Comments on: Swiss Pharma Roche Buys USA-Born & Bred Genentech for $47bln

By: Jillmz

Jillmz — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:44:45 +0000

Thanks all – very different takes on same thing. I guess I shouldn't be surprised – I definitely have a kind of romanticized view of it for the reasons I pointed out.

By: Ricorun

Ricorun — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:53:28 +0000

One of the first tech stocks I ever bought was Genentech. That was back in 1987. It's been a wild ride. Things went well at first, but then a few studies came out that indicated their Activase product wasn't any better at treating acute myocardial infarction than other, considerably cheaper drugs. Since that was their primary product at the time, their stock price dropped quickly and substantially. Then came the merger with Roche in 1990, and their stock price really surged. I don't recall if it was at the same time or slightly thereafter they announced their first stock split. It was somewhere around there. At any rate, the point is that they've had a relationship with Roche for a very long time. And it has been a very beneficial one. So I'm neither surprised or concerned at the recent news.

By: DaGoat

DaGoat — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:16:12 +0000

I have worked in health care for over 20 years and have a much different view of Genentech. They are Big Pharma at it's worst. Maybe Switzerland can teach them some ethics.

By: Silhouette

Silhouette — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:06:02 +0000

Foreign countries are astonished as to why the US would sell off vital parts of itself to outside influences. Many are smiling under calm phasods. The US is like a big whore that just sells herself constantly to the highest bidder. I'm thinking this could go wrong somewhere down the line. I'm thinking it's a very foolish way to run a country.