Recent Projects
BIOPONS has been developing its professional services business for almost a year, completing several projects for clients:
Company creation and development. Mithridion, Inc (see Portfolio Companies). BIOPONS developed a strategy for exploiting a breakthrough discovery from UW-Madison and has been implementing the strategy by agreement with the founder scientists and the UW technology transfer company, WARF. BIOPONS founded Mithridion, Inc as a Wisconsin corporation, directed business planning, licensing negotiations, corporate structuring and financing - providing a comprehensive package of services to complement the technical capabilities of the researchers/inventors. BIOPONS provided the CEO, receiving equity ("sweat equity") but no fees, overcoming the perennial start-up problem "No CEO, no funds: no funds, no CEO". BIOPONS located potential investors and negotiated financing, and is providing ongoing management for the company in its new laboratories.
Manufacturing site location. Established UK company. Evaluated site options; evaluated several available buildings; developed plans in conjunction with client, landlord and architects, evaluating options for FDA GMP validation and compliance and specialized environmental controls; developed financial and operating plans; negotiated loan packages with WI Department of Commerce. Project on temporary hold by client.
Research and distribution facility location. Established UK company. Provided a bridgehead for our UK client's entry into the USA. Identified temporary wet laboratory accomodation; engaged local legal counsel and worked with him to incorporate an appropriate company and legal agreements; recommended an immigration attorney and arranged visas for transferring UK employee; provide an interim operations management service, bookkeeping and accounting service. Identified an industrial building, negotiated leases, planned and oversaw build-out by contractors of laboratories and offices, achieving great savings in facilities costs for our client. Handed over to client's management.
Previous Professional Consulting Experience
During six years previously, operating as Twose, Anthony & Associates and Twose & Company, Dr Twose completed professional consulting services assignments for over 30 clients in Europe and the US. Assignments included analytical projects, strategy development, acquisition search, securing strategic partners, market research reports, corporate development, company creation and development and interim management. Examples include:
Strategy development. UK private drug discovery company client.
Working with the founder/CEO and the senior management team, developed a strategy to grow and realize value for a young drug discovery technology company, Xenova Ltd, including a plan to transition from being a ‘tool’ company to a higher value products company and to put its own proprietary drugs in development. Provided not only a process for developing a strategy and gaining buy-in, but also extensive drug discovery, drug development and therapeutic area expertise. Subsequently played key roles as a senior/board executive in raising $90m, successfully completing IPOs on Nasdaq and the London Stock Exchange, and directing corporate development, finance and investor relations.
Company Creation and Development. UK technology transfer company client.
Developed a strategy for Cancer Research Technologies (London, UK) to exploit technologies pooled from three research institutions in the UK and New Zealand – 21 families of patents in total. Gained buy-in from 8 stakeholders – four institutions and four researchers/inventors – and co-founded a company, EPPTCO Ltd. Subsequently provided CEO services, completed several partnership and license agreements with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, with substantial upfront and option fees, led in-house and partnered drug R&D programs, and led the search for finance. The company was restructured as Proacta Therapeutics, which relocated to San Diego, CA, and completed an $18m Series A funding with international investors, including Genentech, Roche and Alta Partners. Proacta's first anti-cancer drug is in Phase I clinical trials.
Market and industry research reports. Several international clients.
Researched and authored three market/industry reports on European diagnostics – one as a proprietary multi-client study and two published by Frost and Sullivan (New York, USA). Researched and authored a technology section on a high-end multiclient infectious diseases diagnostics report published by Migliara/Kaplan Associates (Towsen, MD, USA). Researched and authored a report on Third Generation Antibody Technology for CEST (Manchester, UK), a think-tank sponsored by six leading UK companies and the UK government. Also assisted in organizing a conference and presented the study results.
International Brokerage. UK government client.
Designed and managed an initiative for the Biotechnology Unit of the UK government Department for Industry to facilitate international R&D collaborations across Europe under the EEC Eureka scheme. Secured more than 160 participating companies.
Other start up experience
Company creation and development. Intrepreneurship in a major company.
As an executive, Dr Twose developed a strategy for ICI, a major UK chemical and pharmaceutical company (now AstraZeneca), to enter diagnostics. He co-founded ICI Diagnostics and Cellmark Diagnostics, served on the top management team, and directed R&D. He played key roles in licensing-in DNA fingerprinting technology from a UK University, developing service offerings, and launching them in Europe and the US through Cellmark. Cellmark is now part of Orchid, Inc (Nasdaq – ORCH), a $60m turnover business. The company was renamed Orchid Cellmark, in recognition of the international strength of the Cellmark brand as the world leader in human identity testing.
|
