The JIM Interview

In the early 1980s several prominent scientists left the hallowed halls of respected universities seeking to exploit the revolution occurring in biology in an environment devoid of the bureaucratic and political confines of academia. The emergence of the biotechnology industry has been marked by both spectacular failures and success stories. Genentech was founded in 1976 by biochemist Herbert Boyer and venture capitalist Robert Swanson and went public in 1980. In 1995 Genentech merged with Roche Holdings Ltd., of Basel Switzerland. Distinguished from other biotech companies by the varied array of products it has brought to market, Genentech has also developed a unique corporate culture embodying many traditional academic values. Just as Genentech went public in 1980, Arthur D. Levinson, PhD, finished a post-doctoral appointment in Michael Bishop's lab at the University of California, San Francisco. Despite the disapproval of colleagues, he joined the fledgling company as a senior scientist. Working his way through the ranks, Levinson became Vice President of Research Technology in 1989 and was named President and CEO in 1995. Interviewed at the sprawling corporate headquarters in South San Francisco, Levinson reflected on the process of high risk science, the benefits of the private sector, and the changing relationship between biotech companies and the academic world.