CATALYST Program: Bridging the gap between breakthrough innovation and commercialization

Authors

• D Basudhar

Abstract

The importance of breakthrough research carried out at universities and research institutes is evident from ever increasing number of patents filed by these organizations. However, most of these technologies are never commercialized. A leading reason behind this lack of licensing opportunities is: (1) many of these technologies are in early stages of development, (2) multi-directional focus of research labs and lack of willingness and/or funding to venture into the world of business. A recent report shows that most research institutes don’t make enough money from licensing the technologies to break even their operational cost. Thus targeted development of early phase technologies can make them much more lucrative for biopharmaceutical companies. In 2014, Allied Minds and Bristol Myers Squibb started a joint venture program named CATALYST to develop promising technologies from universities and government into commercial products. They are planning to fund lead optimization phase of 10 new drug candidates. The goal of the program is to bridge the gap between breakthrough innovation and commercialization. The main focus of this program is to: • Identify therapeutic opportunities with strong translational potential. • License and develop lead compounds, investing in preclinical development to strengthen further clinical development and commercialization. • Strengthen relationship with academic institutions. This presents a unique opportunity for NIH scientists to de-risk their technology for potentially accelerated drug development. NIH being the leader in cutting edge scientific development, this stream-lined process of accelerated development of new drugs will not only benefit the patients but also motivate scientists to commercialize their technology.

Scientific Focus Area: Research Support Services

This page was last updated on Friday, March 26, 2021