With almost all drug discovery taking place inside pharma companies and the best researchers drawn to their powerful, well-funded laboratories, sharing a little too much even a little too early could turn out to be incredibly costly.
Everyone's a scout
Competing to collaborate
As 2020 dawned and COVID-19 spread, the rate of collaboration accelerated exponentially. BD teams came under increasing pressure to source new therapies earlier and faster. At the same time, competition for those therapies increased as interest soared not only in the big pharma boardrooms but also among venture capitalists eager to invest in emerging approaches.
To ensure they got to the best new opportunities first, scouting needed to adapt quickly — and it did.
Recording-Breaking Venture Capital (2017 - 2021)
Venture totals into healthcare and life sciences by subsector ($B)
Biopharma therapeutics and platforms
Medtech, devices, digital health, and wearables
Diagnostics, sequencing, omics, and research tools
Other HC/LS
Source: DealForma Database.Financials based on disclose figures. Data through
6/21/2021
Realities in the biopharma industry
The digital revolution
All industries are transforming technological innovation — and the life sciences are no exception. To keep up, pharma is embracing change and finding ways to adapt, including scouting for early opportunities...
External innovation
Whatever the source of the obstacle, companies have been striking collaborations to help with their R&D efforts since the early 1990s. Open innovation, academic collaboration, private-public partnerships...
Timeline and competition
Science is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and everyone wants a piece. Being first means being fast, and being fast can mean being able to source, contact, and review opportunities before your competitors...