They take on the molecular mechanisms concerned in the growth of cancer without injuring the encompassing healthy tissue, and offer the chance of making the illness a manageable, chronic condition. Tarceva's efficiency against pancreatic cancer is getting investigated in a Phase III trial and results are due in the second half 2004. Yet manipulating the genetic makeup of plants and animals to enhance crop yields is some distance from new. Cross-breeding for desired traits like tallness, bigger milk yield or sweeter fruits, has been practiced ever since humans took up farming. The strategy permits scientists to change plants and animals in a more controlled way, selecting selected genes for cross-breeding rather than crossing loads of genes thru several generations to get the required characteristic. And the method even authorizes genes with various traits to be transferred from one species to another, not possible by conventional breeding strategies. It is contained in the chromosomes ( threadlike structures ) within the cell nucleus. Todays marketplace offers many possibilities for making an investment in the biotechnology sector. As of March 31, 2004, FBIOX held sixty stocks with the top ten holdings accounting for almost 64% of the portfolio. Top holdings in this fund included names like Genentech, Biogen Idec, Gilead Sciences, Cephalon ( Naz : CEPH ), and Millennium Pharmaceuticals ( NDX : MLNM ). The iShares are designed to trace the Naz Biotechnology Index and include over a hundred biotech firms that trade on the Naz . A notable absentee in the iShares is Genentech whose shares trade on the NYSE.
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