Question

What are the strategies of the Intarcia and Alexion (they're both biotechnology companies)? Are they similar or different – and how?

Answer 1

Intarcia Therapeutics, Inc.: work on synthetic peptide based drug delivery system i,e., Medici Drug Delivery System. They extensively work on the treatment of type-2-diabetes. They developed a drug Exenatide (synthetic peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist). THis drug can be administrated into patient through subcutaneous injection which immediately absorbed and uptaked by blood capilaries present in the area and then circulated into the circulatory system. Exenatide binds to the receptor GLP-1R and increases insulin secretion from pancreas, which reduces the level of excess uncatabolised sugar present in the blood. This company recieve funding from private sectors. Therapeutic invols study of patient and best cure for the disease treatment.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals: American pharmaceuticals famous for its breakthrough drug Soliris which can cure one of the rarest diseases such as  PNH (paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria) and aHUS (atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome). Thus, Soliris is one of the most expensive drug, and cannot be afforded by everyone. This company also deals with developing drug for auto immune disease. Being a pharma, they mainly focuses to study drugs and their action and how they can be employed. They are involved in developing drug which can be broadly approved by regulating agency so that it can be used for clinical purpose.

For reseach and drug discovery, this company receives research fundings mainly from institutional investors.

Both pharmacology and therapeutics have similar moto and purpose: improvement treatment and patient health and cure disease.