Translating Big Ideas into Novel Therapies…from Science to Entrepreneurial Startups

Creative ideas and new discoveries are required to address some of the most pressing problems in medicine, including poor therapy compliance, drug resistance, and the application of personalized medicine in today’s one-size-fits-all healthcare system. Such discoveries, however, must be turned into products before they can begin to benefit patients, and startup companies have proven to be an effective way to translate scientific and technological advances into new medical products. This talk will address some of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs and academic researchers involved in creating and managing innovative startups and will include examples of companies developing novel technologies. Perspectives on entrepreneurship, defining a product’s value proposition, dealing with difficult technical or personnel issues, the importance of intellectual property, and raising capital will be discussed.