U.S. biotech faces fierce international competition

Scientific American recently selected the top five countries in the world for their ability to foster biotechnology based on a few key criteria, and the results may surprise you. The magazine focused on intellectual property and the ability to protect IP; biotech "intensity," which includes R&D spending; enterprise support, including the availability of venture capital; the expertise of the workforce available for hire and finally the overall quality of the country's biotech...

Survey: Quebec’s biotech industry in peril

Once Canada's envy, Quebec's biotechnology industry is a shadow of its former self and in danger of disappearing, according to the Montreal Gazette. A recent survey by BioQuébec of its members showed 70 percent of companies have less than one year of cash to operate their business--that's up from 50 percent last year. "Slowly, but surely, the industry is dying," said Yves Rosconi, the CEO of St. Laurent-based Theratechnologies, who serves on the executive of BioQuébec. "We're in...