Comments on: Goldman Sachs Plans New Funding For Research http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/12/goldman-sachs-plans-new-funding-for-research/ News, Comment and Conversation Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:31:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Mark Chalek http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/12/goldman-sachs-plans-new-funding-for-research/#comment-384150 Mark Chalek Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:11:17 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/?p=18186#comment-384150 Accelerating discoveries to the bedside will require including the best academic researchers with knowledge of the molecular mechanism of diseases, including pathways and targets of interest, along with relevant animal models of disease. The bankers should find out who the best collaborators are and make sure they have a seat at the table. Accelerating discoveries to the bedside will require including the best academic researchers with knowledge of the molecular mechanism of diseases, including pathways and targets of interest, along with relevant animal models of disease. The bankers should find out who the best collaborators are and make sure they have a seat at the table.

]]> By: Mark Chalek http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/12/goldman-sachs-plans-new-funding-for-research/#comment-384149 Mark Chalek Tue, 09 Dec 2008 22:06:13 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/?p=18186#comment-384149 We are very interested in exploring how those of us with expertise in target discovery and validation, pathways, and utilizing relevant animal models of disease for proof-of-concept studies, can assist in developing these innovative "bench-to-bedside" accelerators. We are very interested in exploring how those of us with expertise in target discovery and validation, pathways, and utilizing relevant animal models of disease for proof-of-concept studies, can assist in developing these innovative “bench-to-bedside” accelerators.

]]> By: brian connelly http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/12/goldman-sachs-plans-new-funding-for-research/#comment-383584 brian connelly Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:48:42 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/?p=18186#comment-383584 This sounds like a Symphony Capital, or clinical stage,financing vehicle geared to larger drug development and marketing organizations. This is likely a good private equity investment model that will enable pharma to co-develop with a financial partner versus an industry competitor and, thereby, address industry's trend toward a shared-risk development strategy. However, this does not address the capital drought at its earliest and severest stage: Translating fundamental drug research with potential compelling drug targets into drug development candidates that can be taken into clinical development. Already referred to as the "Valley of Death", the ongoing credit crunch, shedding of non-core clinical stage programs by pharma, and the precipitous decline in valuations of publicly listed biotechs with clinical-stage assets, has made financing of so-called translational development virtually impossible. Where then will the next generation clinical stage assets be derived? I applaud Goldman's innovation but, if we are to feed the development pipeline with new and improved drug development candidates, we need the best and brightest financial minds like Goldman to focus on innovative strategies that foster and promote drug development at its earliest stages. This sounds like a Symphony Capital, or clinical stage,financing vehicle geared to larger drug development and marketing organizations. This is likely a good private equity investment model that will enable pharma to co-develop with a financial partner versus an industry competitor and, thereby, address industry’s trend toward a shared-risk development strategy. However, this does not address the capital drought at its earliest and severest stage: Translating fundamental drug research with potential compelling drug targets into drug development candidates that can be taken into clinical development.

Already referred to as the “Valley of Death”, the ongoing credit crunch, shedding of non-core clinical stage programs by pharma, and the precipitous decline in valuations of publicly listed biotechs with clinical-stage assets, has made financing of so-called translational development virtually impossible. Where then will the next generation clinical stage assets be derived?
I applaud Goldman’s innovation but, if we are to feed the development pipeline with new and improved drug development candidates, we need the best and brightest financial minds like Goldman to focus on innovative strategies that foster and promote drug development at its earliest stages.

]]> By: harpy http://www.pharmalot.com/2008/12/goldman-sachs-plans-new-funding-for-research/#comment-383573 harpy Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:25:23 +0000 http://www.pharmalot.com/?p=18186#comment-383573 So does this mean they're going from buying start-ups to starting start-ups? So does this mean they’re going from buying start-ups to starting start-ups?

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