Genzyme

Key Competitors / Literature

Genzyme Corporation is a highly diversified biotechnology firm located in Cambridge, MA, which focuses on a wide range of technologies to provide human healthcare products and services for unmet medical needs. The company has four divisions, and each division has its own common stock intended to reflect its value and track its performance.

Genzyme General, the largest of the four divisions, develops and markets therapeutic products and diagnostic products and services. It focuses on developing treatments for rare genetic disorders. Genzyme’s lead product, Cerezyme, is a treatment for Gaucher disease, a rare, inherited enzyme disorder that can lead to bone disease, anemia, enlargement of the liver and spleen, and easy bruising and bleeding.

Genzyme Surgical Products develops and markets a portfolio of mechanical devices, biomaterials and biotherapeutics, primarily for the cardiothoracic and general surgery markets.

Genzyme Tissue Repair is a leading developer of biological products for the treatment of orthopedic injuries such as cartilage damage and severe burns.

Genzyme Molecular Oncology is developing a new generation of cancer vaccines and angiogenesis inhibitors, and is shaping these new therapies through the integration of its gene discovery, gene therapy, small molecule drug discovery, protein therapeutic, and genetic diagnostic efforts.

Spreading Knowledge

The biotechnology industry came of age in the 1990s, and Genzyme enjoyed rapid growth during that decade. The company went from two buildings to over 40 locations on four continents. As a result, Genzyme Information Services was faced with the challenge of creating a virtual library that was available to the worldwide work force 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

When the company instituted a corporate Intranet – known throughout the company as Genie (Genzyme Information Exchange) -- they chose DB/Text® WebPublisher as their software solution.

"DB/Text WebPublisher is robust, flexible, and easy to use," says Julie Williams, Information Services Web Developer. "I haven’t run into any limitations. It has done absolutely everything we have asked it to do.

"For example, with DB/Text WebPublisher, we were able to deliver web-based searching that worked well with our existing software. We didn’t need to buy any add-ons."

Easy to Customize

As Genie evolved, Information Services realized they needed a web publishing system that could be geared to the company’s specific needs.

"DB/Text WebPublisher is one of the few flexible products for transferring and integrating existing databases to the Web and making it available to the end user," said Williams. "It can accommodate lots of specific uses.

"For instance, we built a literature database that deals with specific diseases. Our customers needed a flexible searching mechanism, and with the drop down menus and customizable validation lists, we were able to give it to them.

"In fact, patrons of the library really like DB/Text WebPublisher. They have found it to be a fast and easy way to find what they need, and it gives them access to the library, regardless of what time it is or where they are at the moment."

Williams, who has worked at Genzyme since June of 1999, appreciates how easy DB/Text WebPublisher is to use for web developers as well as for clients.

"What’s nice about DB/Text WebPublisher is it takes advantage of your existing skills," said Williams. "Most web developers know some html or Java Script," said Williams. "And that’s enough to allow you to get the most out of DB/Text WebPublisher. It is not as if you need to know Visual Basic.

" It didn’t take me too long to get very comfortable creating reports for the Web."

Multiple Uses

As Genzyme seeks therapies for a variety of conditions, the need for new Web applications continues to expand.

Some of the applications Information Services has implemented on the Intranet with DB/Text WebPublisher include:

• Key Competitors Database (gives employees access to information on a thousand competitors);
• Biomedical Literature Database (enables employees to conduct online bibliographic search for biomedical references);
• Alerts Database (allows Information Services personnel to manage alerting services);
• Cancer Deals (used by business development to track mergers and acquisitions activity in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology area);
• Conference Database (lists what conferences are coming up in the next two years and who will be attending as a representative of Genzyme);
• Journal and Book Collection Databases (makes available market studies and reference books).

Staying abreast of the latest developments in a cutting edge industry such as biotechnology can be a daunting task, so Genzyme has come up with a Key Competitors application.

This database – mounted on DB/Text WebPublisher -- provides Genzyme employees with basic information about competitors, and then allows them to link to web sites for publicly available information such as Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, stock prices, news, and competitors’ web sites.

The result is Genzyme has access to up-to-the-minute information on competitive initiatives.

"DB/Text WebPublisher really helps our businesses maintain a competitive edge through easy access to competitor information," said Dawn Renear, Vice President of Information Services.

Biomedical Literature

The Biomedical Literature application supports Sales & Marketing, BioMedical, and Clinical & Regulatory Departments. It is used to answer both employee and physician inquiries.

"This database helps Genzyme maintain good customer service through fast access to key biomedical literature," said Renear. "Ultimately, it helps physicians make informed decisions."

Which, in essence, is the DB/Text WebPublisher raison d’etre.

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Crew-Noble Information Services
323 El Pintado Heights Drive, Danville, CA 94526-1412
Phone: (925) 837-1399   Fax: (925) 820-9114

Revised: 03/19/04