Unlocking Innovation: Life Sciences Mentorship Session Offers New Insights
At the interactive live mentorship session on the future of innovation and intellectual property

“Don’t be afraid to take risks. Think outside the box. Be agile. Adapt to change.”

This was some of the advice young innovators in the life sciences field received last week during an interactive live mentorship session on the sidelines of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly.

Organized by WIPO and IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations), the panel discussion delved into the challenges and opportunities surrounding innovation and intellectual property in life sciences. The event brought together professionals from the private and public sectors, including academia and research, for a comprehensive discussion.

Josefa Cortés, founder and CEO of Palpa, offered the first piece of advice: get a mentor. 

Her company encourages women under 40 to perform regular breast self-exams using a sponge that simulates a palpable tumor. According to Cortés, a good mentor will believe in you and help you believe in yourself. Mentors can also “foster an entrepreneurial mindset and eliminate cultural barriers.”

Palpa CEO Josefa Cortés and Arthur Queval, CEO of Loop Medical.

Brighton Samatanga, founder and CEO of the Biotech Institute, discussed the importance of strategic partnerships. His company has benefited from various collaborations, including equipment sharing and joint research projects.

“We’ve also formed a partnership with the government, creating a public-private collaboration,” Samatanga said. “We now have access to their supercomputer and can use it for our bioinformatics work.”

Biggest innovation challenge: funding 

Panelist Syed Saader Ahmed, founding director and CEO of TechInvention Lifecare, highlighted the critical issue of funding. He noted that securing funding is the biggest challenge young innovators face. To survive, his company created an additional revenue stream.

“We work in the field of vaccines,” Saader explained. “Many of our scientists had experience in GMP manufacturing, quality assurance, and quality control. So, we set up a strategic and consulting advisory group and began taking on vaccine capacity and infrastructure advisory projects in low and middle-income countries.

“We started with one project,” he continued, “and thought that our indigenous research and vaccines would take off within two or three years [and we would stop these efforts]. But what began as an ancillary revenue stream has become a main revenue source. It’s now a standalone vertical.

“We are advisors to the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, working on a large human vaccine project in Ethiopia and a veterinary vaccine project in Botswana. This has kept us bootstrapped and sustained our revenue flow.”

His advice to young entrepreneurs: identify an ancillary revenue stream that doesn’t require many resources but can generate early revenue. That will get things moving.

Inside one of the TechInvention laboratory sites

Saader also recommended staying asset-light. Instead of investing in expensive equipment, such as for a lab, he suggested that young innovators seek out accelerators or incubators where they can conduct their research.

“These facilities are affordable and do not infringe on your intellectual property,” Saader said.

Finally, he advised the event’s sponsors that there needs to be a balance between innovation and access in life sciences. He praised the collaboration between WIPO and IFPMA and suggested further partnerships with organizations like CEPII.

Saader also emphasized the importance of focusing on innovations with significant social impacts, such as life sciences, climate change, and sustainability. He proposed expedited procedures for patent filings in these areas to facilitate faster approvals.

The IP debate

Pharmaceutical companies and civil society continually clash over access to generic medicines in developing nations. As the central registry for patents worldwide, WIPO plays a pivotal role in shaping global health innovation policies.

This IFPMA-hosted event at WIPO’s assembly stressed that patent systems are crucial for safeguarding the rights of young entrepreneurs in sectors like pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical equipment.

Proponents assert that patents incentivize innovators by granting them exclusive rights over their inventions, enabling them to monetize their innovations and further drive progress.

Conversely, civil society organizations (CSOs) often contend that patents can create monopolies that keep prices high and restrict access to essential medications and technologies in critical moments.

The ongoing tensions between fostering innovation and ensuring equitable global access to life-saving medical products, means that debate over intellectual property (IP) will always be contentious in Geneva’s diplomatic circles.

‘Innovation cannot remain an idea’

The bottom line, however, is how Edward Kwakwa, assistant director general for the Global Challenges and Partnerships Sector at WIPO, put it: “Innovation cannot remain an idea.”

“We need to support grassroots innovation and consider commercialization, technology transfer, and more,” Kwakwa said. “Innovation requires resilience and the right support network. It takes mentorship and a willingness to collaborate across disciplines. Regulatory structures need to adapt to speak the language of innovation today.

“If we don’t provide the necessary support and frameworks, innovators will seek alternatives elsewhere.”

Image Credits: TechInvention.

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