Contents
Critical Resources
The Business End of Translational Research
An Entry Point for Entrepreneurs
The Entrepreneurial Law Clinic (ELC) at the University of Washington offers faculty members legal consultations in such areas as commercial potential of a new technology, business planning, regulatory issues and intellectual property concerns. The ELC combines a traditional law clinic with an externship. Investigators are matched with a team of law and business students, attorneys, and successful entrepreneurs who provide confidential findings and recommendations at no cost.
"I do translational research, develop products and take them into clinical trials — but I had never heard of the ELC!" Disis said. With additional funding from the CTSA program, the ITHS established a direct link that helps health scientists take advantage of the ELC's services. Impel NeuroPharma did so before submitting its entry to the business plan competition. Sean O'Connor, who directs the ELC, said, "The primary initial service my ELC provides for start-ups is a due-diligence exercise similar to what real-life investors will do" when they consider a business plan. After the competition, the ELC assisted Impel with the regulatory support services provided by the ITHS. The company continues to work with the ELC on patent issues.
Investigators at the University of Washington can also take advantage of "From Invention to Start-Up," a free eight-week lecture series on entrepreneurial issues unique to high-tech start-up companies. Each session is videotaped and posted online at www.inventiontostartup.washington.edu, along with each speaker's slide presentation.
In Good Company
A number of other CTSA grantees have expanded their relationships with academic business schools. For example, Harvard University's Linkages program integrates the skills and resources available within Harvard's Law School, Business School, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Kennedy School of Government, and Graduate Schools of Education and Design to support clinical and translational research innovation. Duke University has an active collaboration with the Health Sector Management program at the Fuqua School of Business, which addresses both health care and entrepreneurship. The University of California, Davis, has developed several programs to educate faculty regarding entrepreneurism, intellectual property and business development with an emphasis on biotechnology. As institutions break down the walls between their research and business communities, they pave the way for more and better collaboration and translational science. (For a detailed list, see the CTSA Web site at CTSAweb.org, under "Building Connections.")
