Small-Medium Enterprises

October 12, 2016May 27, 2020

3 Drug Development Principles for Smart SMEs

I was inspired to post this article after someone said to me, “The drug development skills learnt in big pharma translate naturally to the biotech world … you just have a smaller budget”. While the technical skills are essentially the same, I feel strongly that the context and mindset in which they are applied are fundamentally different. This article highlights three ways in which “smart” small/medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) conduct drug development.

July 15, 2016May 27, 2020

Should your Biotech be Virtual?

Many new biotechs start off as virtual companies. But at each stage of development, you always end up asking whether you should stay virtual or build your own in-house wet labs. What are the pros and cons of being virtual? And is there a more pragmatic “semi-virtual” approach?

May 13, 2016May 24, 2020

Lessons from Leicester City’s success for Bioscience SMEs

As the 2015–16 English Premier League football season ends, I reflect on the lessons that smaller/medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can learn from Leicester City’s unlikely victory. In addition, to the usual lessons on how an underdog can triumph over much bigger competitors, I explore three other important lessons that are less obvious.

September 1, 2015

Strategic Asset Partnering for Bioscience SMEs—Planned or Opportunistic?

Partnering assets with large pharmaceutical, diagnostic or medical device multinationals is a critical part of the business model for many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the life sciences. But does it make sense for an SME to have a clearly defined partnering strategy or should it be opportunistic?

Continue reading “Strategic Asset Partnering for Bioscience SMEs—Planned or Opportunistic?”

January 24, 2015May 24, 2020

How Bioscience Platform Companies mature into Focused Product Businesses

In this final instalment of our 3-part series, we look at bioscience platform companies as they mature into focused product businesses. What drives this transition? What are the key success factors as a focused product business? This article covers in more detail Stage 4 of the lifecycle of bioscience platform companies depicted below:

January 17, 2015May 24, 2020

Bioscience Platform Companies as Technology/Service Providers and Hybrid Businesses

In this second instalment of our 3-part series, we look at the adolescent and early adulthood stages of bioscience platform companies. What drives the transition to these stages? What are the key success factors during these stages? This article discusses in more detail Stages 2 and 3 of the lifecycle of bioscience platform companies depicted below:

January 10, 2015May 24, 2020

Bioscience Platform Companies and their Lifecycle

What are bioscience platform companies? And how do they eventually develop into fully-fledged product businesses? Most industry participants, commentators and investors recognize and understand start-up biotech companies at one extreme, and fully-fledged pharmaceutical and medical device product companies at the other. However bioscience platform companies are neither. They can be very healthy businesses, yet bereft of product revenues or even profits for many years. And for much of their lifecycle, they can be very difficult for investors to pin a precise valuation on.