Mark Philip

Professional Background

Mark Philip has over 30 years’ experience in the Biopharma, Medical Device, Diagnostic and Health IT industries, operating in Europe, the USA and Asia. As CEO, president or board member of multiple start-ups, medium size and large businesses, Mark has orchestrated multiple turnarounds, built product pipelines, launched new products, sold companies and created significant shareholder value.

Mark has been a consultant to the industry since 2012, and a partner at Alacrita since 2016, advising on acquisitions, product development, commercial strategies and fund raising for a variety of small and large, private and public companies. Mark is also on the faculty at Boston University’s MBA Program and teaches advanced strategy in the pharmaceutical, medical device and diagnostics industries.

Mark has a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and a PhD in Stem Cell Research from Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK, and was the Leukemia Research Fund Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Nottingham University. Mark also has an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management in Chicago, and completed an Advanced Leadership Program at Harvard University.

His management consulting experience includes advising CEOs on financings and introductions to investors, business development strategies, product development, technology evaluation and market appraisal, leveraging his scientific expertise and his business and leadership experience as a serial CEO in small and large companies.

Recent projects he has conducted or directed include:

Strategic, Product Development and Financing Support

Advised a large biopharmaceutical company on a novel approach to launch a proprietary gene therapy product into an ophthalmic rare disease market
Advised a top tier venture capital firm on one of their investments, an Alzheimer’s Disease Company, providing the President with an assessment of the clinical data, the next stage in the clinical development and commercial considerations to support a Series B financing
Provided the CEO, leadership team and board of a radiopharmaceutical oncology company, strategic advice and supported its series A financing and potential spin-off of its diagnostics business.
Advised a European Gene Therapy company on readying itself to enter the US market for financing and the clinical development of its lead siRNA product for several oncology markets
Proposed a novel approach to launching a proprietary monoclonal antibody product into a major new neuroscience $3.6 billion market to a large US based biopharmaceutical company
Advised a medical device company in the kidney disease space to create a development plan and budget, and make introductions to form strategic partnerships for commercializing its products
Provided strategic, product development, financing and business development support to a small start-up biotech company in the gene therapy space. Closed first financing and supported raise of $50 million series A.
Provided strategic, business development, financing, manufacturing development and regulatory support for a blood substitute company. Oversaw the build out of a new pharmaceutical facility.
Provided operational and strategic manufacturing build out analysis for a cell therapy start-up and proposed novel approach to commercialize its cell therapy service in remote settings.
Advised on strategy, operations, manufacturing and commercial launch planning for a rapid POC diagnostic company for remote testing of CD4 and viral load counts to help combat AIDS & HCV in key African states with rapid expansion to other developing country regions and eventually the EU and USA.

Leadership and Operational Management

Provided leadership (acting CEO) on financing, strategy, product development, and business development for a European cell therapy company focused on oncology. Secured meetings with top blue-chip VCs and multiple big pharma companies, obtained 8 million Euro grant for a consortium including a big pharma company and university. Company acquired by a pharma company.
As acting Chief Operating Officer, provided an MIT technology drug delivery company, product development and strategic alliance guidance, raised over $36 million, including strategic big pharma and industrial investors, completed first clinical studies, and drove a major business development initiative culminating in their first $100M+ big pharma deal.
Acting Chief Operating Officer to a start up genomic diagnostic company developing a test for the early detection of Autism using next generation RNA sequencing. Provided strategic and commercial planning support, recalibrated operations, and execution support of their Quality System, a pivotal clinical study, and commercial go to market plan. Initiated commercial partnering initiative.
President, CEO, Executive Chairman, Board, of Boston based small molecule pain company. Provided direction on product development, partnering opportunities and financing for biotech delta opioid receptor agonist product. Closed co-development deal with a Pharma company.

Business Development

Advised a clinical stage European oncology company developing a novel therapeutic oncology biologic with its partnering program, negotiated collaborations and supported its financing efforts.
Provided strategic and e-commerce partnership advice to a Boston based point-of-care digital diagnostic company in the $9 billion STI diagnostic market.
Advised CRISPR gene therapy company on IP issues: negotiated and signed multiple in-licensing deals, including the NIH, for key technologies to allow them to develop products with freedom to operate.
Advised large Biopharma Company on new product/company acquisitions using a Company/Venture Capital Firm model to reduce risk, costs and accelerate POC data.

Due Diligence

Provided USA investment fund with a market and product assessment for a potential generic pharmaceutical company investment. Advised on market trends, fit, valuation and competitive analysis.

Health IT