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MBA 290T.1– The Business of Biotechnology
Douglas I. Kalish, Ph.D.
Meeting Days and Location:
Tues. 6:00-9:30pm, Mar. 18 - May 6, Cheit 125
Course Objectives:
This class provides students - scientists and non-scientists alike - with a solid understanding of the issues, strategies, and technologies of the biotech industry. The core of the course is an in-depth analysis of the strategies that companies use to compete in the biotech and healthcare industries. We will understand how companies derive winning (or otherwise) business strategies across the value chain of the pharmaceutical, agbio and healthcare industries. In specialized modules we will examine intellectual property protection issues of the biotech industry, including the challenges of commercializing academically-derived IP. We'll also look at the rising influence of the bioinformatics, genomics and proteomics companies. An early module on basic biotech science will help the non-scientists in the class to appreciate technical issues. By the end of the class, students should be able to understand and intelligently critique the business and marketing strategies of companies participating in the biotech revolution.
Grading:
Grades will be allocated on:
Homework Assignments (5): 70 points
Team Project: 20 points
Peer Review: 10 points
Students may work together on any ungraded assignment (if any). Students are expected to work as a group on the team project.
Assignments
There are 5 written assignments due during the half-semester. Each will require 1-2 pages of written analysis. You must email your response to me before 9:00am on the day the assignment is due and bring a copy for your reference to class. In class, I may call on you to explain or amplify your analysis. Each assignment is worth 14 points. You’ll get 5 points for turning it in on time, 10 points if it is a thoughtful, well-written response, and the full 14 points if it is original, thought-provoking and insightful.
Assignments won’t be returned. At any time during the semester, students can ask to see their grades either by email or during office hours.
Team Project:
During the first two weeks of the course, students will self-select into teams of four. Each team will be responsible for:
(1) selecting a private company for the focus of the project,
(2) researching public data sources about the company (possibly including interviews with company executives),
(3) analyzing the business strategy of the company according to the techniques discussed in class, and
(4) writing a 5-10 page paper summarizing the company’s strategic position, due on May 20, 2003.
Address the following questions for the company you select:
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Who are they; what do they do; how big; how old? |
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What sector are they in; where do they play in the value chain? |
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What types of companies do they buy from and sell to? |
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Who are their current partners/allies? What are the benefits to each? |
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Who are their likely competitors? How are they differentiated? |
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What challenges do you see to their business and organizational models? How can they overcome these challenges? |
Guidelines for Peer Review:
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Let N = the number of people on your project team |
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You have (N-1)*5 points to allocate to the members of your team, not including yourself/ |
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If everyone contributed equally, give each one 5 points. Allocate more or less points if people did more or less work. |
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Do not allocate points to yourself. |
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Send me an email with your allocation before May 22. |
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I will scale the points so that peer review equals 10% of your final grade (33% of the project grade). |
When you have formed your group, send me by email the group name, the names of the members.
Absences
As this is only a seven-week class, students are expected to attend all classes.
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