BIO Investor Forum: reinventing the biotech business model

The BIO Investor Forum - held by the USA’s Biotechnology Industry Organization in San Francisco earlier this month - kicked off with a realistic look at the harsh reality of the industry, which is much smaller compared to three short years ago, with fewer deals and no substantial increase in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity.

"There is overwhelming need for biotech innovations that address prevalent diseases, but we need new models of investment to lower the time, risk and cost of drug development," said Gail Maderis of BayBio at the opening plenary. The underlying sentiment at the conference is that strong science will prevail despite challenges in capital formation and financing. Creative approaches to financing and deal making will help to ensure that promising innovations continue to move forward.

"Every downturn presents an opportunity for us to look at new models," said Morris Berrie, co-chairman of the Global Tech Transfer Summit Initiative, TTS Ltd., UK, in an intellectual property session.