We've come a long way, baby, but we still have a lot in common with the fruit fly. Exelixis, a pharmaceutical research and development firm, got its start analyzing genetic data from fruit flies and other organisms as a means to speed the development of drugs and other products. Its early genomic work has yielded a pipeline of drug candidates primarily in the area of cancer therapies, as well as some potential treatments for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. The company's drug candidates in clinical trials include treatments for solid tumors, thyroid cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer. Development and licensing partners include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, and Sanofi.