Life Science Nation Considers RESI China

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Jessica Yang, Investor Research Analyst, LSN

Life Science Nation (LSN) has created a fully integrated global matching platform that allows for buyers and sellers in the early stage life science arena to find and connect with each other based on a company’s stage of development and product. An integral part of LSN’s matching platform is the Redefining Early Stage Investments (RESI) conference series that that currently is held six times a year in life science technology hubs throughout North America and Europe. RESI is a one-of-a-kind partnering event, in that the event has a 1:1 ratio of scientist/entrepreneurs to investors/strategic partners. Hundreds of investors and strategics regularly attend the RESI conference to source technology deals.

LSN has been approached over the last two years regarding bringing the RESI conference to China. The LSN Research team has done significant outreach to help establish a strong ecosystem of China-based investors who speak on our RESI panels and use RESI as a vehicle to source and vet diverse technology assets across the silos of drugs, devices and diagnostics and digital health.

You Can Help LSN Decide on RESI China

LSN currently has concerns about bringing RESI to China, and indeed to Asia. At a typical RESI event, half of the attendees are scientist-entrepreneurs who have left a major pharma/healthcare firm or a university to create their own startup company, with initial funding sourced from government grants, friends and family, or angels. These scientist-entrepreneurs then attend RESI conferences to find additional funding. The issue for LSN and RESI is to understand if China has a sufficient number of scientist-entrepreneurs in China who are starting companies independently of government, pharma or academia? Also, if the Chinese model of life science company development is different, how can RESI adapt our conference to the Chinese model and make it work? If you’re interested in seeing RESI come to China, please take this survey below to help us better understand how we can successfully bring RESI to China. We are looking for sponsors and partners to support us in this initiative.

Hot Investor Mandate 1: Strategic Investment Arm of Large Company Invests Up to $30M in Derisked Life Science Investment Opportunities

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A strategic capital group within a large company is focused on venture and growth stage investments in several verticals including healthcare, IT and energy. The group will make investments from $5M – $30M and is very flexible with structure and size, with approximately 80% of investments in the form of equity and the other 20% in debt. The group will both lead or co-invest and typically seeks board representation although it is not a requirement. The group is focused on companies in the United States, but may look at some international opportunities in select geographies.

The firm is interested in medical devices, healthcare services, digital health, and biopharma and the group is looking for derisked opportunities in these areas. In the medical device space, the group is interested in devices that have achieved FDA approval and have reimbursement established. Digital health/healthcare IT companies should have commercial traction and a minimum of 10-20 paying customers. The group is looking for healthcare services companies that have proven their business model and are in need of growth capital. In the biopharma space, the group avoids opportunities with binary scientific, development, or clinical risk and is interested in areas such as specialty pharma, outsourced services, platform technologies, etc.

The firm places a large emphasis on high quality management teams and will work with companies with an incomplete management team as long as the key members of management are in place and have significant experience/expertise in the area they are pursuing.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot Investor Mandate 2: China-Based Pharmaceutical Seeks Various Technologies with Focus in Antivirals, Oncology, CNS, and Diabetes

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A large pharmaceutical company based in China is fully integrated with solid infrastructures in drug development, clinical development, regulatory, manufacturing, sales and marketing in China with global perspectives. The firm currently manages two funds with over $200 million AUM and is actively seeking investment opportunities across a wide range of industries. A significant allocation of the fund is dedicated to healthcare and life sciences investments, while the rest of the fund will focus on investing in electronic materials and aluminum business. On average, the size of investment is $10M, but the firm has the capacity to invest more in companies they identify as a strong fit. The firm can invest in a broad variety of types and transaction structures including growth capital, buyouts, late-stage developments (with proof of concept), and recapitalizations. The firm looks for companies located around the globe, with a preference in the US, Europe, and Japan.

The firm is a flexible and opportunistic investor that is currently considering Therapeutics, Medical Devices, and Diagnostics. The firm is open to all kinds of sectors and indications with preferences in antivirus, oncology, neurosciences, and diabetes. The firm is open to novel medical devices of all FDA regulatory pathways, including 510k and PMA. The firm is strongly interested in medical devices. In terms of therapeutics, the firm will look at products of all stages from pre-clinical to phase I, and from phase III to on-the-market; while middle stage products might be a less focus. Regarding medical devices and diagnostics, the firm will invest at any stage of development. The firm is willing to consider companies targeting orphan indications.

The firm can invest in both private and public companies. The firm is willing to both lead and co-invest in companies located around the globe, while co-invest is their sweet spot. The firm has no specific requirements for the management team. The firm may take a board seat in applicable cases.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot Investor Mandate 3: USA-Based Firm Searching Globally for Early-Stage Precision Medicine Diagnostics and Mobile Health

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

A USA based medical technology venture firm founded in 2013 makes equity investments in early stage companies developing products for to accelerate the trend of precision medicine diagnostics. The firm seeks a leading investment position and deep involvement with its portfolio companies. Typical investment ranges from $5-15 M and is calibrated to milestone attainment. With a global view and global operational capabilities, the firm is currently seeking opportunities around the world.

The firm focuses on three market segments that support knowledge-generating precision medicine diagnosis: 1) mobile health, data analytics, and healthcare IT; 2) high specificity in-vivo and in-vitro diagnostics; and 3) diagnostic technologies that guide or are a companion to precision therapies. The firm is looking for technologies that will dramatically improve patient health and have the potential for global markets and scale.

The firm is looking for experienced management teams with deep domain expertise. The firm typically request board representation post-investment.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

Hot Investor Mandate 4: Investment Firm with USA and Canada Ties Invests in Smart Devices and Digital Health Technologies

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

An investment firm founded in 2015 is actively supporting new healthcare companies in the USA and Canada. The firm is partnering with a New York-based firm to fund companies and assist those companies in scaling. The firm typically invests $250,000-$1.5 million, and while the firm focuses on companies interested in a “soft landing” in Western New York, the firm has the capacity to invest elsewhere as well.

The firm focuses on healthcare solutions that include a software component. Areas of interest include remote sensing, healthcare in the cloud, assistive devices, and remote sensing devices (e.g. Health IT).

The firm focuses on companies that have the capacity to become US government contractors. The firm supports their portfolio companies in bidding for contracts, and is able to work with both US and Canadian companies interested in becoming listed on the GSA Schedule.

If you are interested in more information about this investor and other investors tracked by LSN, please email mandates@lifesciencenation.com.

LSN Launches RESI on MaRS Innovation Challenge with an All New Application Portal – LSN Sourcing & Ranking Expert System

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Samuel Rubin, Business Development Manager, LSN

After receiving some excellent feedback from past applicants, the RESI Innovation Challenge Review Team has re-tooled the online application to create a standardized and efficient Sourcing & Ranking Expert System. For years LSN has been evaluating technologies for government organizations, large pharma, and other groups using this system to vet biotech, medtech, diagnostics, and healthcare IT companies based on their science and “invest-ability”.

LSN believes the RESI Innovation Challenge application process will now be more logical and easier to navigate, streamlining the process from beginning to end. The application has now launched online. The deadline to apply for RESI on MaRS is Friday March 2nd. We look forward to reviewing all of your impressive applications!

2017 In Pharma Licensing Deals: Global Pharmas Looking Earlier Than Ever

~ Next Phase Admin ~ Leave a comment

By Lucy Parkinson, Director of Research, LSN

It’s no surprise that pharma companies continue to make licensing deals at a rapid pace; in 2017, LSN’s Licensing Deals platform on average logged one new deal every 3 days.

Taking an overview of the data LSN gathered in this pacy year of dealmaking, we can see a few patterns emerging over the course of the year that show where pharma appetite is currently focused. (LSN’s Licensing Deals platform only logs reported deals in which some financial information is available, whether it’s an up-front payment or future milestones. Deals reported without any financial details are not included in our sample set. Corporate M&A activity isn’t included either – just in-licensing).

Deals Are Getting Earlier

Some deals involved a research platform rather than a drug asset; however, in deals that involved a new drug, 2017 saw a substantial shift toward preclinical and Phase I opportunities. Last year, Phase II assets accounted for 35% of deals; this has slipped to 29%. Overall, Phase II and III deals have gone from representing almost 50% of deals to under 30%. Pharma has become substantially more aggressive about making deals early in an asset’s development cycle. Conversely, as pharma has been moving down this path for years, there may be fewer attractive late stage assets on the shelf than there were in previous years.

Oncology Remains King, But Interest Increases in GI and Metabolic Diseases

Not every deal report specifies the lead indication area for the asset, but among those that do, cancer is overwhelmingly the most active field for pharma licensing deals. However, we have seen some movement in other fields compared to 2016. In particular, appetites for digestive system, metabolic and endocrine therapeutics were higher in 2017.

New Modalities Come Into Play

The LSN Licensing Deals platform is in some cases able to provide information about an asset’s modality, and we saw a great range of therapeutic technologies involved in deals in 2017. Antibodies, drug delivery and kinease inhibitors or agonists remain key technologies; there were also several new deals announced in the vaccine space.

2017 saw several newer technologies become pipeline presences; prodrugs, RNai therapeutics, and gene and cell therapies each garnered several licensing deals, and there were also 2 deals involving microbiome therapeutics.

Asia Pharmas Go Global For New Assets

Have you been talking to the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies about a potential strategic partnership for your asset? That’s a good start, but in 2017 a total of 77 different licensees announced deals for new pipeline assets, from long-established majors to young firms looking to expand on their own in-house successes. These licensee firms include pharmas based all over the world, including several rising pharma powers in China. We saw many of firms based in the Asia region making deals with early stage companies in the West.

If you’re curious, 2017’s most publicly active licensee was Takeda, followed by Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and Merck. However, with such a large number of licensees snapping up promising new drugs ever earlier in the development cycle, major firms are going to have to fight hard to keep up in therapeutic innovation. If you’re a startup CEO, it’s never too early to start locking in your strategic deals, and there’s a large universe of potential targets.