“Tackling Complexity in Life Sciences”

Melinda Kutzing & Rachel Laing, Managing Directors of Bionest Partners, have been with the company since its early days, where they first started as consultants. Their management style is focused on leading by example and creating an exciting and supportive environment for the team to learn, develop, and grow. “In the consulting business, your people are your products – therefore, in order for us to best serve our clients, it is critical to take care of our people, and ensure they are supported, respected and heard” says Melinda. The duo is working in some of the most cutting-edge areas of the life sciences and healthcare industries, which provides a tremendous opportunity to contribute and do their small part to make a difference. “One of our core brand pillars is commitment, and this is something that we’ve promised to ourselves as leaders, as employers, and as service providers,” adds Rachel.

Bionest was started back in 2003 to help US biotechs develop their market entry strategy for Europe. At the time, companies were partnering or out-licensing their assets for Europe, when in fact, Bionest believed that there was a significant opportunity to set up a go alone model. Since that time, they have expanded their capabilities and advise a mix of biotech and pharma clients on a range of important asset and corporate strategy questions to support development and commercialization efforts. “However, we remain true to our mission from the very beginning, which is to solve some of the most important and complex questions in the life sciences industry. This focus has led us to exciting areas such as Precision Medicine and Diagnostics, Cell and Gene Therapy, Market Access, and increasingly, Digital Health,” says Rachel.

The company partners with clients to support them on key topics related to corporate growth and the development and commercialization of their assets, and believe that any strategic decision should be anchored in a robust understanding of the market reality. They provide a fresh, unbiased point of view, run their own research and analysis, and have an extensive network of experts, all of which allows them to develop a robust strategy and plan for their clients.

In one instance, Bionest supported a pharmaceutical company in developing their Precision Medicine Strategy. “Our client was looking to strengthen their position and invest in Precision Medicine to drive leadership and complement their drug pipeline. We performed a detailed analysis of the current and future Precision Medicine market, to guide the strategy and ensure investment in the right areas,” explains Melinda. Bionest spent time with the client to understand current capabilities and ambitions and led a series of brainstorming workshops to develop the strategy and ensure buy-in across the organization. “It was an incredibly rewarding process to be working side by side with our client and effecting change in such an innovative area,” says Rachel.

“We are proud of the fact that we have been able to continue supporting our clients as well as our team during the past year of the pandemic,” says Rachel. “Thanks to some close and trusted client relationships, as well as a strong team culture and identity, we have been able to continue growing our company, during an unprecedented time.” The world has certainly changed over the last year, and the healthcare industry is changing and evolving as well. We are fortunate to work with some of the leading and most innovative companies in the healthcare industry, and look forward to continued partnership in this space. “Last year we made the decision to invest further into the truly innovative areas of our industry – precision medicine and diagnostics, digital health, cell and gene therapies, to name a few,” adds Melinda. IE