Roche's Acquisition of Genentech: Retention Program Unlikely to Stem Departures

As the biopharma community awaits the next act of the Roche/Genentech Inc. performance to play out, speculation persists over whether the Bay Area icon can retain both its hard-driving culture and the scientific minds that created it given the likelihood that it will soon become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Swiss pharma. [See Deal](See "In Bid For Genentech How High Can Roche Go?" IN VIVO, September 2008 Also see "In Bid For Genentech, How High Can Roche Go?" - In Vivo, 1 September, 2008..)

Genentech recently announced a generous employee retention plan to curb uncertainty among the biotech’s staffers. But off-the-record discussions with Genentech workers suggest the plan may not offer much incentive, especially...