Commercialisation of Biotechnology Flashcards
Who is known as India’s ‘biotech queen’?
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw
She is the CMD of Biocon Limited.
Milestones in the History of Biotech (Years and Decades)
1953 - Double helical structure of DNA published by Watson and Crick
1980 -the U.S. patent for cloning genes is awarded to Cohen and Boyer
Late 70s and early 80s - Founding of the first 6 Biotech companies
Companies include Genentech, Biogen, Amgen, Immunex, Chiron, and Genzyme
What are the main contributions of biotechnology?
- Helped millions of people through approved drugs and vaccines
- Diagnostic tests and home pregnancy test
Drug Development Stages (10)
- Observation
- Proof of concept
- Characterization
- Production
- Preclinical pharm/tox
- Formulation
- Manufacturing
- Clinical evaluation
- Regulatory approval
- Commercial development.
Financing a Biotech Compant Paths (7 possibilites)
- 3Fs (Friends, Family, Fools.)
- Grants
- Angel investors
- Venture capital
- Partnering
- Public offering
- Merger/acquisition
What is the role of regulators in biotechnology?
They stand between the company and the customer.
Why are Biotech Companies “Entrepreneurial”
- Founded by an individual or small group (usually scientists)
- Tech obtained through “tech transfer”
- Angel or Venture capital backed
- High risk
Division in the Bioscience Industry
- Agriculture Feedstock and Chemicals (17%)
- Drug and Pharmaceuticals (33%)
- Medical Devices & Equipment (37%)
- Research & Testing (13%)
Based on employment in the US
Caveats for successful startups
- Careful selection of science with commerical potential
- Secure intellectual property
- Good managment
- Dialogue between investigators and stakeholders
- Avoid conflicts of interest
- Good business principles
Why does an alliance between Big Pharma and Biotech exist?
- Big Pharma: Good at development, marketing, and selling
- Biotech: Lots of investments, protein technology, and niche
Problems with Big Pharma
- R&D costs larger than investments
- New discoveries lagging behind industry growth needs
- Liscencing products outside
- Expensive cost of developing medicine (1 in 5000 is commercialized)
