TEL AVIV: As Israel's biggest company Teva strives to get even bigger by swallowing up rival Mylan for more than US$40 billion, further down the food chain a raft of upstart life science firms are struggling to climb onto the global ladder. Now the government is starting to take notice, urged on by influential advocates, including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' own boss, who says the country's economic future depends on replicating his company's success.