Opportunity analysis of phage technology

Challenge: 

An Israeli university technology transfer organization asked Alacrita to explore the different potential commercialization pathways for a novel platform technology. The overall effect of the system is to ‘convert’ an antibiotic resistant bacterial population into a sensitive population that can be controlled by conventional, inexpensive antibiotics. The unique features of this technology potentially open a differentiated set of opportunities which Alacrita was asked to explore.

Solution:

Alacrita proposed an issue-driven approach to develop an actionable roadmap/strategy for the technology.

This involved parallel streams of work split into discrete tasks:

1. In-vivo Advisory Board: an independent, focussed expert advisory board to discuss the question of the technology performing in vivo given its early stage.
2. Opportunity Assessments: where the advisory board identified suitable opportunities for the technology, Alacrita assessed each specific opportunity in a quick, top-down manner, characterising level and nature of unmet medical need; addressable patient population; treatment setting; competitor analysis; pricing; market size; routes to market and key risks.
3. Consideration of Ex-vivo Applications: here we mapped out the regulatory pathway, with estimated timelines and costs, for a genetically modified product that would be used in a healthcare setting.
4. Consumer Product Market Research: we then used our network of contacts in relevant consumer/professional product companies to collect industry views on the attractiveness of an ex-vivo product. We explored general attitudes to a GMO-based product before drilling down into specific views on the product concept itself.
5. Ex-vivo product Opportunity Assessment: finally we conducted an opportunity assessment for an ex-vivo product exploring competitive advantages and drawbacks; dimensions of the possible market opportunities; feasible routes to market; likely development/commercialization costs; timelines and risks; and potential partners for development and commercialization.