Participation in the course is competitive. Applicants will be notified if they are selected on a rolling basis.
This course is targeted at biotech companies who are interested in partnerships and licensing with biotech/pharma companies as part of their business strategy. Firms should be working with the National Research Council Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) through an Industrial Technology Advisor.
Don’t miss out on this invaluable opportunity to not only network with, but to learn from, how to work and engage with global pharmaceutical and biotech companies. We are beyond excited to bring this course to Vancouver, which we developed with our partners at Novateur Academy. We are flying in industry veterans who can offer insights that could be a game-changer for your next deal.
Course Name: Biotech Business Development & Licensing Masterclass: Blueprint for Success
Date: March 3-5, 2025
Location: Downtown Vancouver
Price: $1495.00
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Description: The Business Development course brings together educational lectures, immersive activities, and real-life stories into a unique 2.5 day curriculum targeted towards biotech companies.
Students work in small groups to complete a final case study, where they will negotiate a licensing deal with pharma representatives. Each group is paired with 2-3 biotech BD experts, who provide advice and feedback on activities and cases.
Throughout this course, students will learn the fundamentals of business development within the pharmaceutical industry, hear real-life stories from business development representatives, and have the opportunity to apply their newfound knowledge in a practical setting alongside biotech and pharma executives.
Learning Objectives
- Understand what Business Development entails within a pharmaceutical company
- Compare and contrast types of strategic alliances, including pros and cons for each
- Prepare for Business Development initiatives; identify components of a pitch deck and outline due diligence processes.
- Apply confidentiality considerations when disclosing information to prospective and current partners
- Understand how to manage intellectual property for a novel technology
- Understand the licensing agreement process, including timelines and what to expect
- Identify key elements of a term sheet and the business development process
- Understand intellectual property decisions within the context of licensing agreements
- Calculate asset valuation using financial principles
- Navigate building a relationship with potential and current partners
This course is presented by Novateur Academy and LSBC and is supported in part by funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP)

These instructors and judges will be joining us:
Alex Szidon, Life Sciences Leader and Entrepreneur, Merck / Genentech
Ali Ardakani, Founder & Managing Director, Novateur Ventures
Anne Stevens, VP of Business Development, AbCellera
Arpita Maiti, VP, Search & Evaluation Immunology, Specialty, Eye Care and Platform Technologies, AbbVie
Atul Jain, Senior Scientist, Novo Nordisk
Chris Tan, Executive Director in Business Development & Licensing, Merck
Cynthia Hong, Director, Search & Evaluation Business Development, Novartis
Dan Zheng, Senior Director for Oncology Business Development, Center for External Innovation, Takeda
David Poon, Business and Scientific Leader, previously Gandeeva, Zymeworks
Dozie Amuzie, Head, Johnson & Johnson Innovation-JLABS, Johnson & Johnson
Rebecca Ross, Managing Director, Life Sciences, RBCx
Rami El Cheikh, Corporate Strategy and M&A Advisor, EY
Nicholas Brunn, Director for Search & Evaluation, Jazz Pharmaceuticals
Shaan Gandhi, VP and Head of Strategic Partnerships, Pfizer Ignite
Steven Bartz, VP of Corporate Development, Pfizer
Thomas Digby, Intellectual Property Advisor, Novateur Ventures

Agenda is tentative.