This video clip provides a glimpse into the product formation cycle at Genentech, usually acknowledged as the first biotechnology company. In 1976, Herbert Boyer and Robert Swanson started Genentech which became a publicly traded company in 1980. For their first product, the company used recombinant DNA technology to synthesize human insulin. Today, Genentech makes and holds the patents for a number of products used in the treatment of medical conditions.