Having trouble getting valued?

Novelty is a double-edged sword. It’s great to be novel, but the nature of novelty also makes it harder for the team at prospective partner companies to value your science.

The key with novelty is to master the scientific sale. That means you will focus on mastering conversations with the scientific experts who can help champion your case inside companies.

As transactions are sensitive strategic processes, names of companies and executives in all MotionHall case studies are anonymized.

Despite an encouraging start to a 2017 conference, Peter, CEO of Firebrush Biotech, was finding his discussions with prospective partner companies were all ending with, “Come back with more data.”

Novelty is a Double-Edged Sword

The problem? His product, a small molecule with a novel MoA was too different to be quickly understood by most BD executives. Worse still, Peter felt the his counterparties at ideal partner companies were far more excited by emerging biologics and didn’t want to hear about another small molecule. Peter needed more time to explain his science than most early partnering interactions will allow.

“I knew I needed a better way to communicate the importance of what we had,” he said.

Peter understands that not all BD leaders share his background in science, and certainly not in the novel mechanism of a lead asset.

MotionHall’s OutMatch Professional Helps Connect the Dots

Peter was intrigued that MotionHall’s Platform includes tools and bespoke analysis custom-made for him and his novel small molecule.

Detailed in MotionHall's Outmatch Professional: Scientific Synergies, Peter could:

• • Identify the R&D contacts at every well-matched prospective partner company that have the scientific expertise to understand Peter’s novel science.
• • Detail how Peter's asset fits within the science at each prospective partner company.
• • Assist BD leaders by connecting the dots between Firebrush’s novel science, and complementary scientific work within their organization.

Using MotionHall's OutMatch Scientific Synergies, Peter was able to identify internal scientific leaders in all eight of his most preferred match companies. These R&D leaders understand his science and share his enthusiasm for the product’s novel MoA. With internal champions aligned, Peter was now ideally positioned to ensure his asset would be fully valued during discussions with the BD teams at each prospective company.

Best Practice: Get a Scientist-Champion for your Novel Science

Peter’s strategy now regularly includes using MotionHall's OutMatch Scientific Synergies to identify scientist champions who will advocate on his product’s behalf.

“In subsequent partnering talks, I always made sure that scientists on the other side of the table were involved in the process somehow, from an early stage. This makes my life easier because the deal conversation advances much more smoothly, and it helps the BD professionals at the other company connect the dots and quickly understand how to value my science.”

Partnering conversations are always challenging, but Peter’s new approach has been successful with prospects. He discovered that BD leaders at his potential partner companies also have a much easier time streamlining internal conversations when they can easily connect the dots between a prospective asset and their own pipeline.

How did Peter’s deal turn out?

In the end, Peter signed a licensing deal with a preferred partner. “I received several term sheets, where before I wasn’t seeing any interest,” he said. This gave Firebrush Biotech the luxury of choosing the partner they wanted most, rather than accepting a match anchored in limited choices.

“Firebrush looks forward to working with our partner long-term as we develop this exciting new science together.”