Category: Uncategorized

THIS BEAUTIFUL PICTOGRAM OF THE COST TO DEVELOP DRUGS BY BIG PHARMA is at the heart of the urban myth that discovering a new drug costs billions. While it is true for Big Pharma, it only costs that much because they are so inefficient. Small Biopharma companies can do it for 30 - 100 M USD. Do not let the incredible inefficiency of Big Pharma wrongly steal the headlines. It can, and is being done cheaply in small companies all over the world. http://lnkd.in/SNAjxE View in LinkedIn

PUBLISHING ON DEMAND (POD) used to be called derisively the 'Vanity Press'. While the giant publishing houses either slept, entered a state of denial, or were paralyzed in the headlights, this ultimately logical solution to the lazy dominance of the publishing houses emerged. No editor gatekeepers, no giant warehousing issues, no tiny royalties for the authors. Just let the market decide. It is only a matter of time before this +- 30 Bn USD industry is turned in its head and David beats Goliath. Another industry democratized. http://www.theindependentpublishingmagazine.com/2013/03/is-hybrid-new-buzz-word-for-literary.html?m=1 View in LinkedIn

"BUT FOR LIFE'S INFIRMITIES,YOUTH WOULD NOT YIELD TO AGE" (King Lear). If it sounds too good to be true, it likely is. Reflect on the fact that deciduous trees loose their leaves in autumn. My explanation is that nature finds it more complex to mend a broken organ than to grow a new one. Skin is sloughed off daily. Hair is shed all the time. Repair is difficult and costly. http://lnkd.in/7u-EYF View in LinkedIn

3D PRINTING: A TECHNOLOGY WITH HIDDEN POSSIBILITIES? This technology may have deep and numerous uses, and truly unexpected applications that we have not yet conceived. All it needs is strong imaginations to drive applications. I wait to be surprised. http://lnkd.in/FGyuT5 View in LinkedIn

TRY AND AVOID BINARY OUTCOMES AS AN ENTREPRENEUR: SUCCESS OR FAILURE. For those developing a single product, like a single new drug, the outcome is binary. That can be heartbreaking for the entrepreneur after years of work, and rough on investors. Try always to have at least two candidates or products to hedge your bets, if possible without distracting yourself, and best still partner the second so your burn on it is minimized. A tall order, but better than the binary dilemma. View in LinkedIn

THE NOVARTIS CEO WANTS TO REINVENT THE BROKEN BIG PHARMA BUSINESS MODEL. Faced with the easy pickings having been made, patent expiries, new reimbursement gatekeepers, and patient-centric care, the old ways of doing business is now at an end for Big Pharma. Fortunately, there are many options. As Takeda is already proving, by outsourcing R&D to small, creative companies that are only good at invention, and have neither the desire, muscle, nor expertise to do the selling. Those unwilling or unable to change will likely be consumed as the world changes about them. http://lnkd.in/YCa7RF View in LinkedIn

A FUTURISTS FORUM? What a delightful concept. Are the traditional publishing industry and hardcopy newspapers about to become museum entries? Will airline pricing become a level playing field? Will your genome code affect how you live and marry? Are pundits wrong that the cities will be major population centers in the future? How will Distance Learning affect workforces? Will we generate fresh organs in test tubes? What impact will a small earth have? Will we turn oceans into fresh water? Will we start to mine the universe? Fascinating room for futurist speculations. http://lnkd.in/i-TmCj View in LinkedIn

TECHNOLOGY AFFECTS HOW WE LEARN, for sure, as this article amply points out. Mobile Apps enhance our geographical and historical awareness, and Distance Learning is becoming an alternative to classrooms. Perhaps the day is approaching when learning content is tailored to an individual's learning style. Beyond the reach of traditional classrooms, this would be an exciting development. http://m.fastcoexist.com/?m=fastcoexist/node/1681507&url=http://www.fastcoexist.com/1681507/the-future-of-education-eliminates-the-classroom-because-the-world-is-your-class View in LinkedIn

WHEN PARTNERING OVERSEAS, spend tine selecting the right in-country consultant to help with all levels of the project. Allow time, as it will not occur quickly. Do your homework on second or third tier targets with an interest in your therapeutic category. View in LinkedIn

NANOPHARMACEUTICALS have been at the bench level for decades, despite often compelling data about lower dosing, solving insoluble API issues, getting increased dissolution, and higher bioavailability. As Elan's dominant nano IP has been expiring, and which launched the most marketed nano drugs, there are no obvious contenders in this space today. Elan's business model had fees that excluded all early stage Biopharma companies. There is room for a new entrant with a different model. http://lnkd.in/--VJGn View in LinkedIn