Genomics VS immunosuppressive drugs: who wins?

Had a talk this morning with some consultant from BCG (Boston Consulting Group). It was about this European genome sequencing business, DNA Vision, based in Brussels, Belgium.

DNA's website mentions:

"The first next-generation sequencing system has been launched in 2005 by 454 and Roche. It has been continuously improved so far with the FLX system in 2007 and the Titanium chemistry in 2008. DNAVision provides from deveral years high quality sequencing services using the Genome Sequencer FLX system (Roche). This breakthrough technology, producing more than 1 Million reads of 450 nt per run, is particularly well-suited for several applications: Metagenomics Other applications For more details about the Next Gen sequencing services at DNAVision, click here. DNAvision provides flexible solutions on 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8 plate combined with sample multiplexing through MID adapters. This flexibility is particularly interesting for de novo bacteria sequencing, metagenomic studies. DNAVision's service with Roche Genome Sequencer FLX system Up to 450Mb per run obtained for one to 192 samples Flexibility in experimental design - partial plate sequencing is provided Fast data turnaround - 10 hours per run State-of-the-art bioinformatics support." (Source)

Roche is a pharmaceutical lab selling immunosuppressive drugs. The company even got a "reward" for that... In 2010, for testing Cellcept, a transplant anti-rejection drug, in China... "The Public Eye Award in the category Swiss and People was given to the Swiss health care-company Roche for the selling of the medicament 'Cell Cept' in China, where over 90% of the organs for transplantation comes from executed prisoners - against their own will." (Source).It is against Roche's own interests to help develop regenerative medicine and genomics, as these will make organ transplants from brain-dead patients redundant...( read here).... Or maybe Roche will orient its business towards some more innovative stuff, like using DNA to store digital information ?

Jean-Michel Billaut, French @nthropologist and Net Economy specialist:

"Technically, it's possible to store1 million CD's in one gram of DNA, for 10.000 years ! Will digital stuff find a new format? From silicium and binary system (0 and 1) to DNA and four-letter-language? (A,T,C,G: the four letters of our Homo Sapiens' Operating System). A change of civilisation?"

The BCG consultant says "Big Pharma" is having serious difficulties reorienting itself, from the molecule to the digitalized preventive medicine (genomics is 1% biology, 99% data: probability and statistics)... He gave me an example (case in point): Kodak, one of the worldwide leaders in argentic photography, used to have a "digital photo lab". Not exactly because they wanted to help develop digital photography. On the contrary: they wanted to make sure they'd be able to delay its progress...

19th of Jan., 2012: Kodak is officially bankrupt...