Academia and Industry: An Odd Couple or a Vital Union to Achieve the Dream
Speaker
 | Han Chong TOH Senior Consultant and Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Strategic Partnerships) Division of Medical Oncology National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore |
Talk Abstract
The birth of biotech was sparked by then new revolution in recombinant DNA technology discovered out of academic institutions. Genentech, arguably the world’s first biotechnology company, was founded in 1976 by an academic and a venture capitalist - from humble beginnings on a promise of developing new drugs synthetically and yet it became a rollercoaster ride of fearful freefalls, exhilarating highs to now a powerhouse of biopharma. There are many lessons from the Genentech story. This is a Darwinian journey with more failures than successes. As part of the bench to bedside to healthcare and patient benefit continuum, why are biotechs needed? What is the role of the academic founder in a new biotech startup? How does a biomedical and health ecosystem cluster and institutional tech transfer office (TTO) catalyse commercialisation of inventions, innovation and value capture for the founder, the team, university, the country and society at large. In the first quarter of 2024, over 5 billion dollars has been invested into biotech globally – the highest in recent years. The convergence of AI into biotech especially in drug development adds a new dimension. I will share a personal view and journey in biotech and look forward to the stimulating forum with esteemed colleagues.