Former Genentech scientist receives 6 month prison sentence for trade secret theft

Via FiercePharma, the end of the Genentech trade secrets saga: 

After pleading guilty to the crime, it's time to do the time.

A year after a former Genentech staffer and her husband pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from the drugmaker, the two have received six-month prison sentences, plus fines of more than $10,000 each.  

In the years-long case, Xanthe Lam, a former principal scientist for Genentech, and her husband Allen Lam last summer pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit theft of trade secrets, plus multiple counts of conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, plus other charges, according to documents from the United States District Court in the Northern District of California.

The two must surrender to begin serving their sentence no later than April 10, 2023, the documents show. After release, the defendants will be on supervised release for three years.

In the high-profile case, government prosecutors said the couple stole confidential intellectual property related to Genetech’s top-sellers Rituxan, Herceptin, and Avastin, as well as cystic fibrosis inhalation Pulmozyme. The two then passed the secret info to Taiwanese firm JHL Biotech (now Eden Biologics), to aid in its development of copycats, the suit said.

6 months in federal prison! That should be sufficient to deter other would-be IP thieves, I would think?  

Job posting: senior/principal scientific researcher (MS 0+/BS 2+), Genentech, South San Francisco, CA

From the inbox: 

Genentech, a leader in bio-pharmaceutical sciences, is seeking a highly-motivated and talented researcher with a proven track record of laboratory achievements to join our growing Department of Small Molecule Process Chemistry. Responsibilities of the position include:

• Discover and develop process chemistry by conducting experiments to scout synthetic routes and to optimize reactions for yield, selectivity, and product purity.
• Demonstrate synthetic processes at the laboratory and kilogram scale for timely delivery of early and mid-phase small molecule development candidates in accordance with cGMP, ICH and FDA/EMA regulations.
• Develop crystallization processes to isolate synthetic intermediates and to control the bulk quality attributes of the API conducive to successful development and formulation requirements.

The ideal candidate will meet the following requirements. The level of the position will depend on the qualifications of the selected candidate:

• BS with 2+ years of relevant experience or MS in chemistry. Candidates with a MS in organic chemistry are highly preferred. Applicants are required to provide a research summary along with their CV.
• To be considered for the more senior level, the candidate must have a record of innovation and success in multiple projects over the course of their industrial career.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Trade secret theft results in 12 month sentence

Via Endpoints News, this update on the JHL case: 

The founders of the biosimilar developer who pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets from Genentech will be imprisoned for a year and one day.

Racho Jordanov and Rose Lin were the CEO and COO of JHL Biotech, respectively, when they hired former or current Genentech employees and got confidential information from them to speed up the development of biosimilars to Genentech’s blockbuster cancer drugs. That worked well for them: According to the plea agreements, the scheme helped JHL appeal to investors, ultimately defrauding them of $101 million.

Both have been sentenced to a prison term of 12 months and one day, to be followed by 36 months of supervised release — including nine months in home confinement for Jordanov.

Their sentencing caps a saga that dates back to 2011. From before JHL was officially founded in 2012 until 2019, Jordanov brought multiple ex-Genentech staffers to his Taiwanese startup, court documents show.

It would be interesting to know how often folks who do this get time in the federal pen. I presume that this is the Department of Justice trying to make a point, but we'll see what kind of commentary results from this sentencing.  

Job posting: Senior or Principal Scientific Researcher, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA

From the inbox: 

The Department of Protein Chemistry within the division of Large Molecule Drug Discovery in Genentech Research has an opening for a Senior or Principal Scientific Researcher to advance efforts on protein engineering of cell therapies. The Researcher will be responsible for discovery and implementation of new technologies and contributing to cross-functional teams. They will be expected to work independently, but also integrate closely with project teams, to generate and communicate results that drive project decisions. The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to high-impact publications and presentations related to their responsibilities.

Primary Responsibilities:

Engineering, construct design, recombinant production, and in-cell production of protein components of cellular therapeutics. Examples include switch receptors, stimulus-responsive chimeric receptors, immunomodulatory cytokines, chemokine receptors, cellular logic circuits, context-dependent transcription factors, and other enhancements that enable the persistence, function, and phenotype of cell therapies. As a department representative on cross-functional project teams, the Researcher will work closely with Scientists and Researchers from across Research and Development to advance promising candidate cell therapies from concept to development handoff.

Qualifications:

• PhD or Master’s degree with significant experience; post-doctoral experience demonstrating a breadth of knowledge is encouraged
• Expertise in biochemistry, chemical biology, enzymology, biophysics, structural biology, protein engineering, or a related discipline, with deep knowledge of protein structure and function

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Taiwanese biotech CEO pleads guilty to theft of Genentech trade secrets

Via this week's Chemical and Engineering News, this story by Craig Bettenhausen:

The former CEO and chief operating officer of the Taiwanese biotech firm Eden Biologics—which changed its name from JHL Biotech in February—have been convicted in the US of stealing trade secrets from Genentech. The executives, Racho Ivanov Jordanov and Rose Lin, join staffers Xanthe Lam and Allen Lam, who were convicted on related charges in July. According to the indictments, the four worked together starting in 2009 to steal manufacturing protocols and other proprietary information from Genentech about its drugs Avastin, Herceptin, Pulmozyme, and Rituxan. Xanthe Lam worked at Genentech from 1986 to 2017.

The Department of Justice press release is pretty detailed as to what exactly happened: 

According to the plea agreement, Jordanov hired former Genentech employees to work at JHL Biotech, several of whom he learned surreptitiously brought, without authorization, confidential and proprietary documents with them from Genentech to JHL Biotech.  

The company used only some of the stolen documents, but Jordanov tolerated this practice by the employees of JHL Biotech and made no effort to discourage its employees from using the documents or information they brought with them.  The employees Jordanov hired provided the Genentech documents and information to JHL Biotech, which, at times, allowed the company to cheat, cut corners, solve problems, provide examples, avoid further experimentation, eliminate costs, lend scientific assurance, and otherwise help JHL Biotech start-up, develop, and operate its business secretly using the intellectual property and scientific know-how taken from Genentech.  

Jordanov admitted that he suspected that some or all the stolen information was brought to JHL Biotech in violation of relevant Genentech non-disclosure agreements and employment contracts, but he made no effort to verify whether that was true.

I've thought about this stuff before. Makes you wonder if companies have thought about ways that their documents leave the company, and how to track them... 

Job posting: senior/principal scientist, protein engineering, Genentech, South San Francisco, CA

From the inbox, a position at Genentech: 

The Department of Protein Chemistry within the division of Large Molecule Drug Discovery in Genentech Research has an opening for a Senior or Principal Scientist to lead efforts on protein engineering of cell therapies. The Scientist will be responsible for discovery and implementation of new technologies, managing and developing a research group, and leading cross-functional project teams. They will be expected to work independently, but also integrate closely with project teams, to generate and communicate results that drive project decisions. The successful candidate will also be expected to author and contribute to high-impact publications related to their responsibilities, and present at scientific conferences annually.

For reference, it is expected that successful candidates will have 5-10 years of experience or academic training beyond their doctoral degree.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

Job posting: Senior Scientist/Scientist, Protein Chemistry, Genentech, SSF

From the inbox: 

We are seeking a talented Scientist/ Senior Scientist to join the Department of Protein Chemistry – Large Molecule Drug Development at Genentech. We are looking for a candidate to build oligonucleotide therapeutics discovery capabilities within the research drug discovery pipeline at Genentech. The candidate must have a proven record of accomplishments in antisense oligonucleotides, RNAi, or microRNA discovery and the ability to build and champion this therapeutic modality within the research organization at Genentech. Experience in delivery of oligonucleotide therapeutics, large molecule drug discovery, or bioconjugation would be preferred. Experience in early development of oligonucleotide therapeutics is highly desired.

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

More details on that Genentech cut

Via FiercePharma: 

In a move away from a "national strategy" in favor of localized operations, Genentech is planning to part ways with hundreds of staffers over the next few months. 

The U.S. unit of Swiss drug giant Roche, Genentech is cutting 474 jobs, according to a notice filed with the state of California. While many of the cuts are in clinical operations, the San Francisco Chronicle reports that 44 division managers and 32 territory managers will be affected by the layoffs. Many of the cuts take effect in mid-September, but some employees will depart in August and some in October, according to the report. 

A spokeswoman told Fierce Pharma the company this year "launched a new customer-engagement approach that will transform the way we serve patients, physicians, providers, payors and pharmacies across the country."

Best wishes to them.  

Genentech cutting 474 Bay Area positions

I can't see the whole article, but the San Francisco Chronicle has the details:

Biotech giant Genentech will lay off more than 470 employees, the company reported to state regulators.

Well, that's not good. Best wishes to them.  

Postdoc: ACS Bridge Project, Washington, DC or Madison, WI

From the inbox: 

The ACS Learning and Career Development group seeks a Postdoctoral Fellow to help evaluate the educational outcomes of the ACS Bridge Project. The ACS Bridge Project aims to broaden participation in graduate education in the chemical sciences. This project is supported by the Genentech Foundation, the National Science Foundation, and the American Chemical Society. 

The Postdoctoral Fellow will work with the leadership of the ACS Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholars Office to develop, implement, and analyze assessments of programming associated with the ACS Bridge Project. An academic mentoring and advisory group will support the scholarly development of the Postdoctoral Fellow. Projects range from assessing educational outcomes of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers from underrepresented minority groups participating in career and professional development programming to examining graduate school admissions processes in the chemical sciences. 

The successful candidate is a highly motivated professional who is comfortable interacting professionally with a diverse network of stakeholders and has well-developed interpersonal communication skills. The ideal candidate should be able to successfully work and partners across multiple teams to deliver high-caliber content and perform on a tight schedule.

Responsibilities:  

1. Assists in designing, developing, executing, and implementing scientific research and/or development.
2. Implements research studies and quality improvement projects.
3. Investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and theories to potential inventions and products.
4. Assists with the preparation of manuscripts, data for presentations at scientific meetings, and for publications in journals and for broader audiences.
5. Contributes to the development of grant applications, research protocols, multi-disciplinary partnerships, and novel project ideas.

Education/Experience/Technical Knowledge: Excellent analytical, writing (especially as they relate to grant and manuscript preparation), communication, interpersonal, communication, and teamwork skills required. Adaptable to a wide variety of job tasks and projects, with the ability to survey literature efficiently and apply empirical findings appropriately. 

Minimum Education/Training Requirements: Ph.D. in STEM education, Ph.D. chemical science education preferred. 

Location: Washington, DC, or Madison, WI
Duration: 2 years (with the possibility to extend)
Application details: Application deadline is May 1, 2020. Applications will continue to be accepted on a rolling basis.  

Candidates will be asked to submit the following:
• Cover Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for three references 

EEO/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran

Full ad here. Best wishes to those interested. 

This weeks C&EN

A few of the articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News:

• Cover: "How the periodic table changed my life" (collection edited by Lauren K. Wolf)
• Lisa Jarvis interviews Genentech’s R&D chief Michael Varney
• Cool dichlorination catalyst (by Mark Peplow)
• "Pfizer will merge its generics unit with Mylan" (by Lisa M. Jarvis) 
• University of St. Andrews is rebuilding its labs, after a fire (by Dalmeet Singh Chawla)
• Career Ladder: Catherine Goffinet, flavor chemist (by Arminda Downey-Mavromatis)

This week's C&EN

A few articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News: 

• Cover: 10 Startups to Watch
• Don't miss Ryan Cross' summary of Kronos Bio - really fascinating
• Sounds like Hurricane Florence hit UNC Wilmington really hard (by Andrea Widener)
• Check out a profile of formulation chemist Hannah Follis (by Melissa Gilden)
• "4 charged with stealing Genentech trade secrets" (article by Marc Reisch)
• I feel like this articles are becoming ever more common - seems like the Feds are cranking up the pressure
• I really enjoyed this episode of "Stereo Chemistry" about lab superstitions by Kerri Jansen

This week's C&EN

A few articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News: 

• Cover: "Will the world ever be ready for solar geoengineering?" (article by Tien Nguyen)
• I love the fact that the article deals with the conspiratorial realm in terms of putting substances into the atmosphere. 
• Who knew that 3-D printing could have emissions? (article by Janet Pelley) 
• Great article on Genentech's Wendy Young (VP of small-molecule drug discovery) by Lisa Jarvis
• The ACS Council has approved a plan to raise 2019 dues to $175 (article by Linda Wang) 
• "Some safety eyewear fails to protect against ultrafast lasers" (article by Jyllian Kemsley) 
• Interesting and worthwhile cautionary letter to the editor on NSF's new sexual harassment policy for PIs. 

This week's C&EN

A few articles from this week's issue of Chemical and Engineering News:

• Cover: Lisa Jarvis on the gender diversity problem in pharma and biotech. 
• "Wendy Young, senior vice president of small-molecule discovery at Genentech, points out that her field, medicinal chemistry, seems stubbornly stuck at 20%. That’s the percentage of women who are in the medicinal chemistry division of the American Chemical Society, who publish in medicinal chemistry journals, and who are featured at conferences."
• Green fuels get bacterial infections? (article by Mitch Jacoby) 
• An update on Chematica's computer-planned synthetic routes (article by Sam Lemonick)
• Lasers to make distressed jeans for Levi's (article by Melody Bomgardner)
• Cheryl Hogue, with more on Chemours' air emissions of perfluorocarbons.

A few bits of bad news...

Amgen, Genentech cutting some staff (via Endpoints News's Brittany Meiling)

Two biotech giants — Amgen and Genentech — are laying off a combined 330 people at California facilities, both citing “organizational changes” as the primary reason for the cuts. 

Amgen is shaking up its R&D department, eliminating 200 positions at its Thousand Oaks, CA and South San Francisco facilities by the end of this year, STAT reported Saturday. An Amgen spokesperson tells me the company is making organizational changes across the globe in regards to its R&D departments. This round of layoffs, however, mostly impacts facilities in California.... 

...For Genentech, the layoffs are concentrated at its Vacaville, CA manufacturing facility, where about 1,000 people are employed. Genentech (owned by Roche) is cutting 130 positions....

Also, in the news in Indianapolis (via WBOI's Annie Ropeik):

At Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, 2,300 employees will take buyouts as part of the company’s effort to save money by cutting at least 2,000 jobs in the U.S. by the end of the year. 

It’s unclear whether layoffs are still in the works in the Hoosier state. 

Lilly said in September it would aim to save $500 million by cutting 3,500 jobs out of its more than 41,000 worldwide, with at least 2,000 cut in the U.S....

 Best wishes to those affected. 

Inaugural Pharma Leaders Symposium: August 21, 1 PM, ACS DC

From the inbox, an event at the DC national meeting: 

Calling all pharma-focused chemists! Attending the ACS national meeting in DC? You won’t want to miss the first Pharma Leaders conference symposium, “ACS Pharma Leaders: Working together to make a difference.” 

The symposium will be held from 1 to 4 PM on Aug. 21, 2017, in Room 146C of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. 

The symposium will continue discussions on topics central to the most recent ACS Pharma Leaders conference: neglected diseases, chemistry collaborations, and predictive science; AbbVie hosted the conference in October 2016. 

The annual ACS Pharma Leaders conference, which is co-organized by ACS Industry Member Programs and a different pharma company each year, convenes invited chemistry leaders in pharma, who explore possible collaborations on precompetitive and noncompetitive issues with the goal of accelerating drug development. 

Philip Kym of AbbVie, Catherine Peishoff (formerly of GSK), and Wendy Young of Genentech are organizers of the symposium, which will feature the following speakers: Richard Connell of Pfizer; Lisa Shewchuk of GlaxoSmithKline; Bradley Sherborne of Merck; Anil Vasudevan of AbbVie; Peter Warner of The Gates Foundation; and Dale Kempf of AbbVie.

 Sounds interesting - wish I was going! 

Daily Pump Trap: 5/11/17 edition

A (very) few of the positions posted at C&EN Jobs:

Washington, DC: Interesting law firm position:

Chemist wanted for a non-laboratory position to work in the Washington, D.C. office of an international law firm.  This individual will work closely with our attorneys and other staff scientists to help clients determine the regulatory status of their products in accordance with applicable food, drug, and medical device regulations.

Ph.D. preferred, not required.

South San Francisco, CA: Genentech, seeking a sample manager.

A broader look: Monster, Careerbuilder, Indeed and USAjobs.gov show (respectively) "1000+", 374, 9,826 and 15 positions for the search term "chemist."

LinkedIn shows 3,429 positions for the search term "chemist" and 20,518 for the search term "chemistry." Job titles from LinkedIn - first with quotes, and the second without: Polymer Chemist: 15/590. Analytical chemist: 214/272 . Research chemist: 32/45. Synthetic chemist: 15/573. Medicinal chemist: 18/46. Organic chemist: 34/74. Process chemist: 20/51. Process development chemist: 7/8. Formulation chemist: 40/48.

View From Your Hood: Genentech edition

Credit: John Tellis

"The incentive only Genentech can offer"

Picture taken from a chemistry lab at Genentech.

(got a View from Your Hood submission? Send it in (with a caption, please) at chemjobber@gmail.com; will run every other Friday.) 

Daily Pump Trap: 3/15/17 edition

A few positions posted at C&EN Jobs:

Brea, CA: Moravek is looking for a peptide chemist; $75,000-$110,000 (depending on experience). 

Boom: Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM) is searching for an experienced energetic materials chemist; M.S./Ph.D., 2 years experience required.

South San Francisco, CA: Genentech is looking for an experienced Ph.D. chemical biologist.

Pleasanton, CA: Astex Pharmaceuticals is hiring an Associate Director/Director, Process Chemistry (M.S./Ph.D., 6-9 years.) 

Research Triangle Park (RTP), NC: Novozymes is searching for a B.S./M.S. analytical chemist.

Daily Pump Trap: 2/27/17 edition

A few of the positions posted at C&EN Jobs:

South San Francisco, CA: Genentech is looking for a process chemist; 0-3 years experience desired. (Zeroes!) Also, a sample management position (that needs a Ph.D.?) 

Dunno where: BASF is looking for a senior industrial biotechnologist. 

Gaithersburg, MD: AstraZeneca/MedImmune is searching for a senior medicinal chemist; Ph.D., 5 years of experience desired. 

Spring House, PA: Johnson and Johnson is hiring a postdoctoral chemical biologist.

Cleveland, OH: Looks like someone at the Cleveland Clinic is looking for a staff Ph.D. medicinal chemist? The ad is riddled with HTML errors - it's hard to read.