Creative cross-organizational collaboration: coming to a project near you

Historically, the pharmaceutical industry has provided investors with robust growth and patients with a range of life-enhancing treatments; academic institutions conducted early-stage research largely supported by the government; disease foundations funded projects in their areas of interest; and venture capital built exciting new startups with bold ambitions. Today, those institutions are all facing scientific, economic and operating challenges. As a result, they are experimenting with new organizational and funding models. We consider some of those models in the life sciences in general, as well as in the development and delivery of novel regenerative medicines. In particular, the changing roles of the venture capital and disease foundation communities are considered in the context of academic and commercial collaborations.