From Alchemy to IPO: The Business of Biotechnology (Paperback)

~ Cynthia Robbins-roth (Author) "Fourteen years ago, Betsy Patterson was a 34-year-old single mom with three kids ages 5 to 10..." (more)
Key Phrases: biotech timeline, biotech execs, big pharma partner, San Diego, Wall Street, Eli Lilly (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Despite unnerving swings in individual stock valuations--or perhaps because of them--many knowledgeable observers still believe the 21st century will ultimately earn its stripes as the Age of Biotech. Cynthia Robbins-Roth, named by Forbes magazine as one of the industry's top insiders, certainly is among them. And in From Alchemy to IPO, she persuasively argues investors better take heed because they ain't seen nothin' yet. "Most of us think of biotech as medicine or genetically engineered crops," writes Robbins-Roth. But in the very near future, she continues, it also "may make it possible for humans to reach the stars and to change the environment on other planets." Think that's far-fetched? She says developments like this are already in early stages and, in a deliberately proselytizing manner, traces their roots to the current business nitty-gritty, finally focusing on the long-term moneymaking potential. "The biotech world will never be an easy place for investors," she cautions, but with hundreds of ongoing projects "poised to power into the marketplace," there will be plenty of "opportunities for investors and employees alike." Recommended for readers seeking an informed tutorial on this field of the future. --Howard Rothman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A fascinating glimpse inside the life-and-death business of biotechnology. A tour-de-force for anyone who is interested in the biotech industry. I applaud the enormous achievement of Cynthia Robbins-Roth." -Frederick Frank, Senior Managing Director & Vice Chair, Lehman Brothers "From Alchemy to IPO tells the dramatic story of this revolutionary industry as only an insider can." -George Rathmann, President and CEO, ICOS Corporation, Chairman Emeritus, Amgen"

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books; 1 edition (April 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073820482X
• ISBN-13: 978-0738204826
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #210,707 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From Alchemy to IPO --the REAL biotech story revealed!, May 18, 2000

By	Ron (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Alchemy to IPO The Business of Biotechnology (Hardcover)

This is flat out the best book I've read on the biotechnology industry. I found it a riveting journey through both the science and the business of biotechnology, as well as a fascinating introduction to some of the outsize personalities who have invented the industry. The author, Cynthia Robbins-Roth, has a knack for translating complicated science and business issues into language that is both entertaining and, most importantly, understandable (thank you!). This book would make a great movie!

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Overview/Explanation of the Biotech Industry!, December 2, 2000

By	tim747 (Glenview, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: From Alchemy to IPO The Business of Biotechnology (Hardcover)

I have stayed away from investing in drugs and biotechs for over 5 years. That is not my area of expertise. This book is great in being a teacher of biotech history and technology. It ties in biotech implications very well with drug development, agriculture, and other roles it will have in society. If you want to learn biotech for the fun of it or because you want to start investing in biotech/genomics, this is a must read. I have to warn you though, after reading this book, I have come to the conclusion that I will be buying a biotech fund instead of buying biotech companies. The book makes things seem to complex and unpredicatbale for picking individual companies for the long term investment prospects. They are just too many and their success is largely reliant on chance and luck. Even if you are a daytrader or swingtrader, by improving your knowledge of the biotech industry, you will improve your chances of making money when you know what the press releases are talking about.

Let me finish with why I did not rate this book a 5. The wording that the author chooses is sometimes unclear and downright annoying. There were at least 5 spots where I had to stop and ask myself. Am I just stupid for not understanding what the author is trying to say, or is this written in caveman English. I came to the conclusion that the unclear sentences were the fault of the author. I have read many business/investing books where the author writes concise and flowing text. This book was annoying to read at times because of Robbins-Roth's wordings.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars making sense out of chaos, May 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: From Alchemy to IPO The Business of Biotechnology (Hardcover)

dr. robbins-roth's book is the best example i've seen of a text which makes sense of the short yet tangled history of the biotech business. from it's beginning, the biotech business has attracted the dreamers, the -don't-know-how-we'll-get- there-but-we-must-get-there types, and the scientific whiz-kids. this book not only charts the progress of the companies and the products, it also delves into the science and personalities behind the scene. this book is written at a level accessible to the layman, but is complex enough that professionals in the biological sciences will not find it too pedestrian. this is one of the most interesting, hardest-to-put-down science books i've read in many years.