Three is the magic number as they say… After bringing you the highlights of the first and second day of the biggest Biotech Convention worldwide, we couldn’t give up on you so close from the end. So without further ado, here’s the summary of day three.
Katrine Bosley, CEO of Editas, hosted Arnt Schottelius from MorphoSys, Loredana Ablondi, Licensing Manager of Chiesi Farmaceutici and Andre Hoekema, VP of Corporate Development at Galapagos NV. All stood on the same stage to tell the audience about their success stories. Regardless of the different background of the three firms, all representatives underlined the necessity of establishing critical alliances, essential for the growth of any company, not to mention the opportunities these alliances can bring. However, knowing when to part from your ally is just as important. On this note, Schottelius spoke about his personal experience and explained that terminating a partnership isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The termination of a partnership demonstrates the capacity of both partners to communicate with one another, building trust, assessing risks and staying focused. Hoekema took the opportunity on this last statement to step in and give a word of caution, explaining that should your partner withdraw from the alliance, simply make sure this won’t result in the death of your company. To do so, focusing on costs and quality and understanding the competencies a company can control and outsource are key according to Ablondi. Ultimately, a strategic plan with clear objectives and differentiating your technologies is the magic recipe for a successful business.
“Know what your are good at, keep talking to the market, have differentiated technology and be clear about what distinguishes you from everybody else.” Katrine Bosley, CEO of Editas
To conclude this summary of the Bio2015 Convention, a quick glance at this year’s perspectives. 2014 proved to be a record for the Biopharma industry. Partnering, investment deals and other transactions added up to a total amount of $355 Billion. Yet, studies seem to indicate that 2015 may be even more fruitful and should break all M&A records in the Biopharmaceutical sector. A possibility that may indeed become reality! This year’s BIO Convention alone registered a never seen before amount of collaborations, hosting over 29 000 partnering meetings, confirming the optimistic predictions.
And so ends the intensive marathon that is, that was, the BIO2015 Convention! You can already book your agenda, for next year’s gathering, and if you can’t make it, well don’t sweat it, we’ll look out for you and keep you posted 😉