Keep It Simple

Genaissance Pharmaceuticals Inc. thought it would leverage its pharmacogenomics expertise in 2004 when it acquired Viibryd vilazodone, a compound that had failed five Phase II trials for depression. But the problem with Viibryd turned out to be a lot simpler. Clinical Data Inc., which acquired Genaissance in 2005, conducted a pair of successful Phase III trials using an optimized dose and titration schedule, and FDA approved the drug last month for major depressive disorder.

Genaissance was founded in 1997 as a pharmacogenomics service provider, based in part on technology that came out of another company founded in 1992, Bios Laboratories Inc...