHNOL J 4.256
ANTIOXID REDOX SIGN 4.232
SCHIZOPHR RES 4.231
RHEUMATOLOGY 4.226
BBA-BIOMEMBRANES 4.224
BIOCHEM J 4.224
ASTRON ASTROPHYS 4.223
OSTEOPOROSIS INT 4.216
OSTEOARTHR CARTILAGE 4.215
PROG EXP TUMOR RES 4.214
GEOSTANDARD NEWSLETT 4.2
ADV COLLOID INTERFAC 4.198
J NEUROBIOL 4.17
OBSTET GYNECOL 4.17
BLOOD REV 4.167
J BACTERIOL 4.167
TOP CURR CHEM 4.163
CELL ONCOL 4.16
EVOLUTION 4.155
AGEING RES REV 4.151
NEURO-ONCOLOGY 4.15
CURR PROTEIN PEPT SC 4.148
EXP CELL RES 4.148
LEARN MEMORY 4.142
APPL PHYS LETT 4.127
ALLERGY 4.12
NEUROPSYCHOLOGIA 4.119
BRIT J CANCER 4.115
J AM ACAD CHILD PSY 4.113
CONSERV BIOL 4.11
J PHARMACOL EXP THER 4.098
BMC GENOMICS 4.092
GENES BRAIN BEHAV 4.091
NEUROBIOL LEARN MEM 4.091
TRAC-TREND ANAL CHEM 4.088
CANCER IMMUNOL IMMUN 4.086
BRIT J HAEMATOL 4.08
HUM GENE THER 4.079
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOL 4.075
ENDOSCOPY 4.072
NEUROMOL MED 4.07
ENVIRON SCI TECHNOL 4.054
NEUROBIOL DIS 4.048
ASTROPART PHYS 4.047
INT J EPIDEMIOL 4.045
EPIDEMIOLOGY 4.043
BRAIN PATHOL 4.041
J INTERN MED 4.04
CELL PHYSIOL BIOCHEM 4.033
J PHYS CHEM B 4.033
INT J PLASTICITY 4.029
J MACH LEARN RES 4.027
BREAST CANCER RES 4.026
MACROMOLECULES 4.024
EXP HEMATOL 4.019
DRUG METAB DISPOS 4.015
CHEST 4.008
ANESTHESIOLOGY 4.005
ADV ANAT EMBRYOL CEL 4
CRIT REV BIOTECHNOL 4
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY 3.994
PHARMACOGENOMICS J 3.989
AM J RESP CELL MOL 3.988
INT J NEUROPSYCHOPH 3.981
PROG NUCLEIC ACID RE 3.976
OBES RES 3.972
WHO TECH REP SER 3.968
SLEEP MED REV 3.967
B WORLD HEALTH ORGAN 3.961
EUR J NEUROSCI 3.949
NEWS PHYSIOL SCI 3.949
EUR RESPIR J 3.947
MRS BULL 3.944
BIOCONJUGATE CHEM 3.943
AM J PHYSIOL-CELL PH 3.942

 

Ph.D. Program at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

The Watson School of Biological Sciences is designed for highly qualified and motivated students who desire a Ph.D. in the biological sciences. The program is open to all legitimate registrants, irrespective of gender, race, ethnic origin, or creed. To give students personal attention and financial support, the number of matriculating students is limited to eight to ten students per year. Students from around the world are encouraged to apply. Suitable applicants will be assessed on the basis of their academic record, recommendations from their mentors, and an in-person interview. The application deadline is December 15, each year, although late applications may be considered. Students will be selected for admission on the basis of the perceived ability of the student to excel in this doctoral program.

For the first four years, each student will receive an annual stipend from the graduate school. The current annual stipend for doctoral students studying at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is $28,000 per year (and is reviewed annually). In addition, the Watson School of Biological Sciences, rather than the research mentor, covers the research costs of each student for the first four years.

Click here to see the impressive list of Watson School students and their publications!

Source:
The Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Watson School of Biological Sciences


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