The worldwide life science community has been witnessing the emergence of many new biobusiness hotspots and the fast movement towards a truly global biotechnology industry. In this scenario, technology, people and capital will continue to be key success factors alongside the ability to leverage strategic partnerships and alliances, without borders. Latin America is well placed to be a major player and partner in building global value in the biobusiness arena.

Life sciences in Latin America is now becoming a reality. After 20 years following and analyzing the market, especially in Brazil, what we see is a very positive scenario:

• Innovation - There is a rapidly growing community of start-ups founded by highly qualified scientists
   
• Financing - Start-ups are financed in the initial phases by governmental programs that have become available in the last few years
   
• Large Companies - Large pharma and others are now investing and partnering with innovative projects in the region
 

Related Report:
Life Science Industry in Brazil

From abroad, we see – and support them in our consulting area – more and more large pharmaceutical, industrial and agro companies looking for projects and partners, and medium/small companies looking to capitalize on the opportunities in the region. All of these groups seem to be happy with what they find here: good science, a better regulatory environment and strong support from governments.

The Brazilian   life science industry has experienced an unparalleled growth rate: 80 new companies were created in the past 5 years. This is not, however, an arbitrary phenomenon, but rather the confluence of government support and political will, a mature scientific community and a blooming venture capital industry. Although a bright future lies ahead, the country is already yielding good results and success cases.

In 2008, the Brazilian life science industry generated an estimated amount of US$ 400 million in revenue and US$ 55.5 million in profits. The country’s achievements in renewable fuels and agricultural biotechnology have attracted many investors and multinational companies, leading to an increasing number of acquisitions and partnering deals in the past couple of years. The global economic crisis has also had a positive impact, reducing the traditional focus on US-Europe towards emerging countries.

What’s happening today in Latin America, what are tomorrow’s opportunities? Join me and other life science leaders from Latin America and around the globe at the 1st Annual BioPartnering Latin America, 19-21 September, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I’ll see you in Rio this September!

Eduardo Emrich Soares
President
Biominas Brasil

About Biominas Brasil
Biominas is a company dedicated to create and develop life science companies in Brazil. Established in 1990, Biominas is recognized as the most successful institution acting on the support of new life science ventures in Brazil.

We support companies during their entire lifecycle from inception to mature development, offering specialized services such as analysis of business opportunities, identification of potential strategic partners, capital raising and counseling on regulatory affairs and intellectual property. We seek international markets for local companies as well as advise companies in the Latin American market.

One of the most successful social media campaigns to date has just made its run – and Old Spice is suddenly hip again. Those hilarious Old Spice Guy YouTube videos, corresponding Tweets, and 183 personal video responses posted on YouTube in a span of three days have vigorously turned the brand around.

The campaign fueled Old Spice brand awareness with new audiences and led to a shocking sales increase of 107% in the past month alone!

So, what has made this campaign so successful and what can biotech and pharma learn from it? Here are a few reasons why we think it worked so well:

Conversation
The real key to the Old Spice campaign was that it responded to its audience in a conversational (and entertaining way). The ads debuted on TV driving people to social channels - Twitter and YouTube, and then continued with video responses addressed to the most provocative or interesting questions from the audience to keep interest high. What is clear is that response is critical; it benefits from creative delivery, and ensures that your customers know they have been heard.

Cross Media Integration
The initial TV spots were re-distributed through their YouTube channel garnering over 11M views and amplifying the original campaign. The Old Spice Facebook page received 747,000 likes and Twitter won 95,000 followers.  Questions submitted through Twitter were then converted into 183 personal video responses from the Old Spice guy to each individual. It is crucial to be able to respond to your followers where they are and give plenty opportunity for them to find you across all media.

Audience Targeting
Know where your audiences are and what their behaviors are. This campaign spoke to women who strongly influence men’s purchase behavior. Who is influential in your market? How can you get your message in front of them? It may not always be whom you think!

The campaign’s success was based in establishing a direct and meaningful connection with the audience. Whether speaking to patients, investors or partners, it is crucial to have a real conversation and encourage engagement.

Barbara Lavery
President, Zoomedia

About Zoomedia
In 1994 Zoomedia first brought interactive media to the life science industry. Today, we are an industry leader — an industry insider with a deep understanding of what drives your business — and a full-service agency that can translate that understanding into effective communication and success for our clients. What makes us special? Our dedication to patients, our commitment to our clients, our powerful technology solutions, and our unmatched understanding of strategic online programs.

As our team prepares for our Annual BioPartnering Europe conference in October, I find myself knee-deep in European biotech industry reports, BioCluster maps, newsletters, industry journals, news and analysis. Every communication piece and organization takes a slightly different angle on summing up the current state and future viability of our industry, but I am finding a common thread in each.

Considerable Opportunity
All parties tend to agree that biotech innovation is key to future economic growth and sustainable living not only in Europe but around the globe. In an annual report on the state of the European biotech industry, EuropaBio puts it this way;

"No other industrial sector sits as comfortably as biotech at the intersection of enhancement of quality of life, knowledge, innovation, productivity and environmental protection. From new healthcare products that can address unmet medical needs and fight epidemics and rare diseases to industrial processes that use renewable feedstocks instead of crude oil, to drought-resistant crops that allow farmers in Africa to feed more people under ever-harsher climatic conditions, biotechnology can and will pay economic, social and environmental dividends."

Unfortunately, the story doesn’t end here. Although the opportunities are promising there is opposition and it looks fierce.

Fierce Opposition
The EuropaBio annual report goes on to explain how in response to troubled economic times, the industry’s challenge will be to innovate and grow at a time when the demand to cut costs is overwhelming. How do you cut back and grow at the same time?

Related Report:
EuropaBio Annual Report



Suggested Reading:

• Reframers Unleash Innovation in Their Companies
• Leadership in the Age of Scarcity
  
• How To Ignite Creative Leadership In Your Organization

Hurry up and slow down! This is the situation our industry finds itself in. At our C21 BioVentures conference in May, I had the opportunity to sit in on the keynote presentation offered by industry pioneer Fred Frank. Fred offered an accurate but sobering diagnosis of our industry in his keynote address titled "En Fin: The Middle Scene of the Long Biotech Drama is Here" (click here to download the audio).  The most innovative people in our industry are being laid off by the thousands and some of the most promising companies don’t have enough cash to carry them through the end of the year. If we allow it, all of this "bad news" can really get us stuck.

Worth Fighting For?
When we as individuals and organizations get pressed beyond our normal level of comfort it forces us to acknowledge the threat and give it a response. We commonly refer to our human reaction to these overwhelming situations as "fight or flight". What will it be for you? I say we fight! No, don’t fight each other. Let’s fight for a sustainable economy, the health of our respective organizations, the livelihood of our families, friends and neighbors. If nothing else, fight for the sake of living rather than surrendering to worry, fear and blame.

One of my favorite quotes is from the movie Jurassic Park. In the movie Jeff Goldblum plays the quirky role of Dr. Ian Malcolm, a mathematician and chaos theorist. Dr. Malcolm is questioning the the park staff on whether or not the strategy and boundaries they have in place can control the reproduction of dinosaurs on the island:

Henry Wu:
  "You’re implying that a group composed entirely of female animals will breed?"
 
  Dr. Ian Malcolm:
  "No. I’m simply saying that life, uh, finds a way."

What I love about this dialogue is Dr. Malcolm’s nonchalant approach and nerve to questions the norm. It takes a bit of reckless hope to stand in the face of what seems to be immovable. Less than 500 years ago many believed the earth to be flat. Only 40 years ago the World Wide Web was only a concept on paper. Over the past 5 years the scientific community has made breakthroughs that were thought impossible only a short time ago. I don’t need to convince you that our industry is founded upon the radical assumption that things may not be as they seem. A global financial crisis, broken business paradigms, enormous risk and rising costs seem to be a barrier for breeding new life. Innovation is under assault but hope is not lost. Assault is the impetus for innovation. Threat is motivation for change. If you look behind the mask of fierce opposition you can find incredible opportunity dressed in clever disguise.

Want more?
Here are some real world inspirational examples and ideas from the Harvard Business Review blog:

• Reframers Unleash Innovation in Their Companies
• Leadership in the Age of Scarcity
• How To Ignite Creative Leadership In Your Organization

With this as a background,  I was fortunate to chair a panel which explored the research collaboration between AstraZeneca and Jubilant Organosys Ltd.  The collaboration is referred to as “JAZ”.  My panelists Dr. Sri Mosur, CEO & President of Jubilant and Dr. Jit Patel, Director SPBD Neuroscience for AstraZeneca. The JAZ collaboration has been operating since being announced on May 5, 2009.  The panelists spoke about the who, what, how, and why of their research collaboration, with detailed analysis and invaluable insights on the risks and rewards experienced thus far.  JAZ focuses on delivering novel drug candidates into AZ’s pre-clinical pipeline.  Under the shared risk-reward collaboration, which will initially focus on the neuroscience area, Jubilant aims to deliver a steady stream of discovery programs to AstraZeneca. Dr. Patel, Dr. Mosur and I all believe that India is fast becoming a biotech giant, and that more deals between Indian life science companies and big pharma will be formed.  The JAZ deal illustrates the benefits of India as a center of “affordable innovation”.

Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Chairman & Managing Director Founder, of Bangalore-based Biocon spoke as Chairperson of the Vision Group on Biotechnology for the State of Karnataka. She remarked that the crucial pieces of infrastructure are being put in place in the Bangalore area which will make India an increasingly important destination for pharma and other life science enterprises. She has a vision of the future of India as a technology leader, as part of a global innovation value chain. The English language unifies educated Indians, and a vibrant democratic system enables society to process the huge technological waves that are sweeping India, an ancient culture that is rapidly modernizing, without losing its central value system.
 
How this all plays out for life science companies, in India and abroad, is crucial. They ask the practical question: “what is affordable innovation and how can it benefit my company?” Affordable innovation simply means cost advantage, innovation, and partnership skills.  India has been a little slower than its Asian competitors to develop a world class biotech infrastructure, however it is rapidly gaining momentum and there is a clear commitment being made by the government and the private sector to nurture home-based talent,  to bring back members of the Indian diaspora, and to build partnerships between India and foreign companies.  Major infrastructure projects are being constructed including new airports major roads, and science parks combined with residential units, comparable with similar features in China for example.  I expect to see India featured in the industry news more frequently (see related news below) as the investments that have been made in the Indian biotech sector pay dividends.

Related news:
Novartis, Sanofi Pursue `Cash Machine’ in Indian Countryside (bloomberg)
Boom spurs India’s biotech industry to hatch expansion plans (FierceBiotech)
Abbott Makes Play for Bigger Piece of India’s Pharma Market (The Wall Street Journal)
Big Pharma Eyes India (Seeking Alpha)
 
 
Dr. Robert Lee Kilpatrick – Biotech Gadfly
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Gadfly - a term for people who upset the status quo by posing upsetting or novel questions, while at the same time being accepted as a description of honorable work or a civic duty.
(Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Having watched and helped develop biotech company presentations for many years, I can recommend some basic rules of play that can help make your presentation the one that stands out. Every company has a different story to tell but mostly the presentations are in the same format, in the same room, and to the same people. So how can you be the one who stands out in the crowd? Enthusiasm - if you don’t believe in your company why would anyone else? Be confident enough in your presentation to be able to present naturally and deal with any unforeseen technical issues. I watched a CEO present to a packed room of potential investors in New York. The projector started smoking at slide 3 and blew up at slide 5 - the CEO stepped forward as the projector was wheeled off stage right and continued unfazed. A memorable performance - this CEO knew his pitch so well and was so focused on delivering to his audience that even a flaming projector didn’t stop him! Why you? - What is the value? What is the opportunity? What’s different from the last 10 presentations and the next 10 that follow? We’ve all been in the room when two out of three people are focused on their blackberries,  the catering staff are setting up next door, and the presenter is talking to himself as he failed to grab the audience’s attention at the beginning. You’ve got 15 minutes! Make sure to engage the room as soon as you start and keep them engaged long enough to want to know more. Remember you don’t have to tell them everything; you have to tell them just enough for them to want to talk in more detail later.

Related Article: Can you hear me in the back? Nature Biotechnology, June 2009 - Carin Canale With thousands of biotech companies out there, and just as many corporate presentations, here’s how to differentiate your enterprise in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Download Article

Who is in the room? - Make sure you speak directly to your audience. The 15 data slides you have may be fascinating during a scientific meeting but will not be compelling in a 15-minute investor presentation. Show up outside the room early and take note of who is arriving to hear you present. Bring your entourage and make sure that they are “on message” and can engage before and after on the key points of your presentation.

Stop making changes the night before! - Every CEO I know loves to stay up until 2:00 a.m. the night before making changes to the presentation. Don’t throw yourself off - editing is fine but don’t make any major changes to the order or content the night before or you will trip yourself up the day of your pitch. Instead, lock down the content and spend the night before working on your delivery - how are you going to articulate the company’s value and present yourself as the winner who can execute on the potential. The slides are your back up but the people in the room should be listening to you.

Put on a quality show - There is no excuse for illegible slides, out-of-date content, ugly graphics or God forbid typos! Brand the company, develop succinct content, create meaningful graphics and add some personality…

Good luck out there!

Barbara Lavery
President, Zoomedia

The remaining two days consisted of logistical meetings with the hotel staff and Ms. Angélica Patarroyo, Biominas Communication & Marketing Coordinator for BPL. I did manage to take a couple of hours and see parts of Rio de Janeiro. First, we visited Sugarloaf Mountain, which is located 1,299 feet (396 meters) above the harbor at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that sticks out into the Atlantic Ocean. 

The second site was the Maracanã stadium, the largest stadium in South America, currently seating over 90,000 spectators. It has mainly been used for football (soccer) matches between the major football (soccer) clubs in Rio de Janeiro. This stadium will be the centerpiece of the 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics and will host the FIFA World Cup in 2014. 

Upon departing on Thursday evening, I reflected on the immense progress we have made towards BPL 2010, since we began planning this event over 18 months ago. BioPartnering Latin America will showcase the entire region from Mexico to Chile, Brazil, and Argentina. The focus of BPL 2010 will be human, animal and plant health, highlighting a fast growing sector of innovative Latin America companies and presenting significant partnering opportunities. BPL will be held on September 19-21, 2010, in Rio, just across from the Copacabana Beach. I look forward to seeing you there!

On January 19th, Biocon Chairman & Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw gathered with industry leaders for the “Curtain Raising” to announce Bangalore India Bio 2010 and to promote the growth of India’s biotech industry. (see photos of the event below)

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is a leading figure in India’s biotech industry and predicts that biotechnology will grow to a $5 billion business in India by next year and then double to $10 billion by the year 2015. There is no question that India provides the opportunity for rapid growth and affordable innovation.

This year TVG will produce BioPartnering India @ Bangalore India Bio, June 2-4, 2010. BioPartnering India will showcase the best life science partnering opportunities in India, as well as enable foreign companies to present to an Indian audience. India offers a bright future for biotech and pharmaceutical companies and BioPartnering India represents TVG’s long-term commitment to India, its talented people and rich scientific culture.

Join me at BioPartnering India @ Bangalore India Bio to experience first hand all that India has to offer you and your company. India is indeed the destination for affordable innovation. See you there!

LifeSciences BC works actively to raise the local, national and international profile of the innovative companies and research institutions that make up British Columbia’s leading-edge life sciences industry. These efforts have indirectly led to major international exposure, significant investments and partnering deals that have produced some of the world’s most prominent biotechnology pioneers including QLT Inc., Angiotech Pharmaceuticals and OncoGenex Technologies.  BioPartnering North America serves not only to highlight British Columbia’s home-grown excellence in innovation, but to showcase all of the emerging opportunities throughout the international life science community and, from that awareness, to forge new relationships in a fashion consistent with British Columbia’s culture of achieving synergy through shared diversity and perspectives.

Face-to-face partnering meetings are the hallmark of the conference, but BPN also features close to 100 company presentations as well as a number of leadership sessions, industry workshops and exceptional networking opportunities with top life science industry players globally.  Like the Olympic Games themselves, BPN will bring together the world’s best to showcase skills and strengths, capitalize on opportunities, and overcome shared challenges— all in the spirit of participation, co-operation and competition.  On behalf of LifeSciences BC, we look forward to welcoming the world to Vancouver.

Brendan Payne
Biomedical Sector Manager
LifeSciences British Columbia
http://www.lifesciencesbc.ca

On January 7th, 1992, TVG opened for business and started planning for the first BioPartnering™ conference in London to encourage partnering between US and European life science companies. Today, as we celebrate TVG’s 18th birthday, BioPartnering, which was merely a concept before 1992, is a truly global activity and the catalyst for growth and innovation in our industry. We have witnessed tremendous change in our industry over these 18 years and we know that what we have experienced to date is only a shadow of the innovation and growth that we will realize over the next two decades.

In contrast to this incredible change, our mission at TVG remains the same. Since our inception, our goal has been to build and expand networks for the life science industry, which are dedicated to developing novel solutions in the areas of human, animal and plant health; food; energy; materials; and various industrial processes which will contribute to a new sustainable global economy in the 21st century. This is termed the “bio-economy” – an economy based on the use of living systems. In contrast, the petroleum-based economy is based on extracting non-renewable energy from the earth. The most effective way to grow and develop the companies that will usher in the bio-economy is by using networks to tap global innovation. TVG has been doing this for nearly 20 years and now a critical mass of players has arisen around the world, creating a need for a new kind of network.

The TVG partnering network is built upon biopartnering.com™ – a powerful web-based platform that allows TVG clients to maximize networking opportunities before, during, and after events. biopartnering.com showcases the companies and people driving life science innovation around the world and connects you to them.

In just a few weeks at BioPartnering North America™ (24-26 January, Vancouver, BC, Canada), TVG will launch the first Global BioPartnering Platform powered by biopartnering.com. This new network allows life science companies to access global innovation, raise new sources of capital, and tap into skilled workforces around the world.  We have focused on six of the most important markets for life science companies, including USA, Canada, Europe, India, China, and Latin America. For several years, TVG has been laying the foundation for this expansion, and together with industry leaders, we are able to offer our clients a seamless partnering experience through biopartnering.com.

Your 2010 Global BioPartnering Calendar:
  January 24-26: BioPartnering North America™ (Vancouver, BC, Canada)
  May 25-27: C21 BioVentures™ (Napa, California, USA)
  June 2-4 : BioPartnering India™ at BangaloreBio 2010 (Bangalore, India)
  September 19-21: BioPartnering Latin America™ (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)
  October 10-12: BioPartnering Europe™ at QEII Conference Centre (Europe)
  October 31- November 2: BioPartnering China™ (Shanghai, China)

In each of these markets, TVG is working with leading organizations who will act effectively on the ground, working closely with key government agencies, public and private companies, science parks, bio-clusters and biotech associations, and the many leading service companies that support the life science industry – globally and locally.

TVG has a reputation for being the first and the best at what we do because we have a simple formula. We always put the needs of our clients first, and we choose partners who do the same. We have built an unrivalled global network to support our clients as they grow their businesses. Join with us in 2010 and be a part of an ever-expanding network of individuals and organizations who are working together to deliver the innovative solutions necessary in this expanding global bio-economy.

Profile Pointers:

1. Don’t cut and paste your entire website

• You can include a link to your website; those that wish to learn more can click on the link. Pasting your entire website into the profile or having an out of date profile will turn off your readers.
• Help the reader grasp the key points. Briefly describe what your company/organization does using clear and concise phrases. Also, break up your paragraphs into easy to follow sections.

2. Identify your partnering goals and conference participation details

• Use your biopartnering.com company profile to clearly identify what you company wants to achieve by attending the conference.
• Write for the audience you wish to reach: be specific. If you are attending a conference geared toward investors, write about why you are seeking investment or what you are looking to invest in. If your company is looking for products in oncology, describe which areas of oncology or products you want to discuss during your meetings.
• If you are presenting, exhibiting, or participating in a discussion panel (i.e. workshop), include the times of your participation and briefly cover what you will discuss/exhibit.
• Use the pre-conference preparation as a marketing tool to get more delegates interested and to raise awareness before you arrive at the event.

3. Point out your competitive advantages

• All profiles are searchable; ensure that you are utilizing the keywords that distinguish your company.
• Emphasize the pros of your company; especially those factors that give you a competitive edge.
• Explain your company’s industry experience and don’t forget to include a list of your key alliances

4. Distinguish yourself – make it easier for other delegates to find you

• In your personal profile discuss your role in your company and your experience
• Include a personal photo so that other delegates can easily recognize you onsite.
• If applicable, add websites that showcase your affiliations (i.e. social networks you participate in).