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Biotech

Does Management Matter?

This article was triggered by a beverage-induced discussion I had with Martin Eglitis at BIO-Europe earlier

April 5, 2024 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Benefits & pitfalls of performing a valuation during out-licensing

Congratulations! You have successfully advanced your drug candidate to the point where it is

May 19, 2023 No Comments

Artificial Intelligence

FDA Seeks Help with AI

The US FDA recently published an interesting discussion paper, entitled Using Artificial Intelligence &

May 18, 2023 No Comments

Artificial Intelligence

AI in Drug Discovery: Business Model Considerations

It seems as if nobody talks about anything except AI these days, especially in

March 30, 2023 No Comments

Biotech Licensing and M&A Predictions for 2023

Biotech industry poised for boom: 2023 licensing & M&A predictions.

February 9, 2023 No Comments

Write Right Now

Why don’t companies write business plans anymore? Are they useless? Is it simply faster to put together 10 slides? In this post, we discuss this interesting question.

January 31, 2023 No Comments

Annual Review 2022 & 2023 Predictions

Here is our annual year in review, along with some predictions (which are rarely

December 15, 2022 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Scouting Lessons Learned

We recently completed a Scouting project on behalf of a geographically-focused company. In this

December 2, 2022 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Partnering in 2022: What’s New?

Like many of you, I am also knee-deep in last minute preparations for BIO.

June 10, 2022 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Is Licensing A Waste of Time?

Consider the following scenario… You are the CEO of an emerging biotech company. You

March 28, 2022 No Comments

Conferences

The Future of Partnering Conferences

Passport in date? Check Suits still fit? Too big, but wearable. Negative COVID tests?

June 30, 2021 3 Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Clusters Revisited

…the enduring competitive advantages in a global economy lie increasingly in local things –

February 5, 2021 No Comments

COVID-19

The Coronavirus Vaccine Scam

Of course we are being facetious when we use the word “scam.” But it

December 1, 2020 No Comments

COVID-19

Have we seen this before?

Is this 2020? Consider the following scenario… It is the beginning of the calendar

September 29, 2020 No Comments

Conferences

Virtual Partnering Survey Results

Many thanks to every one who participated in our recent survey on virtual /

May 11, 2020 No Comments

Conferences

A Post-COVID-19 World

What will our industry and economy look like in the post-COVID-19 era? First of

April 13, 2020 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Adding COVID-19 to your Plans

As our current situation continues to evolve, it is critical that your out-licensing and/or

April 6, 2020 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

The Show Must Go On

Empty spaces. What are we living for? Abandoned places. I guess we know the

April 2, 2020 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Will Coronavirus Affect Business Development?

Will the current coronavirus situation affect biotech and pharma business development? Yes…and No.

March 20, 2020 No Comments

Virtual Partnering Survey

Are virtual or digital partnering conferences the wave of the future? Or will we

March 9, 2020 No Comments

Conferences

Coronavirus: Where to Begin?

It is an interesting question. With so much information and mis-information coming at us,

March 6, 2020 No Comments

Biosimilars

Shifting Glances: Ophthalmology Licensing Trends

Ophthalmology is changing. If we look back 5-10 years, topical formulations of novel or

February 2, 2020 No Comments

Uncategorized

Novel Drug Approvals in 2019: Another Bumper Crop

Happy New Year, everybody. And with the new year comes the annual report from

January 14, 2020 No Comments

Looking back at 2019; Looking ahead to 2020

Which stories were the most interesting in 2019? And, what should we look forward

December 9, 2019 No Comments

Drug Development

Biotech Bankruptcies: Why?

Biopharma Dive recently published a series of articles on biotech bankruptcies. The first lists

November 26, 2019 No Comments

Conferences

How to get the most out of partnering conferences

Like you, we go to a lot of partnering conferences…BIO…BIO-Europe…BioTrinity…and so on. But these

November 26, 2019 No Comments

Drug Development

STDs On The Rise

A few months ago, the Centers for Disease Control published a new analysis, concluding

October 22, 2019 No Comments

Drug Development

Remembering Upjohn

Remember me? Back in the mid-80s, when the Sony Walkman was a cassette player,

September 16, 2019 No Comments

Digital Health

On-Demand DTC Tele-Rx – A Good Idea?

Internet pharmacies specializing in erectile dysfunction, hair loss, and contraception are booming. But are they a good idea?

July 30, 2019 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

What is confidential? – The FAQ Edition

Our recent post entitled “What is confidential?” triggered a few questions and comments via email. Our latest post tackles these questions.

July 24, 2019 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

What is confidential?

What is confidential? And what should you disclose before and after a CDA is signed?

July 15, 2019 No Comments

Conferences

Sponsorship Opportunity – The Third Annual Lacerta Bio Pre-BIO2020 Primer

Want to meet more prospective clients and investors at #BIO2020? Lacerta BIO is offering you the opportunity to sponsor your own event in San Diego.

June 19, 2019 No Comments

Business Development/Licensing

Have We Forgotten About Japan?

Is Japan being ignored as a licensing partner in the biotech industry? Is China now getting all of the attention? Lacerta Bio explores this question.

June 10, 2019 No Comments

On Life Expectancies & Their Drivers

Undoubtably many of you have seen this graphic as it has made the rounds.

May 29, 2019 No Comments

Digital Scouting

What is Digital Scouting? The term “digital scouting” refers to an increasingly popular

May 15, 2019 No Comments

Defending Derek

Derek Lowe is a medicinal chemist with ~30-years of industry experience, mainly in Big

February 6, 2019 No Comments

FDA 2018: Busy Busy

Last year was unquestionably an excellent year from an FDA NCE approval perspective. A

January 15, 2019 No Comments

On Politics and Prognostications

That didn’t take long. In mid-December, we released a short video that summarized a

January 4, 2019 No Comments

Industry Concentration: Real or Myth?

Somewhere in the deep recesses of our collective memory, the Concentration Ratio resides. It’s

December 6, 2018 No Comments

BIO Report: Type II Diabetes and Obesity

BIO recently published their latest report characterizing innovation in highly prevalent, chronic diseases. A

November 20, 2018 No Comments

Can CrossFit Change The Practice of Medicine?

Back during our early days as an Analyst with a venture capital fund, one

October 14, 2018 No Comments

Can AI Revolutionize Business Development?

Want to spend an entire decade surfing the web? Try finding and reading every

October 1, 2018 No Comments

Licensing versus Fund Raising Presentations: What’s the difference?

Congrats on beginning your quest towards the Holiest of Grails in our industry…capital. Your

September 5, 2018 No Comments

Good Article: Strategic Alliances Between Int’l Stakeholders

The August Edition of Life Science Leader has a summary of a panel discussion.

September 4, 2018 No Comments

2018 Pipeline Review

The good folks at Pharmaprojects just published their Pharma R&D Annual Review. A

July 26, 2018 No Comments

Opioids – Nobody Wins

Two months ago, it was reported that six US states filed lawsuits against Connecticut-based Purdue

July 16, 2018 No Comments

The PYS Problem

At Lacerta Bio, we see a lot of financial models and valuations. Some

June 21, 2018 No Comments

Time for the #BIO2018 Follow Up Blues

Conferences like #BIO2018 are challenging, but highly rewarding experiences. This year was especially good,

June 10, 2018 No Comments

The Russian Pharmaceutical Market: Lessons Learned

We are in the early days of a short, but intense consulting project

May 12, 2018 No Comments

Who’s To Say?

The coverage of the announced negotiation by Sanofi to divest its European generics business

May 3, 2018 No Comments

Epidiolex Approval: A Turning Point for Cannabis in the US?

Last week, an FDA Advisory committee unanimously recommended the approval of Epidiolex for

April 27, 2018 No Comments

All Rise: Viagra at 20

Last week was the 20th anniversary of the launch of Viagra (sildenafil, Pfizer).

April 11, 2018 No Comments

#BIOEuropeSpring: Muscles, Meetings, and Mustard

Last week was another jam-packed week of meetings, this time at BIO-Europe Spring

March 17, 2018 No Comments

Top Healthcare Issues for 2018: And The Winner Is…

PWC recently published their 12th annual Top Health Industry Issues report for 2018. The

March 6, 2018 No Comments

Drug Development (Lack of) in Pain and Addiction

Following up on their sobering report on drug development in depression, BIO has

February 13, 2018 No Comments

The Links Between Bacteria and Disease

If you have nothing better to do on a cold Winter’s day, try researching

February 9, 2018 No Comments

Innovation in Chronic Diseases: Depressing News

Last week, BIO published an exceedingly interesting report, entitled The State of Innovation in

January 25, 2018 No Comments

The Amazonization of Health Care

Dr. Eric Topol recently posted an interesting image on Twitter. According the US

January 9, 2018 No Comments

The Answer Is Digital…Again

Deloitte recently published their annual report on returns generated by big pharma from

December 19, 2017 No Comments

Book Review: What’s Your Bio Strategy?

As a pharmaceutical scientist, the concept of “synthetic biology” sounds somewhat oxymoronic. It’s

December 4, 2017 No Comments

Review of 2017 and 2018 Predictions

What did we find interesting about 2017? What will happen in 2018? Our

December 1, 2017 No Comments

Only 100 Days Until #BIOEurope Spring…

As of this writing, there are 100 days until we’re wheels up and

November 28, 2017 No Comments

#BIOEurope: Schnell und Hektisch

It’s amazing how months of preparation for a conference are realized in 4-5

November 12, 2017 No Comments

Is the pharmaceutical industry risk averse?

Simple question…is our industry risk averse? Some would say, “Yes, absolutely.” Look at psychiatric

October 26, 2017 No Comments

Generic Drugs: Why Is The Party Ending?

The recent news that Novartis is closing its Colorado-based generics manufacturing facility brought back

October 20, 2017 No Comments

Out-Licensing: How hard is it, really?

Is out-licensing difficult? Yes, of course it is. But how difficult is it? Is

October 12, 2017 No Comments

Valuation: Why Bother?

This post is in response to a prospective client, who asked us about the

September 21, 2017 No Comments

LIME: The Secret to Better Out-Licensing?

The humble lime…sour, sweet, juicy, and an essential ingredient in many desserts and beverages.

September 7, 2017 No Comments

Long Form Lectures: A Lost Art?

Over on LinkedIn, we posted an article on long form lectures/presentations. In that article,

August 8, 2017 No Comments

A Port Authority Model for the Life Sciences

Countless electrons have been spilled in the promotion of the biotech and life science

July 17, 2017 No Comments

#BIO2017 – Dealmaking By Wandering Around

According to Wikipedia, Management by Wandering Around (MBWA) is …refers to a style of

July 10, 2017 No Comments

Thoughts Leading Up To #BIO2017

#BIO2017 is days away. What can we expect? Crowded Partnering – By

June 15, 2017 No Comments

What is your Acceptance Rate?

An Acceptance Rate is simply the percentage of meeting requests which are accepted

June 2, 2017 No Comments

NSAIDs: More Bad News

NSAIDs are an $11-12+ billion market, yet the problems with these drugs continue

May 15, 2017 No Comments

Control or Collaboration – Value Creation & Success Focus

The following commentary is from Mr. Tom Brya, Managing Director at Titenare GXL.

May 12, 2017 No Comments

Biosimilars: Who wants to play this game?

A recent post by Robert Wessman of Alvogen pointed out that some

April 14, 2017 No Comments

Visit to England: What Did We Learn?

We just returned from a brief trip to England, where we met with a

April 4, 2017 No Comments

Drug Overdose Deaths: What Can Pharma Do?

Last week, the US Centers for Disease Control published a rather alarming report

March 9, 2017 No Comments

When Does BIO Start?

BIO starts in June, right? Wrong. Perhaps BIO starts in late

March 3, 2017 No Comments

What is Digital Health?

We recently learned about Bayer’s Grants4Apps program. This program provides support to companies and

February 10, 2017 No Comments

Is My Asset Licensable?

This is a good question…a question which lacks a simple answer without quite

January 27, 2017 No Comments

Biotech Showcase and JPM 2017: Wind, Rain, and Meetings

Yeah, it rained last week in San Francisco. But the rain did not stop

January 18, 2017 No Comments

Looking Backward, Looking Forward

I believe it is fair to say that 2016 was a bit unusual.

January 3, 2017 No Comments

Some Comments On Marijuana

The recent elections in the United States is bringing many long-standing policies into question.

December 15, 2016 No Comments

What Will a Trump Administration Mean for Our Industry?

Few of us will soon forget waking up in Cologne to the news that

November 21, 2016 No Comments

On Catamarans, Elections, and #BIOEurope

BIO Europe was, yet again, an excellent conference for Lacerta Bio. Having the US

November 14, 2016 No Comments

Can We ESKAPE This Problem?

Can we ESKAPE the problem which may kill thousands of human beings over the next

November 3, 2016 No Comments

University Technology Transfer: Change is Needed

A few weeks ago, we attended the first annual Commercializing Biotech Innovation Conference in Syracuse, New

October 27, 2016 No Comments

Biosimilars: Do We Finally Have a Market?

Last month, the FDA announced their approval of Amjevita, a biosimilar to AbbVie’s Humira. Humira

October 5, 2016 No Comments

The $25 Coffee Mug

Our recent trip to Stockholm and the Nordic Life Science Days conference was quite enlightening, especially

September 30, 2016 No Comments

HIV/AIDS: Growing Unmet Need & Declining Interest?

In our last post, we presented a model which helps us aggregate a series

August 24, 2016 No Comments

On Triumvirates and Licensing

A triumvirate is a three-person (or three-group) organization which is established for a

August 17, 2016 No Comments

#BIO2016: The Ten Thousand Step Edition

Ample numbers of electrons will be spent discussing the BIO2016 conference in San

June 12, 2016 No Comments

#BIO2016: The Streets of San Francisco Edition

Next week, our industry makes an unusual return trip to Union Square, as we

May 31, 2016 No Comments

Can Precision Medicine Help Fight Alzheimer’s Disease?

There is an interesting article in the current issue of The Journal of Precision

May 16, 2016 No Comments

Injectables: Will They Become As Common As Orals?

Our friends at PharmaCircle recently published an interesting and provocative piece entitled Injectables: The

April 26, 2016 No Comments

On BIO Europe, Regionalism, and Three-Legged Goats

How was Bio Europe in Stockholm last week? The Conference Itself – For us,

April 11, 2016 No Comments

HBM Pharma/Biotech M&A and New Drug Approvals Reports

We’re late to the this party, but HBM Partners issued their two annual

March 15, 2016 No Comments

The Age of Virtual Pharma: Creative Financing and Exit Models

At last month’s Biotech Showcase, a panel discussion was held discussing different models

February 22, 2016 No Comments

Has Pharma Forgotten about HIV?

Nearly 30 years ago, back when your author was a humble pharmacy intern, the

February 15, 2016 No Comments

Looking Forward to 2016

Given that we are now in January, we feel obliged to craft some

January 24, 2016 No Comments

The Best of LacertaBio.com 2015

So, how did we do? This year, our fifth, was very good.

December 29, 2015 No Comments

Comments on Biotech Showcase Webinar

This morning, our friends at EBD and MacDougall Biomedical Communications presented a very good

December 14, 2015 No Comments

Skyrocketing Prices for Dermatology Rx Products

Last week, a study published in JAMA Dermatology examined the skyrocketing prices for dermatology

November 30, 2015 No Comments

#BEU15 Wrap Up: Churches, Football, and Meetings

I love what you did with the place… It’s always difficult for us to

November 5, 2015 No Comments

License-Ability Analysis Helps Focus BD Efforts

We go to a lot of conferences. And, as a result, we see a

October 28, 2015 No Comments

Comments on EBD Partnering Analysis #BEU15

Last month, EBD and IMS partnered to analyze meeting outcomes from four conferences, covering

October 14, 2015 No Comments

Postcards from Bangalore

Last week, we had the good fortune of spending a week in India,

September 10, 2015 No Comments

Would Mefloquine Be Approved Today?

As part of my preparations for an upcoming trip to India, my physician prescribed

August 25, 2015 No Comments

Licensing or Acquiring Assets from Big Pharma

Michael Gilman, CEO of Padlock Therapeutics, wrote a terrific post recounting his experiences

August 12, 2015 No Comments

Global Formulation Report

The July/August issue of Drug Development and Delivery has an extensive report on

July 24, 2015 No Comments

What Is a “Good” Client?

This question came up recently when I was describing one of our current

July 14, 2015 No Comments

Temporary Down: Lessons Learned Before #BIO2015

OK, so the new One-on-One Partnering system has not had a stellar introduction.

June 10, 2015 No Comments

Why Does It Take So Darn Long?

What follows is a true story. In 2013, we were engaged to out-license a

June 3, 2015 No Comments

Adaptive Licensing: An Idea Ready For Prime Time?

We just finished reading a terrific academic piece by Jack Scannell and colleagues

May 28, 2015 No Comments

What Pharma Want: Comments On Article

Earlier this month, our friends at Biotech and Money published a transcript from

May 11, 2015 No Comments

Preparing for #BIO2015 in Philadelphia…Already?

We’ve started preparing for the BIO convention in Philadelphia in June. Preparing? Already?

April 27, 2015 No Comments

Independent Consultants Wanted

Are you an independent consultant? Are you looking for a new platform or

April 27, 2015 No Comments

Employee-Free Biotechs: A Virtual Panacea?

Last week Reuters published an article summarizing the “virtual” biotech business model. It

April 13, 2015 No Comments

Made in China: Chidamide

Today, Derek Lowe points out that Shenzhen Chipscreen received CFDA approval for

April 6, 2015 No Comments

On Failure

These past few weeks I have noticed how negative and bimodal we have become

March 30, 2015 No Comments

Postcards from Trondheim

I was privileged to spend 10+ days traveling to Copenhagen (Denmark), Lund (Sweden),

March 23, 2015 No Comments

LUNCH: A Framework for Business Development

From a consulting perspective, here is how we view business development, using the acronym

March 11, 2015 No Comments

The Keys to the Kingdom

There is a terrific article in Nature Biotechnology entitled Keys to the Kingdom. The

March 2, 2015 No Comments

The Ten Year Venture Fund: A Thing of the Past?

Today’s issue of Institutional Investor has an interesting article on the reality of

February 19, 2015 No Comments

Venture Funding of Therapeutic Innovation: An Important Report

Earlier this week, BIO released what we think is a valuable and important

February 11, 2015 No Comments

The Class of 2014: Both Large and Innovative

Lisa Jarvis has prepared a handy overview of the new drug approvals in 2014:

February 2, 2015 No Comments

Finally, Some Sense

Today, Bruce Booth published yet another terrific post, where he discusses the current biotech

January 22, 2015 No Comments

The Annual SFO Kickoff Conference/Party/Thing at #JPM15 #BTS15

It’s hard to believe that a week has passed since we were dashing

January 20, 2015 No Comments

Final Thoughts before #BTS15 and #JPM15

The decks have been prepared, edited, and uploaded to the cloud. The meeting schedule

January 9, 2015 No Comments

The Life Sciences in Wyoming – Part Three of Three

In Part One of his series, Dr. Garrett Lindemann discussed some of the challenges facing Wyoming as it

December 11, 2014 No Comments

Mind The Gap: An Interview with David Grainger of Index Ventures

Mind The Gap… We’re late to this party, but a really good interview of David

November 26, 2014 No Comments

A Billion Here, A Billion There

The new DiMasi estimates for R&D costs were published this week. You can get a

November 21, 2014 No Comments

Pharma Likes Deals: Is This News?

Earlier this week, The Economist travels over well-trod ground in an article on pharmaceutical

November 17, 2014 No Comments

BIO Europe 2014: Where is Booth 616?

Can’t get there from here… We’re back from another excellent BIO Europe convention.

November 11, 2014 No Comments

The Life Sciences in Wyoming – Part Two of Three

There’s more to Wyoming than this. In Part One of his series, Dr. Garrett Lindemann

November 7, 2014 No Comments

The Life Sciences in Wyoming – Part One of Three

Is this the next major biotech cluster in the US? Wyoming? Yes, Wyoming. Why

October 30, 2014 No Comments

Inversions: Alive or Dead?

The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Mark Twain In July,

October 9, 2014 No Comments

As Scarce As…

Twenty Five. That’s it. What are we talking about? Some of the data in yesterday’s

September 23, 2014 No Comments

Small Molecule PEGylation: An Idea Ready For Prime Time

At Lacerta Bio, we’re big believers in the therapeutic benefits of drug delivery in

September 17, 2014 No Comments

Combination Products: Is A Different Regulatory Approach Needed?

This morning, California-based Avanir Pharmaceuticals announced that their combination of dextromethorphan HBr and

September 15, 2014 No Comments

White Paper: Six Considerations When Developing a Biosimilar Strategy

Thompson Reuters published a good overview of the challenges facing companies developing biosimilars.

September 11, 2014 No Comments

BIO Latin America Webinar: Comments and Perspectives

A few weeks ago, BIO conducted an interesting panel discussion as part of

September 8, 2014 No Comments

Lacerta Bio at BIO Europe 2014

Lacerta Bio is pleased to return to Europe for the 20th Anniversary of the

September 2, 2014 No Comments

Wanted: Guest Bloggers

We’re actively seeking guest bloggers for LacertaBio.com! The ideal guest blogger: – Is

August 14, 2014 No Comments

Afrezza Partnered…Now What?

This morning we learned that Sanofi is the winner in the “Where

August 11, 2014 No Comments

Daiichi Sankyo Pay Millions for…Acetaminophen?

Yes, and it might be worth it. Yesterday, Daiichi Sankyo announced an incredible $650

August 7, 2014 No Comments

The Premium of a Big Pharma License Deal

Source: Nature Biotechnology, 32, 617–619, (2014), Published online 08 July 2014 Our good

July 30, 2014 No Comments

Top 10 Drug Products in India

Do you know which are the top branded drug products in India? We

July 29, 2014 No Comments

Wanted: Guest Bloggers

We’re actively seeking guest bloggers for LacertaBio.com! The ideal guest blogger: Is currently

July 28, 2014 No Comments

Another Day, Another Inversion

A quick search resulted in several recent examples of US-based pharma companies executing “inversions”

July 14, 2014 1 Comment

Reflections on BIO 2014

We’re back and knee-deep in BIO2014 follow up work. Lacerta Bio was

July 2, 2014 No Comments

The Industrialization of Pharma R&D

An excellent analysis of the AstraZeneca pipeline performance was recently published in Nature

May 21, 2014 No Comments

Preparing for BIO Webinar

This morning, Thompson Reuters and BIO presented a good webinar on preparing for BIO.

May 13, 2014 No Comments

More Concerns About Unaffordable Hep C Treatments

Our friends at Pharmaphorum posted an overview of the recent WHO guidance

April 9, 2014 No Comments

Indian Pharma Industry: Is the sun setting…or rising?

Much ink has already been spilled discussing the acquisition of Ranbaxy from

April 8, 2014 No Comments

Exuberant over Inhaled Insulin Again?

Yesterday, MannKind Corporation annouced that the FDA voted 13-1 in favor of an

April 2, 2014 1 Comment

Where Is Biotech’s WhatsApp?

This week, the financial press is going bonkers over the acquisition of WhatsApp by

February 21, 2014 1 Comment

Drug Shortages: Danger and Opportunity?

Are we the only ones shocked by this? Despite efforts by the Obama

February 12, 2014 No Comments

How was San Francisco?

We’re still knee-deep in our follow up activities from the San Francisco

January 29, 2014 No Comments

Novel Antibiotics: We Need Them

Yesterday the Wall Street Journal summarized the current situation in antibiotic drug

January 24, 2014 No Comments

FDA Approvals: Is it really as bad as they say?

This week we’re greeted with the following headlines: The FDA Approvals of

January 7, 2014 No Comments

Making progress against Hepatitis C

Those of us of a certain vintage will remember the days when

November 20, 2013 No Comments

BIO Europe 2013 – Tying It All Together

We’ve returned from another successful BIO Europe conference, this time in Vienna.

November 12, 2013 No Comments

BIO Europe Preparation Video

Lacerta Bio is pleased to announce our participation in the

October 8, 2013 1 Comment

Ben Venue to close: Wither Parenterals?

Ed Silverman at Pharmalot reports today that BI is closing Ben Venue

October 3, 2013 1 Comment

Webinar Follow Up Questions

We recently presented a 30-minute live webinar on ways to improve your business development

September 30, 2013 1 Comment

Indian pharma draws more FDA scrutiny

We’ve posted about the Indian pharmaceutical market before, but this report is

September 13, 2013 No Comments

Biogeneric infliximab now available in Europe

Today we learn that a biogeneric form of Remicade, the first biogeneric

September 10, 2013 No Comments

September Tips

September is a strange month, isn’t it? It’s the unofficial end of

September 3, 2013 No Comments

If It’s Difficult, Do It

Today we learn that Endo is acquiring Boca Pharmacal for $225 million:

August 28, 2013 No Comments

How to improve your business development process

At Lacerta Bio, we believe that business development is a process…a process

August 27, 2013 No Comments

How much does it cost to develop a drug? We’ll never know.

How much does it cost to develop an approved drug? We may never know, but Matt Herper from Forbes takes an interesting approach to come up with some estimates.

August 21, 2013 No Comments

Pernix exits generics (sort of)

Texas-based Pernix Therapeutics announced a $30 million divestment of

August 13, 2013 No Comments

Perrigo Elan: Markets not happy with Papa

We don’t normally comment on stock activity, but the market response to

August 6, 2013 No Comments

The Biotech IPO Window: Party Like It’s 1999

According to Burrill & Company, July had the busiest week of biotech

August 2, 2013 3 Comments

Treatments for Hot Flashes: Winners and Losers

In a surprise decision last week, the US FDA decided to approve

July 8, 2013 1 Comment

Indian Pharma Market Driven by Exports

Many people think of the BRIC countries as good domestic opportunities. But

June 20, 2013 No Comments

Acquiring Assets from Big Pharma: A How-To Guide

Ok, we have to admit. This is not exactly a “how to”

June 12, 2013 1 Comment

Biotech Business Development: The Volkswagen Lesson

Just sign a piece a paper and drive off with a new

June 10, 2013 No Comments

Biotech Business Development: One more time

Biotech business development has become more sophisticated and more complex. Yet we

June 6, 2013 No Comments

Payday Redux: Deals, Deals, and more Deals

It’s been difficult to keep up with all the deals this month!

June 5, 2013 No Comments

Oral Insulin Capsule Entering Phase II

Oramed announced last week that their oral insulin capsule is ready for

May 23, 2013 No Comments

Let Us Now Praise Pharma

In 1941, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men was published. This unusual

May 22, 2013 No Comments

BIO2013: The Afterglow Edition

As we were making our way back home from Chicago (on delayed

April 30, 2013 No Comments

ExcipientFest 2013

Now that we’re back from BIO2013, we have to leave again! We’ll

April 26, 2013 No Comments

A blockbuster on $1 a day pricing?

Yesterday, North Carolina-based Pozen gave a detailed Investor Update, focused on PA32540,

April 19, 2013 No Comments

FDA is right…and wrong

Today’s issue of FiercePharma covered two interesting FDA decisions (or non- decisions, if

April 17, 2013 No Comments

Getting the Most out of BIO

Rob Wright has a really good article on preparing for BIO. In

April 10, 2013 1 Comment

No incentive to Indian pharma to innovate

Very interesting point made by Ranjit Shahani from Novartis India: The immense talents

April 5, 2013 No Comments

Signal, Noise, and Clinical Trial Results

At Lacerta Bio, we’ve been reading the fascinating book, The Signal and The Noise

April 1, 2013 No Comments

Preclinical Biotech Deals

The always excellent Bruce Booth wrote a good summary of the key Preclinical deals we’ve seen

March 4, 2013 No Comments

Tips for Attending Conferences

As BD consultants, we attend a number of conferences, both large and small. Some

February 28, 2013 No Comments

Biocon Mylan Biogenerics Partnership

Today we learn that generics giant Mylan has entered into a partnership with India-based

February 14, 2013 No Comments

Drug Delivery is Alive and Well

The announcement of the Allergan acquisition of MAP Pharmaceuticals for nearly $1 billion (and the NuPathe approval)

January 23, 2013 No Comments

Observations from JPM 2013

Lacerta Bio, along with approximately 10,000 other life science investors, executives, consultants, service providers,

January 22, 2013 No Comments

Predictions for 2013

Happy New Year! For many companies, 2012 was a challenging year. How will 2013

January 2, 2013 1 Comment

Stories of Interest in 2012

As we bring 2012 to a close, we’re looking back at a few of

December 17, 2012 No Comments

Radio Silence: Three Reasons Why It Happens in BD

Consider the following situation: You are out-licensing an innovative asset in a niche

December 11, 2012 No Comments

Sandoz closes generic development center in India

Last week, Sandoz announced they are closing a number of generic product development centers

December 5, 2012 No Comments

The Decline and Fall of The Monitor Empire

While we were recovering from our turkey-induced slumbers, we read the shocking news that

November 26, 2012 No Comments

Biosimilars: Three things you need to know

We’ve had the good fortune to work with a biosimilars client this year. Working

November 24, 2012 No Comments

Geographic Diversity at BIO Europe 2012

As we’ve done in the past, we’ve tabulated the countries of origin from the

November 24, 2012 No Comments

BIOEurope 2012: Does size matter?

We’ve returned from BIO Europe 2012 in Hamburg with a stack of business cards,

November 20, 2012 1 Comment

What is innovation?

Bruce Booth (yet again) published a terrific post on his blog, entitled “NextWave of

November 9, 2012 2 Comments

Repositioned Drugs Surpass New Brands

There are some very interesting data published yesterday on FDA approval statistics: It was

October 26, 2012 1 Comment

Observations from AAPS in Chicago

We spent a few days in Chicago attending the AAPS Convention. As usual, it

October 23, 2012 No Comments

Lacerta Bio at AAPS Chicago

Next week, Lacerta Bio will be at the AAPS Annual Meeting in Chicago. If

October 12, 2012 1 Comment

Compounding Pharmacists & NECC

When we studied pharmacy, compounding was in integral part of our education. On a

October 11, 2012 No Comments

But who will pay?

An intriguing graph was posted on Twitter the other day: Now we understand the

October 8, 2012 No Comments

More Me-Too Products, Not Fewer

An article by our good friend Derek Hennecke in the September issue of Drug

September 26, 2012 No Comments

Pharma Competitive Intelligence, Then and Now

Pharmaceutical and biotech competitive intelligence is increasingly important and challenging these days. Lacerta Bio discusses a recent case study in which a client learned this the hard way.

September 25, 2012 No Comments

Lacerta Bio at BIO-Europe 2012 in Hamburg

Lacerta Bio is pleased to announce our attendance at the upcoming BIO-Europe 2012

September 11, 2012 No Comments

Abandon R&D for M&A? Vote today!

In response to the recent acquisition of Medicis by Valeant, an interesting poll underway

September 5, 2012 1 Comment

Need international out-licensing help?

At Lacerta Bio, we’re in the middle of several international out-licensing projects. This process

August 23, 2012 1 Comment

LLC may be better than C corp

We generally agree with the notion that many early-stage biotechs should be structured as

August 13, 2012 No Comments

Venture Financing: Is China the answer?

As we read the continuing bad news regarding venture financing in biotech, we came

August 7, 2012 No Comments

Sandwich Shoppe Sold

On Friday, it was announced that the former Pfizer R&D center in Kent, UK,

August 7, 2012 No Comments

Bye bye Bapi

We were disappointed to read this yesterday: Pfizer ($PFE) and Johnson & Johnson ($JNJ) have

August 7, 2012 No Comments

Slow summer? Hardly

Thank goodness for Twitter. How else can one keep up with all of the

July 17, 2012 No Comments

Pricing as a product differentiator

A recent article in Forbes by ex-Pfizer President or R&D John LaMattina asks a

July 11, 2012 No Comments

Factors for successful virtual medtech

Our good friend Raman Minhas at ATPBio has a really good post today on

July 6, 2012 1 Comment

Observations from BIO 2012

As with BIO 2011, the bulk of our time was spent in the One-on-One

June 28, 2012 1 Comment

Unmeet needs should drive drug development, not money

One again, Bruce Booth published a terrific post entitled Contrarian Opportunities in Biotech Venture.

June 5, 2012 No Comments

IBD: Problem is worse than we suspected

In researching our latest project, we came across some startling statistics. A report published

May 21, 2012 No Comments

Need for new drug delivery technologies is greater than ever

So said Shams Ruston from Labopharm at last week’s Interphex conference in New York.

May 9, 2012 No Comments

How to Exhibit at #BIO2012

Yesterday, we responded on LinkedIn to the following note: THis is our first BIO

April 27, 2012 No Comments

AOL Sells Patents To Microsoft

AOL sells patents to Microsoft. Why? The reasons for AOL selling these patents are

April 10, 2012 No Comments

Flamel – Eclat and NicOx – Altacor: What can we learn?

The past seven days have brought us two very interesting transactions. First, on March

March 21, 2012 No Comments

Pfizer Biocon signals the end for biosimilars? Hardly…

Earlier this week we learned that Pfizer will return to Biocon rights to biosimilar

March 15, 2012 No Comments

Burrill Speaks, We Agree

The February, 2012 issue of Life Science Leader has a wide-ranging interview with G.

February 21, 2012 1 Comment

Biosimilar product development guidelines

UPDATE (21 February) – Here is a decent video interview of Rachel Sherman, head of

February 10, 2012 No Comments

Tau Wins…Sort Of

Last week, the NY Times published an interesting article on the cause of Alzheimer’s

February 7, 2012 No Comments

JP Morgan Healthcare Conference – The #JPM12 Edition

Lacerta Bio has returned to cold, windy New York following a solid week in

January 13, 2012 No Comments

Happy Birthday, Lacerta Bio!

Last month, Lacerta Bio celebrated its first full year in existence. In fact, our

January 4, 2012 No Comments

JP Morgan Kicks off 2012

Happy New Year, everyone! Next week, 2012 kicks off with the madness otherwise knows

January 3, 2012 1 Comment

JP Morgan Healthcare Conference 2012

We are busy preparing for the Annual Industry kickoff conference at the Westin in

December 15, 2011 No Comments

Year in Review – 2011

As 2011 draws to a close, here are a few thoughts on 2011 and

December 13, 2011 1 Comment

Drug Delivery Summit Report

Lacerta Bio was privileged to give a short talk at the first (and hopefully

December 5, 2011 No Comments

Insourcing: A new outsourcing approach?

Pharmaceutical outsourcing to CROs is certainly nothing new. However, this week we learned that

November 9, 2011 No Comments

Reformulating Injectables for Oral Delivery

Lacerta Bio was pleased to take part in a terrific overview of technologies for

November 3, 2011 No Comments

AAPS: Impressions and Observations

Lacerta Bio spent the week at the AAPS ( American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists

October 27, 2011 No Comments

KPMG and Future Pharma

Call us late to the party, but in August of this year, KPMG published

October 21, 2011 No Comments

When does due diligence start?

In our view, there are two basic types of biotech business development-related due diligence.

October 12, 2011 No Comments

AAPS Conference

In a few weeks, Lacerta Bio will return to DC to participate in the

October 4, 2011 No Comments

Shiraz or Fuller’s Best?

Earlier this month, Keith Powell posed an interesting question: The economies of California and

September 28, 2011 No Comments

Dublin Calling

What do companies such as Twitter, Facebook, and Google have in common with Pfizer,

September 26, 2011 No Comments

Merck is a VC! Our problems are solved!

Some members of the media are ebullient with the news that Merck is “getting

September 16, 2011 No Comments

BioPharm America 2011 – Boston

Lacerta Bio was fortunate to attend this year’s BioPharm America conference in Boston. Here

September 12, 2011 1 Comment

A Rainy Day for Spanish Pharmacists

Yesterday’s Financial Times reported that pharmacists in Spain are struggling to continue operating their

August 26, 2011 No Comments

GSK invests in UK biotech start-up

GSK announced that it has taken a ~25% stake in a new spin out.

August 22, 2011 No Comments

Incubating a biotech future for tomorrow

On the one hand, you hate to see talent leaving the US. But, you

August 22, 2011 No Comments

Summer Blogging

Posts have been light lately, due to vacations, summer hours, etc. However, we’ve remained

August 19, 2011 No Comments

Biosimilars: Are We There Yet?

Today’s New England Journal of Medicine contains a short article by Kozlowski et al

August 4, 2011 No Comments

Merck Cuts

As we were wrapping up our annual July vacation, we were shocked to hear about the

August 1, 2011 No Comments

GSK gets it

As FiercePharma correctly points out, GSK’s Q II report reflects the overall industry trends

July 26, 2011 No Comments

Looking for a job in pharma? Good luck

Today, KPMG is reporting results from a survey of pharmaceutical executives. In this survey,

July 14, 2011 No Comments

All you need is…guts

Luke Timmerman at Xconomy wrote a provocative piece today entitled The Missing Ingredient in Today’s Biotech: Guts.

July 11, 2011 No Comments

Observations from BIO 2011

The Lacerta Bio team attended the annual BIO Convention in Washington, DC last week.

July 6, 2011 2 Comments

The pharmaceutical industry has benefitted mankind by developing life-saving and life-sustaining drugs. However, recent turmoils have led many to question the value provided by the industry. Matt Herper tackles these complex issues across two blog posts.

June 23, 2011 No Comments