Genzyme/Geltex Pharmaceuticals Joint Venture

In March 1997, an executive vice president of Genzyme Corporation must develop the terms by which the $518 billion (revenue) firm will form a joint venture with a small biotechnology firm to make and market a new drug. The tasks for the decision maker are to estimate the enterprise value of the new joint venture, recommend how large an interest to acquire in the venture, and determine what price to pay for that interest and when. The case may be used to pursue some or all of the following objectives: (1) exercising analytical techniques, (2) introducing a framework for creating value and reducing risk, (3) exploring the impact on value of a hidden option (staged investing), and (4) visualizing risk and its implications.