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LAW-2058 Biotechnology and Life Science Start Up for
Lawyers and Business Professionals
Ms. Heather Duffy, Prof. Scott L. Young,
3 credits day; 3 credits evening.
The biotechnology field is a large industry that continues to grow. While scientists are often the
ones to start biotech companies, it is the lawyers and business people that keep the companies
going. This job sector is rapidly growing and understanding how a biotechnology company is
born, lives and dies will give the students a unique understanding of this business. In this class
students will be asked to come up with an idea for a biotechnology company and throughout the
class will build a biotech company around that idea, piece by piece. Each week we will spend the
majority of the time discussing general principles of the biotechnology business. Each week
some time will be spent on student projects where students work with each other and with the
Professor to grow their biotech companies. The final project will be a presentation and a full
report on the company that they developed during the semester.
Faculty comments
: Grading Weekly Assignments 20% Class Presentation 30% Final Project
40% Class Discussion 10% Weekly Assignments The weekly assignments are the building
blocks of the final project. They are designed to have students take what was discussed in class
that day and apply them to the building of their own “biotech company”. The weekly
assignments will begin with the students generating a “great idea” based on the criteria for great
ideas that is presented in class. They will spend the entire semester building a “company” around
this idea, piece by piece. Class Presentation This presentation will be given the last day of class.
Each student will give a power point presentation on the idea, research design, IP development,
investment strategy, business model and business plan, regulatory and FDA requirements,
clinical trial process, IPO plans and final disposition of the company (exit strategy). In essence
this is the integration of the weekly assignments and makes the basis for the final project. Final
Project For this project the students will take all of the weekly projects that they did during the
semester and expand on each section to develop a final report on their “company”. This will
include everything from the idea generation through development, incorporation, investment and
to the final exit strategy. Class Discussions this course is designed to be interactive with student
ideas being vetted and worked on through discussions with their peers in class and with the
Professors. Time will be set aside each class period to discuss projects and help students past
hurdles in the development of their companies.
Elective Course
Meets Intellectual Property Concentration Requirements
Final Project Required
<<Course Updated: July 12, 2016>>