Challenge

Our client, a mid-cap research-based pharmaceutical company, had enjoyed striking success with a rare disease product which had different market dynamics to the bulk of the company's portfolio which was focused on more mainstream indication areas.

The company was looking to increase its presence in the orphan disease space, and commissioned Alacrita to conduct a broad search across the majority of the landscape to identify attractive and potentially available assets or companies for partnering or acquisition. The opportunities in rare diseases are broad given that there are over 7,000 known conditions that fit this category, spanning indications that affect anything between a handful of individuals worldwide through to over 100,000 patients. 

Solution

Alacrita compiled a database of rare disease assets at or near pivotal trial stage and also marketed products in the indication areas of interest to the client. The initial list was over 1,600 programs and in an iterative process we reduced successively to 700, 300 and 200 by excluding assets that did not meet criteria which we agreed with the client on an ongoing basis. In the final screen based on projected technical risk, availability, affordability, competition, innovation, commercial potential, we reduced the list to under 40. Finally, by examining asset ownership, deal histories, time to market, development feasibility and prescriber information we developed a priority list of 12 assets for deep dive analysis.

Pharma out-licensing, partnering and dealmaking

We provide a range of pharma licensing services, taking a flexible approach that can include dovetailing with your existing internal capabilities and activities, or taking on full-responsibility for your out-licensing efforts.