Inside the Pharma Partnering Playbook: How Early-Stage Innovation Gets on Big Pharma’s Radar 

By Joey Wong, Director of Investor Research, Hong Kong BD, LSN

For early-stage life science companies, securing the attention of a pharmaceutical partner can be transformative. But with pharma teams evaluating a constant flow of new technologies, assets, and platforms, what makes an emerging company stand out, and what turns an initial conversation into a meaningful partnership?

At RESI Boston, the panel Inside the Pharma Partnering Playbook: How Early-Stage Innovation Gets on Big Pharma’s Radar will bring together experienced pharmaceutical business development and partnering professionals for a candid look at how large pharma companies identify, evaluate, and engage with external innovation.

As pharmaceutical companies increasingly look outside their own pipelines for promising science, partnerships are beginning earlier and take a wider variety of forms. Research collaborations, option-to-license agreements, licensing deals, and strategic investments can all provide pathways for startups to work with established pharmaceutical companies. For founders, understanding how these organizations approach external innovation can be critical to developing an effective partnering strategy.

The discussion will explore what initially puts an early-stage company on pharma’s radar, how teams assess scientific and strategic fit, and what founders should have in place before initiating a business development conversation. Panelists will also share perspectives on building relationships before a company reaches a major inflection point, navigating internal decision-making at large organizations, and positioning an opportunity so its value is clear to potential partners.

Pharma Partnering Panelists
Nikhil Mutyal AstraZeneca (Moderator)	Nimish Gupta Jazz Pharmaceuticals	Parthiban Rajasekaran Sanofi
Armin Rump Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.	Andrew Thomson Ipsen SA

For entrepreneurs pursuing pharmaceutical partnerships, the session offers an opportunity to hear directly from the people on the other side of the partnering table. Attendees will leave with a stronger understanding of what pharma is looking for, how opportunities move through the evaluation process, and how early-stage companies can approach BD conversations with greater focus and preparation.

Join the discussion at RESI Boston on September 22 at 1:00 PM and gain an inside look at how promising innovation makes its way onto Big Pharma’s radar.