PrintTwo life sciences companies in the United States completed IPOs the week of Aug. 2, but at deep discounts to the prices they initially hoped to command. What will it take to reverse this trend
A strong general market : 0%
A hot life sciences IPO : 66%
A pick up in M&A; activity : 0%
An act of God : 33%
An activist investor played a key role in killing Charles River Laboratories’ $1.6 billion acquisition of WuXi, a reflection of the growing influence these investors are having in the life sciences. Have these investors
Helped focus management on improving shareholder value : 57%
Distracted management from doing what they need to do to foster long-term growth : 42%
Reports are out that Sanofi-Aventis has made an informal approach to Genzyme about acquiring the biotech. Would you say
It's a done deal : 23%
There'll be a fight for the company : 53%
Not going to happen : 23%
PhRMA has named a new CEO. What should be his top agenda item?
Repairing the industry's public image : 50%
Improving relationships with lawmakers : 50%
Protecting the industry from pricing pressures : 0%
Renewing PDUFA : 0%
Synthetic biology promises to spark a new industrial revolution, but the technology could also be terrifying tool in the hands of terrorists. A Presidential commission is considering the ethical challenges. Would you say
Regulation prohibiting synthetic biology is needed until we know we can control it. : 20%
Strict reporting and monitoring needs to be put into place : 60%
Regulations are not necessary and will only slow advances : 20%
Good Hollywood material, but no real danger here : 0%
With the obesity epidemic, analysts have been excited by the market potential for pharmaceutical treatments, but so far, its been disappointing. Would you say
Obesity is far more complex than many other diseases and finding an effective drug is a far greater challenge than people initially thought. : 20%
Modest results won't justify the safety risks for most people : 10%
You'd be better off buying a good pair of sneakers and getting your ass in gear than waiting for a magic pill. : 70%
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz is hoping an appeals court will hear a case this summer that could bring an end to pharmaceutical pay-for-delay deals with generic drugmakers.
Pay-for-delay deals should be stopped. They push the cost of healthcare higher than it needs to be and harms patients. : 50%
They are legitmate settlements and often result in generic versions of drugs coming to market faster than they otherwise would : 50%
It's been ten years since the mapping of the first human genome was completed. Would you say
Progress has been rapid and impressive since then : 0%
There's a lot of information to unravel and drug development is a slow process, but we're making acceptable progress : 75%
Progress in developing therapies based on this knowledge has been too slow : 25%
Which is a bigger challenge in improving health
Understanding genetics : 9%
Changing behavior : 90%
The Institute of Medicine wants the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the salt content of food to help get Americans healthier. Is this
A good idea that will benefit the health of the nation, save lives, and cut healthcare costs : 50%
A solution where there is no problem : 0%
An inappropriate intrusion by government : 50%
Has the Prescription Drug User Fee Act been good for the industry?
Yes. It's accerlerated the approval of new drugs. : 25%
It's been a mixed bag, but the industry would be worse off without it : 75%
No. The FDA has become too reliant on these fees and the industry doesn't get what it pays for : 0%
The J. Craig Venter Institute has created the first man-made, self-replicating life form. This will lead to
A new industrial revolution : 28%
An intense ethical debate : 0%
The creation of potentially life-threatening organisms we will be unable to control : 0%
All of the above : 71%
Should genetic tests be sold directly to consumers?
Yes : 16%
Not without scientific evidence reviewed by the FDA to substantiate any claims about their utility : 32%
Such tests should only be available through doctors trainied to interpret the results and counsel patients : 51%
Who will win the battle for Genzyme?
Henri Termeer : 33%
Carl Ichan : 33%
Both : 0%
Neither : 33%
If you are attending the BIO International Convention in Chicago this week, why are you going?
To explore possible partnerships : 60%
To raise money : 20%
To learn about trends in the industry : 0%
Deep dish pizza, great blue, Cubs baseball, and the kids are home : 20%
There was some strange news last week. Which was the most shocking headline?
Vatican to Finance Stem Cell Research : 62%
Three Life Science Companies Complete IPO : 37%
What will the overall impact of U.S. healthcare reform legislation be on the biotechnology industry?
Very positive : 16%
positive : 33%
neutral : 33%
negative : 16%
Very negative : 0%
The healthcare reform legislation just passed in the United States requires insurance companies to offer preventative care to its customers with no additional out of pocket expenses. This will
Save billions and push healthcare in the right direction : 28%
Not change people's behaviors : 42%
Squeeze the finances of corporations and insurers : 28%
Make vaccine company stocks soar : 0%
How big a threat to the biotechnology industry was the recent ruling the invalidated a set of gene patents held by Myriad Genetics?
It's a non-event : 0%
It will depend on the outcome on an appeal : 20%
It will lead to the end of being able to patent genes and will have sweeping effects on the industry : 20%
It will force companies to rethink business strategies, but while it might put a scare in investors, it will ultimately not have a big impact : 60%
The sky is falling : 0%
FDA Chief Scientists Jesse Goodman told Congress the agency needs a five- to 10-year rebuilding effort to restore past glory and establish the science of the future. If this effort were the basis for a reality TV show you would call it
This Old House : 50%
Clean Sweep : 12%
Nip/Tuck : 12%
Extreme Makover : 25%
Which of the following do you think will hurt the health of biotech companies the most this year
Healthcare reform legislation : 14%
Patent reform legislation : 28%
Biosimilar legislation : 14%
FDA policies : 14%
Capital markets activity : 28%
Leaders in the House of Representatives want to pass healthcare reform before the spring break March 26. Will they succeed?
It will pass before the break : 44%
It will pass, but not by March 26 : 11%
The votes won't be there before or after the break : 44%
Anthera Pharmaceuticals completed it's IPO, but it raised only about half of what it had sought. Is the IPO market for biotechs
Doing great : 0%
Just in need of an exciting deal to spark it : 0%
Ready to roll with some encouraging economic news : 75%
Not ready for primetime : 25%
The much ballyhood healthcare summit is over. Did it
Restore your faith in Democracy : 0%
Have you wondering why the Democrats don't move to reconciliation to push the bill through : 44%
Cause you to require medical care as a result of banging your head against the wall : 33%
Get you packing your bags for Canada : 22%
The Obama Administratin is trying to revive healthcare reform with a new proposal. What condition is it in?
Fit as a fiddle : 10%
In need of serious rehab : 40%
In the intensive care unit : 40%
Dead on arrival : 10%
President Obama has invited GOP leaders to a televised healthcare summit. It will be most like
Masterpiece Theater : 0%
Crossfire : 0%
Survivor : 0%
Gilligan's Island : 66%
The Jerry Springer Show : 33%
Ironwood Pharmaceuticals, the first biotech IPO of 2010, debuted. Do you think Ironwood will
Outperform the general market in 2010 : 14%
Perform in line with the general market in 2010 : 57%
Underperform the general market in 2010 : 28%
A study in the American Journal of Cardiology finds that men who have sex at least twice a week can cut their risk of serious heart disease nearly in half. This news will cause you to
leave copies of the study on your wife's pillow : 70%
trade your statins for Viagra : 20%
trade your cardiologist for a mistress : 10%
With the Republicans now holding 41 seats in the U.S. Senate, what happens to healthcare reform?
House Democrats pass the Senate version of the bill. : 10%
New, less ambitious legislation is drafted. : 40%
They take it in pieces. : 40%
Dead and gone. : 10%
There's a last-minute healthcare reform effort by The White House and Rep. Henry Waxman to cut the exclusivity on biologics. Do you think
This will happen : 0%
It's gamesmanship to get other industry concessions : 75%
It will derail healthcare reform : 25%
Will the biotech sector outperform the broader market in 2010?
Without a doubt : 60%
It will perform in line with the general market : 20%
It will lag the major indices : 20%
How did your company handle the holiday office party this year?
Putting on the Ritz : 25%
Putting on the Ritz cracker : 75%
Who's the biggest threat to healthcare reform legislation passing?
Industry : 16%
Labor : 16%
Republicans : 50%
Moderate Democrats : 0%
Progressive Democrats : 16%
How many U.S. life sciences IPOs will we see in 2010?
Less than 10 : 50%
10 to 20 : 25%
20 to 30 : 25%
More than 30 : 0%
Will the U.S. Senate pass a healthcare reform bill before year end?
Yes with a meaningful public option : 0%
Yes with no meaningful public option : 40%
No : 60%
Does eating turkey on Thanksgiving make you sleepy?
Yes, because of the meat's high content of L-tryptophan : 37%
Yes, I get drowsy whenever I stuff my self so much that blood gets redirected to my stomach instead of my brain : 12%
I say it's the turkey, but it's actually all the wine : 12%
I just pretend to nod off to avoid talking to the relatives : 25%
Not at all : 12%
The nation's workforce of Santas wants priority when it comes to getting H1N1 flu vaccines. Do you think
Yes, there is an occupational risk and I wouldn't want Santa sidelined Christmas Eve : 60%
A little peppermint scented hand sanitizer would do a lot more good : 40%
No, the fat man should take a number like everyone else. : 0%
Drugmakers, Internet companies and nonprofits are calling on the FDA to provide guidelines on online ads and social media. Would you say
The FDA should put into place strict guidlines and enforce them : 60%
Current marketing guidelines are adequate : 0%
The FDA will be unable to police the online world : 40%
Are you buying any products such as gloves, disinfectants or supplments to protect against the H1N1 flu?
Can't get enough : 0%
No more than usual : 60%
The only thing to fear is fear itself : 40%
Are you getting vaccinated against flu this season?
Seasonal vaccine and H1N1 : 42%
H1N1 only : 0%
Seasonal vaccine only : 14%
No : 42%
Will biotech stocks outperform the general market for the rest of the year?
Bank on it : 0%
Most likely : 50%
Same as general market : 50%
Not likely : 0%
No way, no how : 0%
Who do you think will benefit the most from heatlhcare reform?
Patients : 28%
Doctors : 7%
Hospitals/HMOs : 28%
Pharmaceutical Companies : 21%
Insurance Companies : 14%
Would you be willing to pay higher taxes for healthcare reforms if they provided the best quality care?
Yes, this is important to the health of our nation and economy : 33%
Yes, but the reforms being debated won't deliver the best quality care : 33%
No, I'm happy with the way things are : 11%
No, I'm over taxed : 22%
A United Nation's program to combat disease through funds raised through voluntary fees on airline tickets sold in certain countries is expanding globally. Would you pay an extra $2 for an airfare to combat life-threatening disease in poor countries?
Happy to do it : 85%
I will check the "No" box : 14%
Should there be a tax levied on sugar-laden drinks such as soda?
Yes, it could help fund healthcare initiatives. : 61%
Yes, it will discourage unhealthy habits. : 23%
It unfairly singles out soft drinks for causing an epidemic of obesity. : 15%
Government shouldn't tell people what to eat or drink. : 0%
Will the IPO window open for biotechs before year end?
Absolutely : 8%
It's possible : 58%
Unlikely : 33%
No way, no how : 0%
President Obama's address on healthcare reform to a joint session of Congress Wednesday
was a home run : 66%
offered needed clarity on his position and will help push legislation through : 33%
came up short on specifics : 0%
failed to move the discussion forward : 0%
How detailed a plan for healthcare reform does President Obama need to present to Congress and the public?
His own bill : 50%
A detailed set of items that must be included in any legislation : 50%
Some general principles for healthcare reform : 0%
Nothing more than he's done : 0%
How will Senator Edward Kennedy’s death affect the fight over healthcare reform?
It will help bring both sides of the aisle together to pass legislation. Can you say Kumbaya? : 0%
It will unite the Democrats, who will now push through legislation in his memory. : 66%
It will fail without Kennedy there to get Democrats to fall in line. : 0%
It will fail without Kennedy there to reach across the aisle to strike a needed compromise. : 0%
It changes nothing. : 33%
Will healthcare legislation in the end include a provision for a public option?
Without it, there is no healthcare reform : 70%
50-50 chance : 30%
Unlikely : 0%
No way, no how. : 0%
Which entitiy do you think is most likely to limit your access to life-extending thereapies?
Government : 25%
Insurance company : 66%
HMO : 8%
Physician : 0%
People in your will : 0%
The outbursts at recent town hall meetings over healthcare reflect
A well orchestrated attack by opponents of reform : 57%
The passion people feel over the issue : 42%
Is healthcare a right?
Yes : 41%
No : 16%
No, but it should be : 41%
President Obama at a press conference July 22 tried to advance healthcare reform by bypassing Congress and reaching out to the public. What do you think is the biggest obstacle to Obama's healthcare plan?
Industry : 33%
Republicans : 33%
Other Democrats : 33%
A study finds seniors with no cognitive impairment who drank one to two alcoholic beverages daily saw an average 37 percent reduction in the risk of developing dementia, compared to non-drinkers. Do you believe moderate alcohol intake
could reduce cognitive decline? : 83%
could reduce cognitive decline but has other ill effects that make drinking bad for you overall? : 16%
could increase cognitive decline? : 0%
has no effect on cognitive decline? : 0%
What is your preferred over-the-counter pain reliever?
Acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) : 18%
Ibuprofen (such as Advil) : 63%
Naproxen sodium (such as Aleve) : 9%
Ketoprofen (Orudis KT) : 0%
Acetylsalic Acid (Asprin) : 9%
Consumer advocates are calling on the FDA to release more information about drugs and devices including ones it rejects. This would
Help doctors and consumers gain a better understanding of FDA decisions and help protect patients who might be using a drug for an off-label use when the agency declines expanded use of an existing drug. : 85%
Undermine drug companies by disclosing valuable information to competitors and make it harder to raise capital. : 14%
Do you think U.S. health reform should include a public option?
It's a must : 50%
It's a plus : 16%
Don't know : 16%
No way : 16%
If you were offered a vaccine for the H1N1 swine flu, would you get it?
Yes : 35%
No : 64%
Is it a good time to buy biotech stocks?
Large caps : 0%
Mid caps : 20%
Small caps : 40%
All caps : 20%
No caps : 20%
Researchers reported a transgenic marmoset passed on an added gene to its offspring. This is expected to open the way to make animal models with human disease. Nature called for a discussion of human inheritable genetic modification. Do you think
We should use whatever science is available to combat disease. : 50%
The United States follow the lead of 44 other counties and prohibit human inheritable genetic modification. : 50%
The acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is asking Congress to allow it to collect more fees from the industries it regulates. This will
Allow it to do its job more effectively. : 33%
Will undermine its mission by making the agency more dependent on those it regulates. : 66%
President Obama expects the House to take up healthcare reform legislation by the end of July. Do you think there will be serious healthcare reform passed this year?
Absolutely : 10%
Likely : 30%
Unlikely : 50%
No way : 10%
If you are not attending BIO 2009 this year, why?
I don't have the budget : 100%
I don't want to go to Atlanta : 0%
I Have scheduling conflicts : 0%
I never go : 0%
I still have all the pens I need from the last time I went : 0%
Do you think the U.S. government repsonse to the outbreak of swine flu has been
Reassuring : 40%
Adequate : 60%
Perplexing : 0%
Unnerving : 0%
Knome is offering to map the personal genome of the highest bidder through an auction on eBay. Bidding starts at $68,000. How much would you pay to have your genome mapped?
$100,000 or more : 0%
$50,000 or more : 0%
$10,000 or more : 9%
$1,000 or less : 54%
No interest : 36%
Draft guidelines to govern stem cell research relased by the NIH limits federal funding of the reserach to embryos left over at fertility clinics, prohibits inducements for donation, and calls for strict informed consent. Would you say the policy
Is appropriately cautious and will minimize problems : 50%
Is too restrictive and will impede research : 50%
Signs the economy is stabilizing helped rally the market in March. Is the worst behind us?
Absolutely : 0%
Hope so : 60%
Don't think so : 40%
Sucker's rally : 0%
The Department of Health and Human Services has named a 15-member panel to determine reserach priorities for the $1.1 billion set aside in the stimulus package to fund comparative effectiveness research. Would you say
Comparative effectiveness will benefit us by eliminating wasteful healthcare spending. : 71%
Comparative effectiveness will hurt us by providing payors with a blunt tool to cut spending at the expense of patient access to new drugs. : 28%
Some people believe that the FDA's mission has grown too big for the agency and that it should be split into two. One agency would be responsible for regulating food and tobacco and the other drugs and medical devices. Would you say this is a
Good idea : 84%
Bad idea : 15%
President Obama issued an executive order that reverses Bush era restrictions on human embryonic stem cell reserach. Would you say this
is largely symbolic and will not change much : 14%
will hurt funding by causing states and philanthropists to cut spending : 0%
will unleash much needed federal spending : 85%
Two Congressional Democrats plan to introduce legislation to nullify a U.S. Supreme Court decision that insulates medical device makers from liability suits for products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Would you say
Such legislation would undermine the FDA and discourage innovation : 60%
The FDA is incapable of fully protecting the public and this would restore to consumers an important means of redress. : 40%
Roche has launched a hostile bid for Genentech at a price of $86.50 a share. Genentech says it's worth $112. At what price do you think a deal will happen?
$86.50 to $90 : 11%
$90 to $95 : 22%
$96 to $100 : 33%
$100 to $105 : 33%
$106 to $112. : 0%
No deal : 0%
With Tom Daschle's nomination withdrawn, who will Obama tap to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services?
Kathleen Sebelius : 50%
Ed Rendell : 0%
Jennifer Granholm : 0%
John Kizhaber : 0%
Bill Bradley : 8%
Phil Bredesen : 25%
Someone else : 16%
Pfizer's buying Wyeth for $68 billion. Roche is launching a hostile bid for Genentech. Which Big Pharma will be next to make a major acquisition?
Merck : 44%
GlaxoSmithKline : 0%
Sanofi-Aventis : 33%
Novartis : 0%
Johnson & Johnson : 11%
Bristol-Myers Squibb : 11%
Will Obama be able to get comprehensive healthcare reform through in 2009?
Yes, the nation is ready for univesal care. : 45%
He will only be able to get peices of reform through during his first year. : 18%
Pressing economic concerns and the complexity of healthcare reform will not make this possible in the first year. : 18%
It's not going to happen. : 18%
Will the J.P. Morgan conference provide a lift to the bitoech sector?
Absolutlely : 0%
A slight uptick : 87%
Absolutely not : 12%
The economy is in the tank. How do you think R&D; budgets will fare in 2009?
Increase them to innovate our way out of this mess. : 10%
Hold the line : 40%
Everything's got to get cut : 50%
The Cleveland Clinic said it will begin reporting financial ties between its staff doctors and scientists with industry. Would you say that it's
A groundbreaking step others should follow to protect the integrity of reserach. : 33%
An important step for the clinic given the disclosure of potential conflicts of interest involving leading doctors. : 33%
A modest step. : 33%
A slick PR move and nothing more. : 0%
President-elect Barack Obama has tapped former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Associated Press reported. Would you say this was
An inspired choice : 50%
Not a surprise : 30%
Poses problems for Obama on his conflicts-of-interest pledge : 20%
Recently in The New York Times Daniel Callahan, author of the 1987 book Setting Limits: Medical Goals in An Aging Society, repeated his call for rationing healthcare to address rising costs. Do you think
Rationing healthcare is immoral and should not be considered : 25%
Rationing healthcare is unnecessary : 0%
Rationing healthcare is something we will need to do in one way or another : 50%
Rationing healthcare is the solution and should be based on age as Callahan suggests : 25%
Speculation is flying in the press over who President-elect Barack Obama will tap to head FDA. Some of the names flying around press reports are listed below. Who do you think will be selected?
Steven Nissen, Cleveland Clinic cardiologist : 14%
Susan Wood, a former director of the FDA's women's health office : 28%
Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore's health chief : 0%
Janet Woodcock, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation Head : 28%
Frank Torti, FDA Chief Scientist : 14%
Other : 14%
How important are the Presidential candidates view of science in your decision to vote?
More concerned about their belief in God : 0%
It is not a reason I vote for a candidate, but scientific ignorance is a disqualifier : 0%
It is an important area of policy that I study the candidates' positions on before voting : 25%
I will only vote for a candidate who will support increased investment in research and science education because that is our future : 75%
A three-member panel that advises President George W. Bush on cancer-related issues urged increased funding for research in a new report. What would be the primary reason we haven't made greater progress against cancer? Is it:
Inadequate funding : 16%
Cancer is more complex than originally thought : 50%
Emphasis has been placed in the wrong areas : 0%
Only now do we have the genetic understanding to make real progress : 33%
Of the immediate appointments the next President will make when he takes office, which are you most concerned about?
FDA : 40%
NIH : 0%
SEC : 0%
Treasury : 20%
Other : 40%
Where will the Dow Jones Industrial Average bottom out?
We're there : 10%
7500 or higher : 40%
6500 or higher : 40%
5500 or higher : 0%
Anybody's guess : 10%
The $700 billion bailout has people singing. What song tells it like it is for financing a biotech company right now?
(Don't Fear) The Reaper : 25%
You can't always get what you want : 0%
Not Fade Away : 25%
Dream On : 25%
I Believe I Can Fly : 25%
Prospects for the rest of this year are dim, but how many biotech IPOs do you think will be completed in 2009?
More than 30 : 0%
20-29 : 0%
10-19 : 42%
1-9 : 42%
None : 14%
The U.S. Food And Drug Adminstration has released guidelines governing genetic engeineering of animals for food, drugs, and medical devices. This will
Provide needed regulation and oversight : 80%
Stimulate investment in this area : 0%
Set off a public panic : 0%
All of the above : 20%
Election Revisited: What issue will decide the 2008 presidential election?
Economy : 71%
Healthcare : 7%
Iraq : 7%
Energy : 7%
Lipstick : 7%
The controversy over vaccinating children
Is understandable : 0%
Shows some parents don't understand science : 16%
Shows some parents don't trust science : 16%
Shows some parents don't trust the pharmaceutical industry : 66%
Is the United States at risk of losing its competitive advantage in science, technology and innovation?
Already has : 16%
Great Risk : 50%
Moderate Risk : 25%
No Risk at all : 8%
The National Institutes of Health is facing its sixth year of flat funding. Which Presidential candidate do you think will most aggressively boost investment in biomedical reserach?
McCain : 28%
Obama : 71%
Neither : 0%
Genentech has rejected Roche's $89 a share bid for the company. What price will it take for Roche to close the deal?
More than $95 a share : 0%
More than $105 a share : 60%
More than $115 a share : 20%
More than $120 a share : 0%
More than $125 a share : 20%
Gene doping - the use of gene therapy to enhance the performance of elite athletes - is already banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Do you think gene doping threatens the integrity of the Olympics?
This is not a threat. : 0%
It's important to stay ahead of the cheaters : 25%
This is already a problem. : 25%
I want to see someone run a three-minute mile. : 50%
Researchers have found a drug that mimics the effects of exercise in mice. If it works in humans, would you
use it rather instead of going to the gym? : 60%
workout out the old fashioned way? : 40%
The director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute warned his faculty and staff to limit cell phone use because of the possible risk of cancer. How a big a health threat would you need to limit use of your cell phone.
An authoratative study : 42%
A government warning : 14%
Having friends or family who develop cancer irrefutably as a result of cell phone use : 28%
When you pry it from my cold, dead hands : 14%
How do you think the biotechnology stocks will perform in the second half of 2008?
Significantly outperform the general market : 44%
Modestly outperform the general market : 55%
Modestly underperform the general market : 0%
Significantly outperform the general market : 0%
The pharmaceutical industry has revised its code for interactions with healthcare professionals. What do you think it takes to have undue influence with the typical physician today?
Pad of logo-emblazoned Post-It notes : 10%
Lunch : 20%
Dinner with wine : 10%
Gas money : 40%
Honorarium of $500 or more : 20%
Other : 0%
Earlier this month, British regulators gave approval to researchers at Warwick University to create a human-pig embryo to study heart disease. Would you call the creation of such human-animal chimeras
Back to the Future : 25%
Much Ado About Nothing : 25%
Weird Science : 37%
The Island of Dr. Moreau : 12%
The state of California recently issued cease and desist letters to consumer genetic tests makers saying that only doctors can order such tests. Should consumers be allowed to order tests on their own?
Yes : 75%
No : 25%
Are state governments doing enough to support the life science innovation either through direct investment or policies
Yes : 0%
States need to be more aggressive financially : 12%
States need to be more aggressive in the policy arena : 12%
States need to be doing a lot more in every way to remain competitive : 75%
If you are attending BIO 2008 this year, are you primarily going to
Learn about trends : 28%
Build contacts : 28%
Raise money : 0%
Make deals : 28%
The Journal of Life Sciences : 14%
New evidence suggests red wine can slow aging. If a pill with the anti-aging compound found in red wine were available, would you
take the pill : 40%
take the pill, but never with fish : 0%
take the pill, but wash it down with red wine : 30%
just be sure to drink plenty of red wine : 30%
Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, told Reuters new requirements meant to improve the safety of new drugs is delaying some new drug approvals. Is this a case of
Regulators finally giving safety the attention it deserves : 55%
A bow to political pressure at the expense of patient needs for new therapies : 44%
John McCain, a cancer survivor who could become the oldest man ever elected president, has released his health records to the media. Will his age and health be a factor in your decision at the polls?
Age and health are both factors : 44%
Age doesn't matter, but I'm concerned about his health : 22%
Health doesn't matter, but I'm concerned about his age : 11%
A candidates age and health are not an issue for me : 22%
Drug companies are arguing that U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval should preempt state liability suits. Should people be prevented from suing companies over problems caused by an FDA approved product?
It's an important legal protection for drug makers : 62%
It's bad public policy : 37%
World Health Organization officials recently warned that the threat of pandemic influenza has not diminished. Do you think the U.S. government is taking adequate steps to stop the spread of the virus between birds and prepare for a possible pandemic?
Yes : 11%
No : 88%
Congress has passed a bill to bar discrimination based on a person's genes. This will
Accelerate the field of personalized medicine : 27%
Provide important safeguards in a brave, new world : 27%
Make the lawyers happy : 0%
All of the above : 45%
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is offering a $1 million prize for the first person to devise a commercially viable means of producing in vitro meat at competitive prices by 2012. Would you eat in vitro meat?
Yum, yum, get me some : 14%
I'll eat anything with ketchup : 7%
I only eat meat that's walked : 57%
In vitro or in vivo, I'm a vegetarian : 21%
Congressional Democrats want drug labels to identify a medication's active ingredient and where it was manufactured. Would you say this is best described as
An overdue protection : 38%
Harmful to industry : 15%
Election year politicking : 46%
An advisory panel for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering what measures are needed to ensure safety in human clinical trials involving the therapeutic use of human embryonic stem cells. Do you think
The FDA will be too cautious in determining the risks, and slow the technology : 71%
The FDA will be too aggressive in advancing the technology without adequate safeguards : 14%
The FDA will hit a proper balance between safety concerns and patient benefits. : 14%
Should health insurance companies be allowed to charge someone more for coverage because of information obtained through a genetic test?
Yes : 21%
No : 78%
As the nation seeks ways to curb healthcare spending, the budget for the National Institutes of Health remains flat. Does this represent a legislative disconnect on the role innovation will play in cutting healthcare costs?
Yes, innovation will play a critical role in cutting healthcare spending : 87%
No, there's no relation between investment in research and healthcare costs : 12%
The death of a prominent right-to-die advocate in France has reignited a debate about euthanasia there. Do you think
Assisted suicide should be legalized : 83%
Assisted suicide should be illegal, but passive euthanasia allowed : 8%
Risk of abuse would be too great to allow : 8%
Life is too sacred to allow : 0%
A group of leading research institutes are warning that five years of flat budgets for the NIH is threatening the nation with the loss of a young generation of researchers to other countries and other careers. How big a threat is a flat NIH budget?
As big as they say : 72%
A problem, but no long-term damage : 27%
No threat at all : 0%
The American College of Physicians, the nation's second largest physician group, is calling for programs and funding for rigorous scientific research into the medicinal uses of marijuana. Would you say
The federal government should encourage and fund such research. : 100%
The federal government should maintain current policies. : 0%
Dude, I forgot the last option. : 0%
What is the biggest problem facing the FDA?
Safety : 22%
Speed : 11%
Funding : 22%
Management : 44%
If the film The Graduate were made today, instead of "plastics," the advice to Dustin Hoffman's character would be?
Stem cells : 25%
RNAi : 8%
Nanotechnology : 25%
Combination devices : 0%
Biofuels : 41%
How long will it take to make the $1,000 human genome a reality?
1 year : 15%
3 years : 46%
5 years : 23%
10 years : 7%
It will never happen : 7%
GSK CEO Jean-Pierre Garnier blasted the media as the company warned falling sales of its diabetes drug Avandia would take a bigger-than-expected toll on earnings. Would you say
Garnier is right that journalists need to be more sophisticated when they report scientific news? : 28%
reporters exacerbated the problems with Avandia? : 14%
he should worry less about the media and more about R&D;? : 42%
all of the above? : 14%
Election update: Which candidate will be best for the biotech industry?
Hillary Clinton : 20%
Barack Obama : 26%
John McCain : 20%
Mitt Romney : 33%
In October, we asked readers what issue will dominate the 2008 presidential election. We're asking again. Is it
Iraq : 11%
Healthcare : 0%
The economy, stupid : 88%
The FDA says food from a cloned animal is safe. Would you eat meat from a cloned animal?
Yes : 58%
No : 16%
I'm a vegetarian : 25%
The low level of new drugs approved in 2007 was most attributable to
Weak research and development : 28%
Tough regulatory environment : 28%
High cost of drug development : 28%
It is difficult to find safe and effective compounds not already approved : 14%
The biotech sector raised $2 billion in 28 IPOs in 2007. This year we'll see
Fewer IPOs, and less money raised. : 22%
Fewer IPOs, but more money raised. : 44%
More IPOs, but less money raised. : 11%
More IPOs, and more money raised. : 22%
Which sector will be the best performer in 2008?
Pharmaceutical : 5%
Biotech : 33%
Medical Devices : 22%
Diagnostics : 38%
Which regulatory issue will be the biggest concern for the industry in 2008
Patent reform : 22%
Follow-on / generic biologics : 22%
post-market surveillance : 44%
Comparative effectiveness : 11%
The pharmaceutical industry will remember 2007 as a year defined by
acquisitions and licensing deals : 30%
medical breakthroughs : 0%
restructurings : 10%
safety concerns : 60%
The Human Genetics Commission in the UK wants genetic tests sold directly to the public to be independently reviewed before reaching the market. Should such tests be subjected to a pre-market review before they can be sold to consumers?
Yes : 77%
No : 22%
If scientists can transform skin cells into embryonic-like stem cells, then the political controversy will
End : 15%
Shift to federal research spending on regenerative medicine : 25%
Continue because embryonic stem cell research will still need to proceed : 60%
If a genetic test showed you had an elevated risk of heart disease would you
Begin a diet and exercise plan : 61%
Take that trip around the world you always wanted to take : 0%
Do nothing because what will be, will be : 16%
Buy new running shoes and wear them while watching sports on TV : 22%
The latest poll results show the public doesn't trust the pharmaceutical industry. Do people make a distinction between pharma and biotech?
The public views them as the same industry : 55%
The public draws distinctions between the two : 44%
Is healthcare a right?
Yes : 25%
No : 25%
No, but it should be : 50%
If you were a stock analyst would you say Amgen is a
Buy : 14%
Sell : 28%
Hold : 57%
Given the role of obesity in chronic disease, we should
Tax fattening foods. : 11%
Charge overweight people more for health insurance. : 16%
Do more to educate people about health and nutrition. : 50%
Encourage restaurants to provide healthier choices. : 5%
Let people eat what they want to eat. : 16%
What issue will dominate the 2008 presidential election?
Iraq : 58%
Healthcare Reform : 23%
The economy : 11%
Other : 5%
Which presidential candidate will be best for the biotech industry?
Hillary Clinton : 42%
John Edwards : 0%
Rudolph Giuliani : 14%
Barack Obama : 7%
Mitt Romney : 7%
Fred Thompson : 28%
What's the biggest barrier to making personalized medicine a reality?
Science : 15%
Investment : 0%
Business models : 15%
Reimbursement : 46%
Regulation : 23%
Will new powers for the FDA protect the public from unsafe drugs?
Yes : 71%
No : 0%
It will make no difference : 28%
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