Molecular Biotechnology : Principles and Applications of Recombinant dna (4th Edition)

Construction of Biologically Functional Bacterial 
Plasmids In Vitro
s. n. c
ohen
, a. c. y. c
hang
, h. w. b
oyer
, and r. b. h
elling
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
70:3240–3244, 1973
M I L E S T O N E

---

10
C H A P T E R 1
by larger ones, strategic mergers took place, and joint ventures were 
undertaken. For example, in 1991, 60% of Genentech was sold to Hoffmann- 
LaRoche for $2.1 billion. Also, inevitably, for various reasons, there were a 
number of bankruptcies. This state of flux is a characteristic feature of the 
biotechnology industry.
The annual earnings of the biotechnology industry have increased from 
about $6 million in 1986 to more than $70 billion in 2003. Worldwide, the 
biotechnology industry employs about 180,000 people. Since the 1980s, new, 
independent molecular biotechnology companies have usually been spe-
cialized and have tended to stress the use of one particular aspect of recom-
binant DNA technology. The extent of this specialization is often reflected in 
their names. For example, after the formation of companies dedicated to the 
cloning of commercially important genes—Biogen, Amgen, Genzyme, 
Genentech, and so on—several U.S. molecular biotechnology companies, 
including ImmunoGen, Immunomedics, and MedImmune, were formed to 
produce genetically engineered antibodies for treating infectious diseases, 
cancer, and other disorders in humans. Currently, the roster of biotech-
nology companies is extensive and includes those focused on cardiovas-
cular disorders, tissue engineering, cell replacement, drug delivery, vaccines, 
gene therapy, antisense drugs, microarray detection systems, diagnostics, 
genomics, proteomics, and agricultural biotechnology.