This paper is part of the free Open Access archive of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology
Patent issues and future trends in drug development
Go to paperABSTRACT: The global biopharmaceutical industry has been one of the most productive and p…

This is a guest post from Susan K Finston, President of Finston Consulting. Do you have a response to Susan’s

This is a guest post from Susan K Finston, President of Finston Consulting. Do you have a response to Susan’s

This paper is part of the free Open Access archive of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology
ApaTech: A biomaterials success story
Go to paperABSTRACT: ApaTech is an excellent example of how innovative technology from a British university can be…

This paper is part of the free Open Access archive of the Journal of Commercial Biotechnology

Why data exclusivity is the new patent protection

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ABSTRACT:   

The Journal of Commercial Biotechnology is a unique forum for all those involved in biotechnology commercialization to present, share, and explore new ideas, latest thinking and best practices, making it an indispensable guide for those developing projects and careers within this fast moving field.

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Crowdfunding is an evolving popular Internet-based process used to raise funding that has been employed by a few start-ups in the biotechnology industry. To solicit crowdfunding, companies profile their case on a specialized web platform (generally called a “crowdfunding portal”) to site members (i.e., the “crowd”) who choose which projects they would like to fund, in exchange for financial and nonfinancial inducements. We examine the evolving commercial and regulatory crowdfunding landscape and also identifies case studies of biotechnology industry use. We have found that a variety of crowdfunding mechanisms have been used and this alternative financing strategy may represent a viable option for biotechnology start-ups during early stage research or early stage clinical trials. A successful crowdfunding campaign may pave the way for the enterprise’s future capital formation phases by attracting angel investors or venture capital because it shows that the business or project is viable. Crowdfunding, like all other forms of capital formation, requires careful planning and execution before, during, and after a campaign. Strategies that appropriately tap into this innovative and disruptive use of technology and social networks may prove to be a unique capital formation niche for biotechnology start-ups; one that has yet to be fully leveraged.

Flavonoids are one of the major nutrient families recognized to scientists, and comprise over 6,000 already recognized family members. A number of the best – recognized flavonoids include quercetin, kaempferol, catechins, and anthocyanidins. It is well…

As stated in a recent article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, ASCO established a Value in Cancer Care Task Force, with the goal of “developing a framework for comparing the relative clinical benefit, toxicity, and cost of treatment in the medical oncology setting. “  In developing this framework or tool, the Task Force runs roughshod over basic facts to create a metric that – while established to promote patient centered care – strives mightily to achieve the exact opposite outcome.

The article proposes a “virtual” biotech model for the emerging markets – termed EmergingCo – and develops a comparative financial model to argue that such a virtual biotech can deliver drug candidates from discovery through proof-of-concept (Phase II) more cost effectively than the traditional drug development paradigm. Data from published studies on drug development costs have been compared with a cost structure model for EmergingCo using a framework where all R&D can be accomplished through a virtual network of partnerships within emerging markets. A couple of case studies from China and India are used to lend support to the cost structure model. Such a model, either as a venture backed company or a virtual unit of big pharma, could provide an alternate vehicle for delivering mid-to late stage clinical candidates, similar to Lilly’s Chorus model.