经济学人251:医药公司和癌症 利润丰厚的救星

　　Drug firms and cancer Lucrative¹ lifesavers
医药公司和癌症 利润丰厚的救星
The hopes and perils² of betting on cancer treatments
癌症治疗的希望和风险
NEW weapons are emerging in the war on cancer.
在对癌症的战争中不断有新武器出现。
That is good news not just for patients but also for drug companies.
这不仅对病人是好消息，对制药公司也是好消息。
The biggest ones, faced with falling sales as their existing medicines go off-patent, are investing in smaller firms with promising³ cancer treatments under development, hoping to secure the next blockbuster.
最先有药物面临着销售下滑，失去专利保护，最重要的是投资于正在开发有前途的癌症治疗方法的小公司来确保拥有下一个重磅炸弹。
On August 25th Amgen, the world's biggest biotechnology company by sales, said it would pay $10.4 billion for another American firm, Onyx.
8月25日世界上最大的生物技术公司安进表示，它将支付104亿美元收购Onyx公司。
The target firm's crown jewel is Kyprolis, a treatment for multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
该公司拥有的药物Kyprolis能治疗多发性骨髓瘤，一种类型的血癌。
2_副本.jpgThe next day AstraZeneca, a British drugs firm, said it would snap up Amplimmune, an American firm working on ways to trigger the immune system to fight cancer.
第二天，英国制药公司阿斯利康称将抢购Amplimmune公司，美国一家试图通过激活免疫系统来治疗癌症的公司。
Oncology is attractive for several reasons.
肿瘤学有吸引力是因为以下几个原因。
First, the understanding of cancer is evolving rapidly.
首先，对癌症的了解在不断加快。
In the 20th century treatment relied on surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
在20世纪对癌症的治疗依赖于手术，放疗和化疗。
These now seem rudimentary.
现在这些都成了最基本的手段。
Immunotherapy—getting the immune system to attack cancer—has gone from theory into practice.
用免疫系统攻击癌细胞已经从理论进入实践。
Genomics has helped scientists target specific mutations that promote cancer.
基因组学帮助科学家通过特定的基因突变锁定促使癌症发生的基因。
Another area of excitement for cancer researchers is epigenetics, which alters how a gene⁴ acts without meddling⁵ with the sequence of DNA⁶.
表观遗传学是癌症研究的另一个令人兴奋的领域，在不改变基因序列的前提下改变基因的表达。
Second, regulators have speeded up their approval of cancer drugs.
其次，监管机构已经在加快对抗癌药物的市场准入。
Of the 39 medicines approved by America's Food and Drug Administration in 2012, 11 were for cancer.
在2012年由美国食品和药物管理局批准的39种药品中，有11种用于治疗癌症。
These included Kyprolis, which was granted accelerated approval, based on a smaller clinical trial than usual, for use as a last-ditch treatment for patients with multiple myeloma.
其中包括Kyprolis，在只进行了小规模的临床试验的基础上加速审批通过，用于多发性骨髓瘤患者治疗的最后一道防线。
Third, and most controversial, cancer drugs can fetch exorbitant⁷ prices, particularly in America.
第三，也是最有争议的，治疗癌症的药物可以卖高昂的价格，特别是在美国。
The idea is that there's nothing else available, so you can ask for a high price, explains Howard Liang of Leerink Swann, an investment bank.
美国医疗保健投资银行的霍华德梁解释说：我们的想法是，因为没有别的可用，所以我们可以卖很高的价格。
A typical course of treatment with Kyprolis lasting⁸, say, five months, can cost around $50,000.
使用Kyprolis治疗一个疗程，也就是5个月，花费大约5万美元。
Little surprise, then, that big drugmakers are keen to develop their own cancer drugs, form partnerships⁹ with smaller firms that have promising treatments in the pipeline¹⁰, and buy such companies outright¹¹.
有个小惊喜就是大制药公司都热衷于开发自己的抗癌药物，与在治疗过程中能提高治疗效果的小公司形成合作关系，也直接收购这种小公司。
Kyprolis was first developed by a small firm called Proteolix, which was bought by Onyx, now acquired by Amgen.
首先Kyprolis是由一个叫 Proteolix的小公司开发的，被Onyx收购，现在又被Amgen收购。
In 2009 Bristol-Myers Squibb, an American drug giant, paid $2.4 billion for Medarex, which had an experimental immunotherapy drug.
美国制药业巨头施贵宝，2009年斥资24亿美元收购了拥有免疫治疗药物的Medarex公司。
That drug, for melanoma, is now sold in America for $120,000 for a full course of treatment.
该药物对黑色素瘤，现在在美国一个完整的疗程需要12万美元。
There are risks, however.
风险还是有的。
Even a drug seemingly destined¹² for fame and fortune can fall flat.
即使药物名利似乎注定落空。
The FDA has approved Kyprolis only for patients who have already tried at least two other treatments.
批准Kyprolis，只适用于那些已经尝试过至少两个其他治疗方法的患者。
Its annual sales could reach $3 billion, reckons Goldman Sachs.
高盛估计其年销售额能达到30亿美元。
But that requires approval beyond America, and data showing that Kyprolis is worth giving to earlier-stage patients.
但是这还需要美国以外的批准，并且要有数据能够证明Kyprolis也可以应用于早期患者。
AstraZeneca is buying Amplimmune largely for two cancer drugs still in early testing.
阿斯利康购买Amplimmune主要是两种抗癌药物目前仍处于早期测试。
If you are not willing to take risks, you cannot be in this area, says Bahija Jallal, an executive at AstraZeneca.
如果你不愿意承担风险，你就不会出现在这个领域，阿斯利康的一个管理人员Bahija Jallal说。
The biggest question in the long term is whether health insurers and governments will keep paying up.
长期来看最大的问题是医疗保险公司和政府是否会继续支持。
Onyx and Bayer, a German firm, share the profits of Nexavar, a kidney-cancer drug.
德国拜耳公司和Onyx共享肾癌药物多吉美的利润。
Last year Indian regulators granted a local firm a compulsory¹³ licence to sell Nexavar copies for a fraction of Bayer's price.
去年印度的监管机构强制许可授予当地一家小公司销售多吉美的仿制药，价格只是拜耳的一小部分。
The response elsewhere is less extreme.
其他地方的响应却不那么极端。
But companies face new scrutiny¹⁴ over their prices, particularly in Europe.
但是，公司在欧洲面临新的价格审查。
In April more than 100 experts in chronic¹⁵ myeloid leukaemia signed a paper to protest against the high cost of drugs.
4月100多名在慢性髓性白血病方面的专家签署了一份抗议药物成本过高的声明。
For now, however, Amgen should be able to continue charging handsomely for Kyprolis.
但就目前而言，安进能够从Kyprolis获得丰厚的利润。
1.bet on 打赌
Those who bet on property are also coming unstuck.
那些把宝押在房地产的人也深陷其中。
It would be unwise for the pentagon to bet on it, however.
然而五角大楼打赌这种情况一定能发生可就不明智了。
2.hope to 希望
Democrats¹⁶ hope to finish the draft in a week.
民主党人士希望在一周内完成该草案。
I really hope to find my prince charming soon.
我真希望能早点找到我的白马王子。
3.blood cancer 血癌
It had never been given to anyone with a blood cell cancer like hers.
这种药物以前从来没在像她一样的患血细胞癌症的病人身上使用过。
Multiple myeloma is a blood cancer that typically strikes much later in life.
多发性肿瘤是一种血癌，通常在晚期才发作。
4.snap up 抢购
Chinese buyers are even starting to snap up pricey commercial buildings and hotels in manhattan.
中国买家甚至开始抢购价格不菲的曼哈顿的商业楼盘及酒店。
Instead, analysts¹⁷ believe that motorists view the situation as an opportunity to snap up bargains.
分析师反而认为，汽车客户将这一情况视作降价抢购的好机会。

1 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

2 perils   

极大危险( peril的名词复数 )； 危险的事（或环境）

参考例句：

• The commander bade his men be undaunted in the face of perils. 指挥员命令他的战士要临危不惧。
• With how many more perils and disasters would he load himself? 他还要再冒多少风险和遭受多少灾难？

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

5 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

6 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

7 exorbitant   

adj.过分的；过度的

参考例句：

• More competition should help to drive down exorbitant phone charges.更多的竞争有助于降低目前畸高的电话收费。
• The price of food here is exorbitant. 这儿的食物价格太高。

8 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

9 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

10 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

11 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

12 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

13 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

14 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

15 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

16 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。