Biovitrum to focus on specialist care
pharmafile | February 8, 2008 | News story | Research and Development |Â Â Â
Swedish biopharmaceutical company Biovitrum is to turn its back on mass market disease areas and re-focus around specialist care projects.
The move is designed to cut costs and to allow the company to retain control of its products from discovery all the way to marketing.
The company says it is now looking to out-license several early-stage research projects, mainly within diabetes and obesity. In total, it has ten projects in different early research stages for which it hopes to find a buyer. The company had already announced plans to out-licence two clinical phase II projects, in neuropathic pain and glaucoma. It says if suitable partners can't be found for individual projects, the pipeline drugs will have to be dropped altogether.
"We have a clear objective to be a focused pharmaceutical company concentrated on specialist care products," commented Dr Martin Nicklasson, chief executive of Biovitrum.
"Although we have deep early stage research knowledge around, for instance diabetes and obesity, we have to focus on areas where we can be an active player all the way from research to marketing products."
The new strategy will also allow the company to cut costs, and job losses are expected to be announced shortly. Major savings are also expected in the R&D budget from focusing on this specific area. Biovitrum says this could free up $15-23 million over a 12 month period, and projects that this can be achieved by the end of 2008. Dr Nicklasson said: "We can enter 2009 with better adjusted and more focused research resources."






