Journal of Commercial Biotechnology April 2012 Issue Now Available

Special Issue: Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Bootcamp

Journal of Commercial Biotechnology Vol 18, Issue 2 (2012)

Editorial: The Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp: From Lectern to Printing Press
Stephen M Sammut, Arthur A Boni
This issue of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology focuses on the proceedings of the Seventh Annual Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp held in conjunction with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) annual conference in Washington, DC in June, 2011.The Biotechnology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp was launched for the 2005 BIO Industry Organization’s Annual Meeting in Philadelphia…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

New pradigms in drug R&D: A personal perspective
David C U’Prichard
The Author discusses the recent productivity problems in the pharmaceutical industry, in the context of his 30 year career, and the current responses of the industry driven strongly by disaggregation of the historic R&D model, new fluidites of capital access, and the impacts of genomics and globalization…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Project, Product or Company
Arthur Boni
This article focuses on the essentials of building effective, collaborative, team-based organizations. The entrepreneurs and innovators who found and build technology-based organizations comprise out target audience, but most specifically we address the biotechnology and biomedical field.  Two perspectives are provided in the article: 1) advice based on the experiential learning provided by years of experience of building and growing entrepreneurial organizations; and 2) identifying the keys to building effective teams based on some selected the academic or scholarly literature on building effective teams…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

The Basics of Coverage, Coding, and Reimbursement
Robert Wanerman
The process of commercializing a new item or service in the U.S. health care market involves three distinct but necessary components: coverage, coding, and reimbursement.  This article provides an overview of these processes and the challenges in successfully navigating the course and spotting the particular issues for individual items and services…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Transition from the Lab to the Clinic
James G Kenimer, James Ackland
Before considering the specific regulatory requirements and expectations relating to your product it is informative to understand who regulates and why. Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Building Teams in Entrepreneurial Companies
Arthur Boni, Laurie Weingart
This article focuses on the essentials of building effective, collaborative, team-based organizations. The entrepreneurs and innovators who found and build technology-based organizations comprise out target audience, but most specifically we address the biotechnology and biomedical field.  Two perspectives are provided in the article: 1) advice based on the experiential learning provided by years of experience of building and growing entrepreneurial organizations; and 2) identifying the keys to building effective teams based on some selected the academic or scholarly literature on building effective teams…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

The Pitch to Investors and Partners
Arthur Boni
This article covers the essentials of constructing and delivering a “pitch” of a business opportunity to potential investors or corporate partners.  We advocate constructing an effective pitch first and then using that as a guide to prepare your business plan.  The content of the pitch itself as described herein in effect comprises the elements to be incorporated into a business plan as a more comprehensive documentation of the business…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Strategic Engagement of the Science-Business Media
Moira A. Gunn
As surely as the bio-enterprise can benefit from positive media coverage, it cannot thrive in the face of unanswered negative and/or inaccurate media attention. On all counts, the bio-enterprise must be able to strategically engage with the media at every stage in its life cycle. This article describes the global science-business media landscape, including traditional media and emergent social media and information in the online space…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Achieving optimal financial and strategic transaction outcomes for small to mid-sized privately funded start-ups
Benjamin P Chen, Christa Nicholas
Non-dilutive funding and equity capital are two key reasons why life sciences companies pursue strategic partnerships…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Partnering With the NIH: Now Part of the “Value Proposition” for Start-ups
Steve Ferguson
For many years the United States has led the world in government support for non-military research and development (R&D), especially support for work that directly relates to health and human development.  A focal point for such federal investments to date in biomedical research has been the National Institutes of Health (NIH) along with other government laboratories and university-based research programs…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Licensing, Partnering, Strategic Alliances and University Relationships
Wesley Daniel Blakeslee
Abstract The biopharmaceutical industry has been undergoing change for a number of years and that change is accelerating.  Larger pharmaceutical companies are acquiring smaller ones, companies are merging, laboratories are being closed, and the number of scientists performing research in the pharmaceutical industry is declining…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

What Every Biotech Entrepreneur Needs to Know about VC Due Diligence
Stephen M Sammut
Due diligence, as it applies to venture capital, is actually imprecise. Origins of the term are based in banking case law. Due diligence to the attorney is more of a precise concept. A better term is “homework.” Better indeed, because the burden of this homework weighs far more heavily on the entrepreneur than on the venture capitalist…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Valuation Methods in Early-Stage Biotechnology Enterprises: The “Venture Capital Method” at Work
Stephen M. Sammut
Valuation approaches to biotechnology companies by angel investors and venture capitalists often appear to the entrepreneurs to be based on voodoo rather than sound principles of finance. While there may be some truth to that perception, there is actually a very sound, somewhat complex, internal logic to the way private biotechnology companies are valued…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

The Art of the Cap Table
Ashley John Stevens
This article provides an overview of the impact of raising capital on the equity ownership structure of a biotechnology company. The equity ownership structure as captured in a table of capitalization determines how the fruits of success will be divided between founders, management and investors at an exit event such as an acquisition or initial public offering…
Full details at the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

For more information, see the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

For success in biotechnology, look beyond biotechnology

Many biotechnology entrepreneurs favorably look back at times when financing and regulatory approval were easier to obtain. While future periods of investor exuberance may return, it is better to see these as market aberrations.

In periods of investor exuberance companies have been pushed to focus on low-probability, high-return, objectives such as approval and successful marketing of novel drugs for large markets. When this strategy works it is very profitable, but the more likely outcome is failure and destruction of wealth. A favorable strategy is to build a slower, stronger, company than can withstand developmental setbacks.

In a recent issue of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology I expanded on this concept, providing examples from computer software and bioinformatics where initial products were outside of the company’s target market. This strategy can differentiate a company from competitors, provide evidence of ability to successfully execute on plans, and even provide revenues. For more, see the freely-available editorial on the JCB’s website.

Do you agree? Disagree? Sound-off in the comments below.

Coming soon – Biotechnology Entrepreneurship: From Science to Solutions

Coming soon, a book by Michael L. Salgaller, PhD. In this new book — Biotechnology Entrepreneurship: From Science to Solutions — Michael combines the voices of a diverse set of industry insiders with extensive experience in biotechnology commercialization to prepares nascent founders, managers, investors, and other biotechnology company stakeholders to position themselves and their companies for commercial success.

Topics covered include:
• Why Start a Biotechnology Company?
• Company Formation and Organization
• Building Your Team
• Intellectual Property Protection Strategy
• Financing Your Company
• Partnering With Industry
• Licensing and Technology Transfer
• Regulatory Affairs
• Roadmap to Reimbursement and Access
• Working Toward a Successful Exit

Full details on the book are available on Logos Press’ website, and the book is available for pre-order at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.

Media outlets interested in a review copy can contact info@logos-press.com.