To maintain healthy growth, a company must constantly evaluate its portfolio of products and allocate resources to achieve best ROI. This evaluation often highlights a short or medium term need to partner with another company.
A company seeking to bolster its R&D portfolio often needs to identify early stage drugs which an originator/licensor would consider out-licensing, and make a proactive approach. If it is seeking to license marketed drugs, it can research a company's existing product portfolio, assessing how much a drug would be worth. The drug in particular geographic markets is related to the length of the patent term before expiry, so this knowledge is essential.
Alternatively, a company may invent a drug which it realises has significant commercial potential, but which does not fit in with its overall strategy. Licensing out is the ideal way to exploit the drug, without becoming involved in its marketing. The licensor and potential licensee need to know the worth of the drug within its indicated disease areas. Each party needs an objective assessment of the other ahead of negotiation. A useful indicator when seeking partners is the extent to which they license in and/or out within their existing portfolio. This gives an indication of their experience and attitude to such transactions.
| IMS Lifecycle | Identify early stage drugs and patent status |
| IMS MIDAS Quantum IMS MIDAS Prescribing Insights |
Assess the potential market using sales & disease information |
| IMS MIDAS Quantum (Licensing) IMS Company Profiles |
Assess a company’s current licensing activity and approach |
| IMS Therapy Forecaster | How will this disease area develop? |
IMS consultants work actively with companies seeking new partners:
- Licensing needs analysis workshops
- Pro-active screening and shortlisting candidate drugs in target therapeutic areas
- Evaluating potential drug candidates that have been identified/shortlisted
- Identifying companies that offer partnership opportunities in target markets
- Negotiating and managing the deals.