Customer Reviews

Building Biotechnology: Starting, Managing, And Understanding Biotechnology Companies

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Friedman's 'Building Biotechnology' provides a good holistic introduction to the business of biotech. It is concisely written in layman's terms, with short & sweet case studies through out the book. What I find weak about the book is its limited coverage on the important topic of biotech valuation (readers who are interested in that topic can check out Peter Boer's 'Technology Valuation Solutions', or Richard Razgaitis's 'Valuation and Pricing of Technology-based Intellectual Property').

This second edition takes the reader on a detail rich journey through the dynamic landscape of Biotechnology. I particularly appreciated the structural layout of this edition - from basic science through laws, regulations and policies, even touching on topics in investing and career development. The glossary and notes provided strong support to novices as well as seasoned professionals. In summary, this book is an excellent reference for both business professionals interested in reviewing its scientific aspects as well as technical personnel who need a grounding in the business aspects of the industry.

This book is an excellent introduction to the business of biotechnology and the concepts that drive the industry.

Friedman gives you exactly what you need to know to understand the fundamentals- the legal, business and scientific aspects of biotechnology are explained well and are easy to understand. I was most impressed with the mini-case studies that provide insights into the industry and helped me think more like an insider.

A compelling and worthwhile read for anyone thinking about investing in biotechnology companies, pursuing biotechnology patents, seeking capital or joining a start-up.

Yali's book is really an excellent starting point for many people interested in knowing the basics of the biotech world. This includes an increasingly broad number of people. First, I highly recommend this book for MBA students interested in careers in biotech and healthcare. Second, this book should be bought by every medical school and bioag research university and given to every new faculty member. Why in 2006 do we still find faculty members who have no clue about the technology commercialization process which has allowed their field to expand into a muli-billion dollar industry. Perhaps every bio grad student should be given a copy. The book covers much ground, sometimes quickly. If you are into the field, the book could have been longer and more detailed, but its emphasis is clearly introductory. The case examples are great learning tools and a bit of history for the industry. Learning from the successes and failures of others is not new, but perhaps the next version will include more historical perspective on the boom and bust in the industry. The cycles of mergers and acquisitions, public financing windows, and valuation fluctuations could be of increased value.
Overall this book is highly accessible and an enjoyable read. Go to the Glossary and see how many of the words you can accurately define. Yali keeps the amalgam of topics together through concise writing and useful case examples.

I bought this book for a biotech project management class aside from the required books for the course and found it more helpful than any of the required books (not on project management, but as far as understanding the biotech industry). It provides a very good overview of the biotechnology industry that would be helpful for almost anyone touching this field - investors, professionals considering working in the field, patients considering a new drug therapy or participating in a clinical trial, doctors... I would recommend this book as an excellent first read to get the "lay of the land" followed up by more in-depth research in areas you need/want to know more about. By the way, my whole team ended up using the book to help them each prepare their part of our final project, which was a product development plan that took a novel cancer drug from phase 1 through commercialization. Thus you can see the scope of the book is quite broad and yet direct, the book is only 200 pages plus several useful Appendices (e.g. one is on careers in biotech and another provides and index of websites for different biotech areas).

Poor, disjointed review of biotech with odd and off-target case studies. For someone who wants to know about the biotech industry and gain insight into how some of the major companies started, forget it. For someone who wants to understand how to start a biotech, no useful information. For the investor, you can learn more from the FDA website or the PHARMA website. Poor writing style. Reads more or less a collection of lectures to a college intro class

This is in response to the review stating that a book was bound upside down. I would like inform everyone that this was an isolated printer error and in no way reflects the Publishers attention to detail or concerns for quality. Occasionally a make-ready (set-up) copy slips though which is the likely scenario in this case. We (the printer) take full responsibility for any inconvenience or skewed review.

Great book for anyone considering or pursuing a career in biotech/pharma. It covers the basic biology, business and regulatory processes of the industry in a way that is very digestable for a wide array of readers with different backgrounds (i.e. scientists, business professionals, clinicians etc.)It's probably most appropriate for bioscience/business/medical/pharm students, professionals who are fairly new to the industry or to those who already work in the industry but would like to learn a bit more about the others areas of the sector that play significant roles in the research, development & eventually marketing of therapeutic medicines.

I have always been interested in the link between a good idea and successful business. This well written text supplies readers with a great overview of biotech, as well as nicely focused examples of the history of the field.
I spent a nice Saturday on the beach reading this book not knowing exactly what to expect. I received an easy to follow enjoyable read that was informative. I ended up reading the entire book twice as well as a number of select chapters numerous times. Each time a picked up the book I got something new out of it.
I would strongly recommend this for any Biotech professional as well as interested MBA students/professionals. It pulls together nicely a number of very important parts to creating a successful start up company (biotech included)
As a scientist my ungood grammar and lack of a more creative summary don't do this outstanding book justice. Worth every penny of $60.

As part of our MBA curriculum, we have been assigned books that dealt primarily with the biotech industry from an investor's perspective. Books such as "The Biotech Investor's Bible" and "From Alchemy to IPO" though insightful, leaves much when it comes to learning how to manage a business or at least understand some of the eccentricities of businesses in the biotech industry.

Building Biotechnology gives a good overview of what some of the key topics in financing as well as several important gov't regulations as it relates to "starting, managing, and understanding biotech companies." Alternatively, it leaves much as it relates to specific concepts such as financing and strategic management. Alternatively, Building Biotechnology is a good fast read and gives the reader a quick overview of what other books might go into "too much" detail.

Rodel Sangalang
Student, UCI Healthcare Executive MBA