Category: Uncategorized

JAPAN IS PRIORITIZING PLURIPOTENT STEM CELL TECHNOLOGIES AS A BET ON THE FUTURE. This choice by leading groups in Japan's financing world is a significant step for stem cells. The California stem cell initiative was a good start, but this initiative has more financial muscle. It takes big bets to move a field like this forward. Now at least one nation has an eye on the prize. View in LinkedIn

PERSONALITY ASSESSMENT IN STARTUPS IS VITAL. The one thing that can blow up a startup quicker than anything else is character, either of the key founders, or of the investors or board. Why this is overlooked by so many people dazzles me, and I see examples of this blind spot every week. Remember that about 1%, or more of us are psychopaths, borderlines, severe narcissists, and the less severe forms are way more common. These personalities are often charismatic and brilliant. You need to take this really seriously in your due diligence. http://commercialbiotechnology.com/article/view/305 View in LinkedIn

THE WRONG ANIMAL MODEL LEADS TO CLINICAL TRIAL RUBBISH. For example, dog and human noses are radically different in anatomy and physiology. Many positive nasal drug trials in dogs often fail when tested in man. The dog nose is like a sponge. The best animal model for human nasal trials is the monkey. Just one of many examples where the wrong animal model can lead to a false positive or a false negative in human trials, and how some good drugs have ended up on the shelf. View in LinkedIn

THE FIRST REVERSAL OF MOUSE EPILEPSY WITH MOUSE OR HUMAN STEM CELL TRANSPLANTS. Using mouse cells these researchers eliminated the seizures in half of the mice and significantly reduced the seizures in the other half. While at least five years away from human applications this is big news and may well apply to pain and Parkinson's Disease in the future. A lovely example of macro damage repair using cellular therapies. View in LinkedIn

SYSTEMS BIOLOGY IS THE PATH TO UNLOCK GENE PROMOTERS AND MUCH MORE. View in LinkedIn

THE INNOVATION NETWORK CORPORATION OF JAPAN (INCJ) IS THE LARGEST VC FUND IN THE WORLD AT 22 BN USD. It was formed half of public and half of private funds. I met with Kazuhiro Umeda, an old friend, who is the VP of Life Sciences. He had led a stellar career with JAIC VC in Tokyo, Palo Alto, and as President of the Singapore division. His mission is to innovate the Japanese Healthcare sector. Constantly working, he has a large network to draw from, and a very large budget to make that happen. This very bold initiative must have an impact and help Japan to the Tipping Point for a new economy. View in LinkedIn

THERE ARE NEW ENTREPRENEUR PHILANTHROPIST HEROES. I had dinner with Dr. Nagata MD, PhD, FFPM, Chairman of SNBL Japan, a large CRO founded by his father. He started an innovative nasal drug delivery division within his 3,000 person company, and after almost a decade of failures, cracked nasal dry powder delivery. Not only a Professor, founder of a cancer care facility, he is a Buddhist Monk focused on helping humanity. He will all leave his wealth to charity. These are the fantastic new role models for young entrepreneurs. View in LinkedIn

OH PLEASE! THE URBAN MYTH OF THE COSTS TO DEVELOP A NEW DRUG perpetuates itself dishonestly. It only costs 1 Bn in bloated inefficient Big Pharma with huge carrying costs. But even this number is padded. Do they pay these sums for in-licensed drugs? Rarely. Usually these licenses are hundreds of millions, which pays back the investors in the licensee company very handsomely. You cannot talk out of both sides of the mouth and retain credibility, except with gullible reporters! Let's keep the dialogue honest!! View in LinkedIn

BUST THE URBAN MYTH THAT ALL DRUG DEVELOPMENT COSTS OVER 1Bn USD. These articles continue, sadly. The VC specialty pharma investments, hundreds, would mot exist if this were true. Again: Big Pharma costs for developing a new drug are staggering because of staggering inneficiencies, which do not exist in small companies. View in LinkedIn

A FRESH LOOK AT DATA SUGGESTS BIO RETURNS ARE EARLIER THAN THOUGHT. This shows that some strongly held VC views are prejudices without a factual basis. Great work collecting the data! Make this break the urban myth! http://lnkd.in/wVEBEz View in LinkedIn