Bio Entrepreneur: Genentech :)

Genentech Inc. was founded in 1976 by Robert A. Swanson and Doctor Herbert W. Boyer. Boyer with a fellow researcher, in 1973, invented recombinant genetic engineering, by realizing that restriction enzymes could be cut DNA fragments. As of 2006, Genentech employs more than 10,000. Products of Genentech are Activase/Cathflo, Nutropin, Pulmozyme, Rituxan, Herceptin, TNKase, Xolair, Raptiva, Avastin, Tarceva, and Lucentis. Taken from Wikipedia:

"

• 1982 - Synthetic "human" insulin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thanks largely to its partnership with insulin manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company, who shepherded the product through the FDA approval process. The product (Humulin) was licensed to and manufactured by Lilly, and was the first-ever approved genetically engineered human therapeutic.
• 1985 - Protropin (somatrem) - Supplementary growth hormone for children with growth hormone deficiency (ceased manufacturing December 2002).
• 1987 - Activase (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator)- To dissolve blood clots in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Also used to treat non-hemorrhagic stroke.
• 1990 - Actimmune (interferon gamma 1b) - Treatment of chronic granulomatous disease (licensed to Intermune).
• 1993 - Nutropin (recombinant somatropin) - Growth hormone for children and adults for treatment before kidney transplant due to chronic renal insufficiency.
• 1994 - Pulmozyme (dornase alfa) - Inhalation treatment for children and young adults with cystic fibrosis - recombinant DNAse.
• 1997 - Rituxan (rituximab)- Treatment for specific kinds of non-Hodgkins lymphomas.
• 1998 - Herceptin (trastuzumab) - Treatment for metastatic breast cancer patients with tumors that overexpress the HER2 gene. Recently approved for adjuvant therapy for breast cancer.
• 2000 - TNKase (tenecteplase) - "Clot-busting" drug to treat acute myocardial infarction.
• 2003 - Xolair (omalizumab) - Subcutaneous injection for moderate to severe persistent asthma.
• 2003 - Raptiva (efalizumab) - Antibody designed to block the activation and reactivation of T cells that lead to the development of psoriasis. Developed in partnership with XOMA
• 2004 - Avastin (bevacizumab) - Anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody for the treatment of metastatic cancer of the colon or rectum.
• 2004 - Tarceva (erlotinib) - Treatment for patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer, and pancreatic cancer.
• 2006 - Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved LUCENTIS(TM) (ranibizumab injection) for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The FDA approved LUCENTIS after a Priority Review (six-month). Genentech started shipping product on June 30, 2006, the day the product was approved.

"

"Genentech markets itself as a research-driven corporation that follows the science to make new innovations. They employ more than 700 scientists and cover a wide range of scientific activity - from molecular biology to protein chemistry to bioinformatics and physiology. Genentech scientists in these various areas of expertise currently focus their efforts on three disease categories: Oncology, Immunology, and Tissue Growth and Repair. Genentech recent hiring and acquisitions indicate an intent to expand into Microbiology and Neuroscience divisions. Genentech research facilities are located only on the South San Francisco campus" - Wikipedia.

I think Genentech's research and projects will continue to make very nice progress. Genentech is OBVIOUSLY recognized by many researchers and scientists. Genentech was named Top Employer by Science Magazine on October 15, 2007. Also in October 2007, Genentech was named Most Admired Biotech Company as well as most admired Pharmaceutical company in Fortune in 2008.

Genentech seems like a very interesting business, but personally, I wouldn't enter a profession that works in the area of sciences. Science is bearable for me, but it is very hard for me to understandand to pickup... therefore frustrating for myself.
http://www.gene.com/gene/index.jsp?p=genentech&fr=fptb-&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/genentech_inc/index.html?inline=nyt-org