There are many ways to think about partnering
Posted: Wed Dec 08, 2021 7:34 pm
This from the Geron Website (About Us tab drop down under Partnering)
Partnering
Corporate Development
Since our founding, Geron has focused on strong science and the pursuit of R&D excellence to discover and develop innovative, first-in-class therapies for the treatment of cancer as evidenced through the development of our first-in-class telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat, in hematologic myeloid malignancies.
We enjoy working with like-minded partners who want to join forces to transform the lives of patients with hematologic malignancies by delivering novel therapeutics such as imetelstat that change the course of their disease. We are interested in alliances, partnerships and collaborations that bring complementary capabilities and programs to realize the full potential of imetelstat development and commercialization on a global basis.
To contact our Corporate Development team, please send an e-mail to corpdev@geron.com.
Scientific Collaborators
Share our passion and vision. Academic research has an important role throughout the development of new medicines. Our collaborations with many scientific and clinical experts have led to key contributions to the scientific understanding of telomere and telomerase biology, and our telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat. We invite you to partner with us in our quest to develop this novel therapy and make a difference in patients’ lives.
Please send all inquiries to: info@geron.com.
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While there are many pieces to the definitions for alliances, partnerships and collaborations, I chose the following for myself to obtain a better understanding of what Geron is after with partnerships.
Alliances: A close association formed to advance common interests. Often used interms of countries or politics but also an association of people, groups or companies working together for a specific purpose. Aligning or merging of efforts or interests and may involve a formal agreement.
Partnerships: A formal arrangement by two or more parties to manage and operate a business and share its profits. There are several types of partnership arrangements. In particular, in a partnership business, all partners share liabilities and profits equally, while in others, partners may have limited liability. There also is the so-called "silent partner," in which one party is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the business.
Collaborations: Collaboration is a working practice, especially a joint intellectual endeavor between scientists, working together for a common purpose to achieve business benefit. Collaborations consist of two or more entities motivated to solve problems and/or develop solutions, share information, consider alternatives, and engage in advancing knowledge, understanding, solutions, products, organizations, etc. Collaboration relies on openness and knowledge sharing but also some level of focus and accountability on the part of the business organizations.
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So with the above definitions in mind or whatever definitions one cares to use, we know Dr. John Scarlett and Geron are looking for partnerships to “bring complementary capabilities and programs to realize the full potential of Imetelstat development and commercialization on a global basis.” There has been a continuous flow of posts predicting big money partnerships and buyouts as the scope, effectiveness, potential of Geron’s company, personnel, drugs, patents, CT results, etc. continue to be quantified.
I personally do not believe this stated intention is to simply reflect a desire to partner with BP in a way that BP buys/controls a piece of the action with and beyond Imetelstat and owns the rights to a portion of the global commercialization. I do not believe JS/Geron are simply looking for another JNJ-like arrangement as their opportunity now is much closer, more certain, more complex and massive. I personally think Geron, if not already, will have dozens of partnerships as the realization of Imetelstat’s potential continues to seep out into the scientific communities within pharmaceuticals, independent labs, universities and hospital settings, ASH, EHA, MPN type information delivery entities, etc.
There are many levels on which “complementary capabilities and programs” are established. Alliances, partnerships and collaborations all reflect a form of partnership. Partnerships like the JNJ partnership reflects a single approach. JS/Geron are much more independent, functional, capable, established, organized, developed, knowledgeable, etc., etc. than in 2014 following the fiction based, likely sinister hold put on by the FDA. I do not think JS/Geron needs to or will simply do a refresh similar to the JNJ deal on some fraction of the global commercialization opportunity. I believe they are and have been thinking outside the box, for quite some time now, in an effort to quantify, maximize and optimize the utilization of partnership components, that will achieve company, patient, investor and future development results AND be represented as the controlling entity in the partnership.
I don’t think Dr. Scarlett is simply thinking he wants to get on with it and go out with a buyout or any other flavor of a feather in his hat. Personally, in all the years I have watched JS/Geron, I have never seen him exhibit a huge ego or a lack of patience, maybe I’m just blind. However, I think a buyout could and typically would have occurred months, even years ago. Now that Geron is very close to incredible success, JS will not move hastily or jeopardize that in any way by acting to quickly to simply cement his legacy beyond what he has already accomplished. Financing will not be a showstopper challenge going forward, it’s just a matter of finding the best way forward and a package partnership with upfront cash is just one way to do that. At this juncture, I personally don’t think a BO is on the table in JS’s mind, as he would lose control of accomplishing company, patient, investor and future development results. And in that vein, any partnership parameters will need to include major factors beyond just financials and paring down the global scope of Geron’s opportunity.
That said, I, along with the rest of us, greatly appreciate kmall’s efforts at quantifying Geron’s value, personnel, connections, relationships, etc. and estimated BO parameters. His efforts and skills are quite incredible and helps us all better realize what we have in Geron and Imetelstat. On the other hand, I personally, believe much of that value, once better quantified by the trading and investment communities, can/will be realized without actually doing a BO once commercialization has commenced and revenue rapidly ramps up. Wall Street will come around just as rapidly and that is not that far away in relation to how long many of us have been following and “invested” in this space.
As a side note, I also think that the “big boys” know how JS/Geron are thinking about big partnerships and BO’s which also has a tendency to keep the share price in check. So as a result, we are likely going to have to wait, as investors to receive our appreciation, just as long as the patients have to wait to receive the benefits of this amazing drug. All in all, that seems fair to me.
Partnering
Corporate Development
Since our founding, Geron has focused on strong science and the pursuit of R&D excellence to discover and develop innovative, first-in-class therapies for the treatment of cancer as evidenced through the development of our first-in-class telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat, in hematologic myeloid malignancies.
We enjoy working with like-minded partners who want to join forces to transform the lives of patients with hematologic malignancies by delivering novel therapeutics such as imetelstat that change the course of their disease. We are interested in alliances, partnerships and collaborations that bring complementary capabilities and programs to realize the full potential of imetelstat development and commercialization on a global basis.
To contact our Corporate Development team, please send an e-mail to corpdev@geron.com.
Scientific Collaborators
Share our passion and vision. Academic research has an important role throughout the development of new medicines. Our collaborations with many scientific and clinical experts have led to key contributions to the scientific understanding of telomere and telomerase biology, and our telomerase inhibitor, imetelstat. We invite you to partner with us in our quest to develop this novel therapy and make a difference in patients’ lives.
Please send all inquiries to: info@geron.com.
xxxxxxxxxxx
While there are many pieces to the definitions for alliances, partnerships and collaborations, I chose the following for myself to obtain a better understanding of what Geron is after with partnerships.
Alliances: A close association formed to advance common interests. Often used interms of countries or politics but also an association of people, groups or companies working together for a specific purpose. Aligning or merging of efforts or interests and may involve a formal agreement.
Partnerships: A formal arrangement by two or more parties to manage and operate a business and share its profits. There are several types of partnership arrangements. In particular, in a partnership business, all partners share liabilities and profits equally, while in others, partners may have limited liability. There also is the so-called "silent partner," in which one party is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the business.
Collaborations: Collaboration is a working practice, especially a joint intellectual endeavor between scientists, working together for a common purpose to achieve business benefit. Collaborations consist of two or more entities motivated to solve problems and/or develop solutions, share information, consider alternatives, and engage in advancing knowledge, understanding, solutions, products, organizations, etc. Collaboration relies on openness and knowledge sharing but also some level of focus and accountability on the part of the business organizations.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
So with the above definitions in mind or whatever definitions one cares to use, we know Dr. John Scarlett and Geron are looking for partnerships to “bring complementary capabilities and programs to realize the full potential of Imetelstat development and commercialization on a global basis.” There has been a continuous flow of posts predicting big money partnerships and buyouts as the scope, effectiveness, potential of Geron’s company, personnel, drugs, patents, CT results, etc. continue to be quantified.
I personally do not believe this stated intention is to simply reflect a desire to partner with BP in a way that BP buys/controls a piece of the action with and beyond Imetelstat and owns the rights to a portion of the global commercialization. I do not believe JS/Geron are simply looking for another JNJ-like arrangement as their opportunity now is much closer, more certain, more complex and massive. I personally think Geron, if not already, will have dozens of partnerships as the realization of Imetelstat’s potential continues to seep out into the scientific communities within pharmaceuticals, independent labs, universities and hospital settings, ASH, EHA, MPN type information delivery entities, etc.
There are many levels on which “complementary capabilities and programs” are established. Alliances, partnerships and collaborations all reflect a form of partnership. Partnerships like the JNJ partnership reflects a single approach. JS/Geron are much more independent, functional, capable, established, organized, developed, knowledgeable, etc., etc. than in 2014 following the fiction based, likely sinister hold put on by the FDA. I do not think JS/Geron needs to or will simply do a refresh similar to the JNJ deal on some fraction of the global commercialization opportunity. I believe they are and have been thinking outside the box, for quite some time now, in an effort to quantify, maximize and optimize the utilization of partnership components, that will achieve company, patient, investor and future development results AND be represented as the controlling entity in the partnership.
I don’t think Dr. Scarlett is simply thinking he wants to get on with it and go out with a buyout or any other flavor of a feather in his hat. Personally, in all the years I have watched JS/Geron, I have never seen him exhibit a huge ego or a lack of patience, maybe I’m just blind. However, I think a buyout could and typically would have occurred months, even years ago. Now that Geron is very close to incredible success, JS will not move hastily or jeopardize that in any way by acting to quickly to simply cement his legacy beyond what he has already accomplished. Financing will not be a showstopper challenge going forward, it’s just a matter of finding the best way forward and a package partnership with upfront cash is just one way to do that. At this juncture, I personally don’t think a BO is on the table in JS’s mind, as he would lose control of accomplishing company, patient, investor and future development results. And in that vein, any partnership parameters will need to include major factors beyond just financials and paring down the global scope of Geron’s opportunity.
That said, I, along with the rest of us, greatly appreciate kmall’s efforts at quantifying Geron’s value, personnel, connections, relationships, etc. and estimated BO parameters. His efforts and skills are quite incredible and helps us all better realize what we have in Geron and Imetelstat. On the other hand, I personally, believe much of that value, once better quantified by the trading and investment communities, can/will be realized without actually doing a BO once commercialization has commenced and revenue rapidly ramps up. Wall Street will come around just as rapidly and that is not that far away in relation to how long many of us have been following and “invested” in this space.
As a side note, I also think that the “big boys” know how JS/Geron are thinking about big partnerships and BO’s which also has a tendency to keep the share price in check. So as a result, we are likely going to have to wait, as investors to receive our appreciation, just as long as the patients have to wait to receive the benefits of this amazing drug. All in all, that seems fair to me.