That is a sobering headline to write. Twenty-five years ago at this time of year, I was graduating from college with no job, a pretty choppy economy, a bunch of student loans, a resume that included things like a summer research internship catching salamanders, and an aspiration to “get into biotech.” I look back and think … Continue reading “25 Years in Biotech”
Author: Katrine Bosley
Katrine Bosley is the CEO of Editas Medicine and the former CEO of Avila Therapeutics, a company that championed the discovery and development of targeted covalent drugs. Avila established alliances with Sanofi, Clovis Oncology, and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and advanced two programs into clinical development, one independently and one with partner Clovis, prior to its acquisition by Celgene in early 2012 ($350 million upfront + $575 million contingent on milestones).
Prior to her leadership at Avila, Katrine was VP, Business Development at Adnexus Therapeutics, a company developing a new class of protein therapeutics called Adnectins. Adnexus was acquired by Bristol-Myers Squibb in 2007 (>$500 million). Katrine joined Adnexus from Biogen Idec where she led multiple business development transactions, including the in-licensing of Tysabri® (natalizumab). Earlier, she was part of the healthcare team at the venture firm Highland Capital Partners and was in regulatory affairs at Alkermes. Through her career, Katrine has worked with products from discovery through commercialization.
Katrine graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in biology as a College Scholar and completed the Program for Management Development at Harvard Business School.
Red (and Green) Flags To Look for With Biotech’s Buyside Investors
As Warren Buffett once pointed out, companies get the investors they deserve. Observations by the oracle-from-Omaha are hard to dispute, but how does that translate into practice if you’re a biotech company going through the IPO process and trying to read the signs in a whole new landscape of investors known as “the buyside”? Many … Continue reading “Red (and Green) Flags To Look for With Biotech’s Buyside Investors”
Starting a Company Is Hard. Good Health Insurance Makes It Easier.
Usually late August is fairly laid-back, but this year the debate over how states are implementing the federal Affordable Care Act seems to get louder by the day. Except here in Massachusetts, where it’s pretty quiet. Why? Because it’s already been addressed here. I must admit, I don’t remember there being very much angst at the … Continue reading “Starting a Company Is Hard. Good Health Insurance Makes It Easier.”
Supply Chains Are Orderly. Biotech Innovation Is Messy
I was intrigued by the concept of an “innovation supply chain” for biotech raised in last week’s Xconomy discussion with Noubar Afeyan of Flagship Ventures. The basic idea is that if there’s agreement about certain experiments, results, and value with a pharma company, then a biotech company can focus on delivering those results, the pharma … Continue reading “Supply Chains Are Orderly. Biotech Innovation Is Messy”
Can (Should?) A Young Biotech Company Still Go Long?
It used to be that every young biotech company’s goal was to “go long,” to become a FIPCO (fully integrated pharmaceutical company…remember when that phrase was in vogue?), selling its own product and running a sustainable business. These days, that’s rarely in anyone’s business plan. And yet at the same time, I’ve heard public market … Continue reading “Can (Should?) A Young Biotech Company Still Go Long?”