Podcast: How's Your Guanxi?

You may have heard of the Chinese business concept of guanxi, but do you really understand it? The term, loosely defined as "relationship," can be maligned in the West, but there's more to it than cronyism.

The Food and Drug Law Institute held its first conference in China June 13-14 in Beijing to try to tackle some of the persisting challenges of doing business in China. (See here for full info.) They gathered top-notch speakers from FDA, China's SFDA, and some of the leading regulatory and legal experts from companies operating in China (not to mention our own PharmAsia News – see our coverage here and here; or register for a free trial here).

In partnership with FDLI, we are happy to be able to share a podcast from one of the more interesting panels, featuring Robert Poole – vice president of China operations for the US-China Business Council – Covington and Burling partner Timothy Stratford, Cargill Investments China Director Omar Sadeque and Charlene Zhu, general counsel for GE Healthcare China.

The US-China Business Council polls its member companies every year for the most burdensome aspects of the Chinese business environment. Poole addresses challenges ranging from intellectual property protection to sharing a market with massive state-owned enterprises (SOEs). And as Stratford, a former assistant U.S. trade representative, points out, it's important to be careful when negotiating with SOEs, because the Department of Justice views SOE employees as government officials under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Sadeque and Zhu share insight with on-the-ground perspective on navigating China's life sciences market, including the much-discussed – but misunderstood – concept of guanxi.

All four panelists can speak Mandarin, and yet only one of them grew up in China. How's that for a metaphor on the shift taking place in market priorities? Don't worry; they speak English for this podcast.

Editor’s note: The original post omitted that the panel was moderated by Becker & Associates Consulting CEO Ron Ginor.

-- Dan Poppy
image from flickr user Matt512 used under creative commons license

AZ's Dave Brennan: Personalization & Partnership... & Business Implications

Each year, the Cleveland Clinic puts on a Medical Innovation Summit focusing on a specific therapeutic category. This year the subject was cancer – though its business speakers focused their remarks more broadly.

On October 5th, the Summit’s opening day, we had the chance to interview two of the featured speakers – Dave Brennan, CEO of AstraZeneca, and Dan Vasella, the CEO of Novartis.

Today, we’ll show you our discussion with Dave, which followed his talk (here’s a link to the text) focusing on the triple themes of personalization, partnerships (which is to say: externalization), and policy.

Our conversation (and the questions from the audience) went far beyond those subjects, however. To see and hear it, click here.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Elan and Biogen's Day in Court

Welcome to the latest installment of the IVB Podcast. Today we're putting on our LA Law costumes and analyzing everyone's favorite courtroom drama.

With deadlines looming, there are several unanswered questions swirling around the complicated Biogen Idec-Elan-Johnson & Johnson kerfuffle. Thanks to a federal judge's surprise ruling last week in a Manhattan court, Elan has until Sept. 26 to fix the breach of contract the judge said it committed in its Tysabri licensing relationship.

If it doesn't fix the breach, Elan could lose its half of Tysabri, which stands to hit $1B in sales this year. But in fixing the breach, Elan must also negotiate with J&J, which as part of its sprawling $1.5 billion deal for Elan stock and Alzheimer's assets, thought it had a side deal with Elan to help buy out Biogen's half of Tysabri (an event triggered if and when Biogen is ever bought out).

Confused yet? Hang on: This side deal, though, turned out to be the source of the breach, the judge said -- by giving J&J the option to help with the financing, Elan had assigned its Tysabri rights without its partner Biogen's consent. And if J&J doesn't like the way Elan is reworking the side deal, it can walk away from the entire Elan/Alzheimer's deal on Sept. 15.

Follow along as Alex Lash and Brenda Sandburg walk us through this mess, by clicking the button below. Hey know what? You can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: An Inside View of Biotech Deals

Another week, another podcast full of interesting commentary. This week IN VIVO Blog had a chance to visit with Barbara Kosacz, national head of the law firm Cooley Godward Kronish's Life Sciences Practice, at her sunny Palo Alto, CA office.

Kosacz is one of those lawyers you want to know. She's funny, down-to-earth, and incredibly smart. (And that's not pandering designed to get her to call us back when we have to report on tricky change-of-control clauses and other legal mumbo jumbo.) Indeed, Kosacz has spent the last several decades counseling a range of biotech clients and has had a birds' eye view on a number of interesting transactions, from Medivation's tie-up with Pfizer for the worldwide development and collaboration of the Alzheimer's drug dimebon to Amgen's acquisition of Ilypsa and the subsequent spin-out of Ilypsa 2.0, Relypsa. You get the picture.When it comes to deal-making, what Kosacz doesn't already know probably isn't worth knowing.

So take a few minutes and glean some wisdom from a master. You think deal prices are falling? Not true, says Kosacz, who is of the opinion that top-quality assets are still capturing top quality deal prices.

That's not to say Big Pharma wants to do M&A (unless its with other Big Pharma) says Kosacz. In fact Big Pharma/Big Biotech's love affair with partnerships is causing some consternation in the VC community, where a licensing deal could scupper future M&A at a time when there is no IPO market in sight.

Want even more dealmaking insights? (You should have been at EuroBiotech.) Then keep an eye out for our next edition of deals of the week. We know, it ain't Barbara. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Corporate Venture

Your amazing IN VIVO Blog team does it again--if we do say so ourselves. (And since we are incapable of humility, we will.) Another day. Another podcast.

Yesterday McAllen, Texas. Today the world of corporate venture capital, based on a comprehensive article Ellen Licking wrote for the May issue of START-UP. (Click here to take a gander at the story.)

Sadly, no word yet on whether President Obama has mandated this particular piece as required reading in the West Wing. Somehow we'll survive...

Don't feel inclined to dig into the story right now? Click the button below and listen to the podcast summary of what Roger Longman calls a "magnificent piece." Trust us, Roger never says that--unless he's trying to get a writer to do even more work. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

Nature Notes: IVB Podcast Emerges From Hibernation

Please imagine the hushed and dulcet intonation of Sir David Attenborough as we describe to you the reawakening of The IN VIVO Blog Podcast ...

Done imagining? Great. Now kick back and listen to Mike McCaughan and Ramsey Baghdadi do that thing they do where they promise to only rattle on for three minutes but then lose track of time and you've missed lunch. This week's topics? Where there's smoke, there's fire: FDA and Tobacco, Health care reform, and rumor-of-the-week.

While you're at it check out this piece from The RPM Report (The Threat of Reconciliation: Remembering the Part D Vote) and this here blog post on FDA/Tobacco. Not an RPM subscriber? Click here for a 30-day trial sub.

Oh and come back tomorrow for another podcast (when it rains, it pours) from Roger Longman and Ellen Licking.

For now, just click the button below to get started. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: PSO Panel on Health Care Reform, Part 2

Not for long!

The IVB Podcast is back with Part 2 of our PSO panel with The RPM Report's Ramsey Baghdadi, Arthur D Little managing director John Brennan, Rock Creek Policy Group principal Ian Spatz, and Foley Hoag partner Paul Kim. If you missed Part I, you can find it here.

Just click the button below to get started. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.


Bonus IVB Milestone info: you're reading our 1,000th post. Thanks for reading (and listening).

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: PSO Panel on Health Care Reform, Part 1

As promised we've got more podcast love for you this week, and you're in for a special treat. A delicious morsel of health care reform chatter served up courtesy of Ramsey Baghdadi's panel at our recent Pharmaceutical Strategic Outlook conference in New York.

Joining Ramsey for the April 14 discussion were Arthur D Little managing director John Brennan, Rock Creek Policy Group principal Ian Spatz, and Foley Hoag partner Paul Kim. Today you're getting Part 1 of the discussion, Part 2 is queued up for next week, swine flu permitting.

Just click the button below to get started. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Is Primary Care Dead?

Now you may have been wondering--is the IVB Podcast dead? We're sorry to have missed a couple weeks but we hope to have a double-shot of podcast for you this week to make up for it.

First up, our very own Wendy Diller talks to Bain & Co.'s Chuck Farkas about the future of primary care businesses. Just click the button below to get started. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: An Interview with Mackay and Dolsten

Oh, do we have a treat for you this week, podcast-listeners, yes we do. Wondering about the new-fangled Pfizer R&D organization that was announced on Tuesday? Tune in to this week's IVB Podcast and hear about it from Pfizer R&D heads Martin Mackay (the small molecule guy) and Mikael Dolsten (the large molecule/vaccines guy), talking to our very own Ellen Licking and Roger Longman. It's the very first time Mackay and Dolsten have granted a joint interview on the impending changes at the bulked up Pfizer.

What's that? You also like to read? Check out the accompanying Pink Sheet Daily story.

Just click the button below to get started. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: A Day Late, Not a Dollar Short

Belatedly coming at you this Thursday with the comedic stylings of Ramsey Baghdadi and Cole Werble. Apologies for the not-perfect audio, we're working on it.

Just click the button below to get started. And don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Sandoz's View On US Biosimilars Outcome

Yes, the IN VIVO Blog Podcast is a Wednesday thing. But sometimes there's just too much podcast for little old Wednesday, and this is one of those times. Welcome to a bonus podcast to kick off your weekend.

Did you read Melanie Senior's FOBs post on Monday? When you did, did you think 'I wonder what Melanie and Hannes Teissl sounded like when they talked about these pieces of biosimilars legislation?' Well, wonder no more, and click on the logo below to listen.

When it comes to that perma-hot topic, biosimilars, all eyes are on the US right now. There are various bills up before the House, most prominently Henry Waxman's pro-generic one, and Anna Eshoo's pro-brand one (plus, as from today, a bipartisan proposal that looks very Waxman-ish). As the debate rages on in Washington, our on-the-pulse podcaster asked Hannes Teissl, head of Biopharmaceuticals at biosimilar pioneers Sandoz, what flavor of legislation he thinks will appear.

Don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: All M&A Edition

Tune in to this week's podcast by clicking on the logo below. What's in store for you? Last week it was all-FDA. This week, it's all-M&A.

Roger and Chris co-opt Mike and Ramsey's three-things format and courageously brush aside cough and cold symptoms to discuss the merits of Merck/Schering-Plough, comment on some of the scuttlebutt surrounding Nycomed and Allergan, and speculate about what the increase in earn-outs and options-to-acquire means for small biotechs and their VC investors.

Oh and there's a plug for the Canada Dry-flavored Halls throat lozenges in there too. Don't ever say we don't tip you off to the exciting things in life.

Don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: All FDA Edition

Mike and Ramsey make another stab at Three Things in Three Minutes. Running time ... about 8 minutes.

How will new FDA leadership impact the drug industry? What's the story with the Hamburg-Sharfstein tag-team deal? Will a renewed emphasis on food safety split the agency? Will there be a bonus topic? (Of course there will ...) Just click on the IVBP logo below to get started...

Don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Lets Make a Deal!

You'll never guess what our intrepid podcasters are talking about this week. Give up? OK we'll spill the beans: the Merck/Schering-Plough deal! We kid you not. Buckle your seatbelt and click on the logo below, and you're away.

Don't forget, you can access the podcast via iTunes also.

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Thoughts on Pfizer-Wyeth

Why is Pfizer buying Wyeth? Will the Big Pharma of the future look like General Electric? Is there a good reason to relocate to Indiana? Answers to all these questions and more on this week's installment of The IN VIVO Blog Podcast.

Just click the image below to get started. Oh, and we're on iTunes now as well, so please subscribe to that (it's free).

The IN VIVO Blog Podcast: Comparative Effectiveness, HHS Candidates, and Health Reform

Welcome to the first IN VIVO Blog podcast. We know ... it took us a while, but we finally got there. There will be many different kinds of podcasts from various reporters and editors of the IN VIVO Blog, which includes writers of The RPM Report, IN VIVO, The Pink Sheet, Start-Up and other publications.

Our first podcast comes to you from the editors of The RPM Report. It's called "3 things in 3 minutes." What is it? It's just that: 3 topics that we try and discuss in 3 minutes (we went a little over).

The topics for this discussion? Comparative effectiveness, the next HHS Secretary, and whether Medicare Part D should be a model for health care reform. If you listen closely, you may even be rewarded with a "bonus topic."

Click here to listen to the podcast.

So tell us what you think. We'd love to hear your thoughts. Just be gentle.