PharmaTelevision - GBS Venture Partners: Joshua Funder on seeing positive signs in the Australian biotech sector.

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Video title: GBS Venture Partners: Joshua Funder on seeing positive signs in the Australian biotech sector.

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In this episode of PharmaTelevision News Review, Fintan Walton talks to Joshua Funder, Partner at GBS Venture Partners

Full video transcripts are available with PharmaTelevision Premium Content. Click here to buy a subscription or sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Joshua 's perspective: Current environment of biotech industry in Australia

Fintan Walton:

Hello and welcome to PharmaTelevision News Review here at AusBiotech's convention in Adelaide, here in Australia. On this show I have Joshua Funder, who is the Partner at GBS Venture Partners based in Melbourne, welcome to the show.

Joshua Funder:

Fintan, welcome back to Australia it's always good to have you back down under.

Fintan Walton:

Thank you very much Joshua, the biotech industry here is in obviously in an environment a new environment from an external point of view it's a tougher market out there in the US and Europe, what is it like for biotech here in Australia?

Joshua Funder:

I think the story is good and bad Fintan, Australia biotech hasn't been spared the high volatility that we've seen in global markets that's lead to uncertainty and instability and that's particularly hard in biotech where the product development time cycles are so long and the commitment required is so extensive. So Australia hasn't been spared there, Australian biotech hasn't been spared there compounding that in our sector are patent expirers as you can imagine and also volatility on the private markets for investment in terms of commitments to venture both internationally and locally, having said that though I think there are some very positive signs in the Australian biotech sector, it's maturing there are now much broader number of companies bringing products to global markets or exiting with significant exit valuations and the international interest in IPOs here, licensing here and clinical development here remains very strong throughout the last three-years of otherwise generalized market and stability, so I think as a sector we've weathered the storm pretty well.

Full video transcripts are available with PharmaTelevision Premium Content. Click here to buy a subscription or sign up for a 14 day free trial.

Fintan Walton

Dr Fintan Walton is the Founder and CEO of PharmaVentures . After completing his doctoral research on the genetics of cell proliferation at the University of Michigan(US)and Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland), Dr Walton gained broad commercial experience in biotechnology in management positions at Bass and Celltech plc (1982-1992).

Joshua Funder

Partner

At the time of recording this PTV interview Joshua Funder works as Partner at GBS Venture Partners. Joshua Funder joined GBS in 2004 with experience in biotechnology management, business strategy and the international pharmaceutical industry. Before joining GBS Joshua worked in corporate strategy and development at Infinity Pharmaceuticals in Boston and the Boston Consulting Group in San Francisco. In addition he worked with the Clinton Foundation HIV/AIDS Initiative to successfully negotiate reduced prices for anti-retrovirals and initiate pharmaceutical supplies across eastern and southern Africa. Joshua served as interim CEO of Proacta Inc following GBS investment and is on the board of directors of GBS portfolio companies OPAL Inc, Spinifex Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd, Pathway Therapeutics Inc and Nuon Therapeutics Inc. Joshua was director of GBS investee company Peplin Inc (ASX:PLI) which won the AVCAL award for the best early stage investment in 2010. Joshua earned his Bachelor of Science (Honours) and Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degrees at Melbourne University and his Master of Laws degree at the London School of Economics. He holds a D.Phil in intellectual property for biotechnology from Oxford University where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

PharmaVentures

PharmaVentures is a corporate finance and transactions advisory firm that has served hundreds of clients worldwide in relation to their strategic deal making in the pharmaceutical, life science and healthcare sectors. Our key offerings include: Transactions / deal negotiations; Product / technology valuations; Deal term advice; Due diligence & expert reports; Strategy formulation; Alliance management; and Expert opinion for litigation/arbitration cases. PharmaVentures provides the global expertise to ensure our clients generate the highest possible return on investment from all their deal making activities. We have experience of all therapeutic areas and can offer advice on both product and technology commercialisation.

GBS Venture Partners

GBS Venture Partners (GBS) is a leading life science venture capital firm. Founded in 1996, GBS invests in young businesses developing and commercializing products which, when combined with the right management and finance, will make a significant difference to patients' lives and deliver financial returns for our investors. GBS's areas of particular interest and expertise include human healthcare, biotechnology product development and life science start-ups. In particular, recent investments have included biological or small moleculetherapeutics, medical devices and diagnostics. GBS invests in private or public companies whether at start-up or later stages of company development and investors include major Australian superannuation funds.