when a company has a healthy amount of cash on its balance sheet. For example, time and again we have seen companies who have, for example, $50 million of cash and are not challenged about spending until there is just a few million of it left. The management team and Board of Directors go into crisis mode and end up scrambling to keep the company afloat. We need to be honest about the likelihood of success with our products and plan for potential downside scenarios well in advance of critical milestones. Board of Directors should proactively request management to run these scenarios as part of the strategic planning process.
2. Reassess Governance: During the last decade most companies have matured in terms of the science and the advancement as a company. Companies should constantly reassess whether the right skill set is in place at the Board of Directors and the management level to guide these increasingly complex businesses. For example, a company preparing for commercialization needs a different skill set than one in its infancy.
3. Be Bold: Given that industry capitalization is at an all-time high, now is a good time for companies to think about leveraging their stock as a strategic asset to build out pipelines or execute other creative transactions. It should be very clear whether a company will only develop resources internally, or implement a licensing or M&A strategy.
4. Re-think Infrastructure Needs: As an industry we have built a substantial infrastructure to support the companies in their development. We need to opportunistically work with each other in order not to duplicate efforts. The word “ecosystem” comes to mind. Large pharmaceutical companies are aggressively outsourcing activities such as clinical trials to manage their overhead. Biotechnology companies should also determine what functions could be outsourced in a cost effective manner.
5. Consider the Options: All too often, the Board of Directors are presented with lack of options as it relates to the development of a company. This can be improved if the management and Board of Directors work closely together to fully explore strategic issues for the long-term and make appropriate tactical decisions in the short term.
This is an exciting time for patients, companies and investors in our industry. We have been able to attract interest from a wide range of investors. Now is a good time to reassess the structure and development of the industry in order to continue to be able to deliver new innovative products to patients who desperately need them irrespective of the status of the financial markets.
