| THE PROMISE | THE REALITY | |
| Human Genome Sciences | Founded in 1992 as a gene-focused drug-discovery company, a mission that seemed all the brighter with the decoding of the genome. | HGS has no drugs on the market. It has gotten to the second round of Phase III trials for its lupus drug, Benlysta, making it a relative winner in the field, but the company still has a way to go before bringing even that drug to market. |
| Millennium Predictive Medicine | Founded in 1997, the company was spun off to develop gene-based tests and treatments for a variety of ailments. | By 2000, MPMx had been reabsorbed by its parent company, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, which was soon acquired itself. Today, MPMx exists invisibly within Millennium: the Takeda Oncology Co. |
| Incyte | Founded in 1991 to develop protein therapeutics and later sell gene-mapping technologies. | Incyte burned through $150 million on R&D in 1999 alone; by 2004, the company had closed the doors on its genomics division. |
| Sangamo | Founded in 1995 to use "zinc fingers" to turn genes on or off, creating a wide range of therapies. | Companies have adopted the zinc-finger technology for plant and animal research, and Sangamo is developing an HIV treatment but has yet to get a product to market. |
| Variagenics | Founded in 1992, it announced plans for NuCleave, a genotyping product, in 2001 . | The NuCleave division was shut down by 2002; numerous mergers have left Variagenics buried within ARCA biopharma. |
| Nutragenomics | Founded in 2002 to develop tests that offered personalized diets based on genetic profiles. | No products ever made it to market. Founder Jim Kaput says the company is "on hold — that is, it still exists, but we are not pursuing development." |
| Interleukin Genetics | Founded in 1986 with a focus on systems biology, it later planned to develop personalized medicine, based on the principles of pharmacogenomics. | Interleukin is exploring the idea of partnering with drug companies but is currently selling direct-to-consumer (non-FDA approved) gene tests for heart disease and weight management. |
| Genset | Founded in 1989, it later planned to develop Famoxin, a gene-based drug to treat obesity. | Genset's key Famoxin researchers simultaneously walked out on the company, which quickly put an end to the drug. Genset has since disappeared in a wave of mergers. |
| Sciona | Founded in 2000 to sell gene tests directly to consumers. | The tests were pulled from the market after angry scientists called them unsafe. Sciona is now undergoing a "restructuring period" and is not accepting new orders. |
A version of this article appeared in the November 2009 issue of Fast Company magazine.
