Strategic Issues Facing Biotech Start-ups
My last post talked about broad classes of technological innovation – novel research methods and tools, novel mechanisms of action or targets, novel compound types and novel treatment modalities – and the common business models associated with them. The type of technology a company has influences the choice of business model, since the technology bears on the need for specialised assets, such as manufacturing and distribution that may or may not be readily available, and on the ease of transferring knowledge about the technology to collaborators, licensees or acquirers. Some technologies are readily written down in standard operating procedures or lab reports, whilst others may be more art than science and their implementation may require extensive personal expertise. However, technology type is not the only factor driving a firm’s choices. Read more