"Are they hiding the cures to diseases so they can make money from substandard drugs?" This is a sadly familiar question asked by outsiders trying to understand how the pharmaceutical industry works. According to Eyram, a pharma business development expert, the reality is that curing diseases is an incredibly challenging and high-risk endeavor. Success relies on different people coming together and sharing that risk. To bring people together, you need information. As Eyram sees it—the key to bringing more drugs to market is to make more of those connections happen. Eyram is not your typical industry player; his journey is one marked by a relentless pursuit of what he sees as untapped potential in the pharmaceutical industry.
Eyram's story in the pharmaceutical world began with a solid foundation at the leading pharmacy school at Nottingham University in the UK. With a keen interest in drug discovery, he followed his pharmacy training with a PhD in Drug Discovery at University College London. This journey—which included a quest to discover new drugs for infectious diseases—wasn't just academic; it was marked by a series of revelations about the industry he was becoming a part of. "I still remember being handed another rejection letter from a potential industrial R&D collaborator. I had this growing realization that great science isn't enough to get a drug to market." While Eyram won scientific acclaim for presentations of his research, the real turning points in his career came as he won a scholarship to investigate how to commercialize his research. He took a step further when he joined a consulting firm to advise pharmaceutical companies on strategy and competitive intelligence.
Eyram's insights into the pharmaceutical industry are rooted in his diverse experiences. From serving patients as a pharmacist to consulting Fortune 500 pharmaceutical giants and offering his expertise to budding start-ups, Eyram has seen the industry from every angle. This exposure has not only given him a holistic view of the pharmaceutical landscape but also fuelled his belief that the industry's potential is often hindered not by a lack of scientific innovation but by a failure to connect groundbreaking ideas with the right resources and people.
The decision to leave a comfortable consulting job was not taken lightly by Eyram. It stemmed from a growing conviction that the path to truly revolutionary drug and vaccine R&D was being obscured, not by conspiracy, but by systemic inefficiencies and missed connections. It was this conviction that led to the birth of Probatech, a company that stands at the intersection of innovation, opportunity, and necessity in the pharmaceutical industry. Eyram adds: "We want to make sure make sure that new opportunities in the life sciences are explored to their full potential."
In a complex environment where the development of pharmaceuticals involves a myriad of stakeholders, Eyram introduces a radical concept: "Ecosystem Intelligence." This idea stems from the recognition that the biotech ecosystem is a web of interconnected players—from researchers and startups to investors and pharmaceutical giants. However, the challenge has always been in effectively connecting these diverse stakeholders. They need not only to find each other but also to communicate in a way that resonates with the other party and to understand how one another's needs align. This is where Probatech steps in, with the ambition to make Ecosystem Intelligence a norm within the industry. Eyram emphasizes that "we live in the information age, and access to information and how you use it are increasingly important drivers of success in this industry."
The current landscape offers various ways to bridge the gap between different stakeholders—online platforms, industry conferences, personal professional networks, and more. However, Eyram observed that these methods often fall short. They might facilitate connections, but they sometimes lack in fostering a deep understanding or providing the right strategic information. More critically, they often come with a high cost of entry, putting them out of reach for many startups that are operating with limited resources. Eyram saw this not just as a gap but as an opportunity for Probatech to innovate and provide a more inclusive, effective solution.
For Eyram, there wasn't a single eureka moment but a gradual, crystalizing realization. As he navigated through his career, he heard and witnessed numerous stories of serendipitous encounters leading to significant deals and partnerships, particularly in dense biotech hubs. But this reliance on chance troubled him. The idea that a groundbreaking drug or vaccine could be left on the shelf simply because its creators weren't in the right place or plugged into the right network was unacceptable to him. Eyram's realization culminated in a vision where serendipity is not left to chance but is systematically facilitated through Ecosystem Intelligence. Probatech aims to democratize access to connections and information, ensuring that groundbreaking ideas and inventions don't get lost due to a lack of resources or network access. By doing so, Eyram envisions a more efficient, equitable, and productive pharmaceutical industry where the best ideas get the opportunity to thrive, irrespective of their origin.
Probatech, following the vision set out by Eyram, plays a crucial role in connecting pharmaceutical companies and investors with start-ups that are at the forefront of developing new drugs, vaccines, or platform technologies. For the pharmaceutical giants and venture capital firms, Probatech's team meticulously sources, curates, and matches them with the most promising opportunities for collaborations, licensing deals, investments, and acquisitions on a global scale. Meanwhile, for the founders of therapeutic and vaccine start-ups operating under the banner of "Probacure," the firm assists in articulating their value propositions and forging vital connections with partners and investors.
What sets Probatech apart is its incorporation of the three critical aspects of connecting people within the biotech ecosystem: Networking, Strategy, and Communication. By addressing each of these areas with equal importance, Probatech ensures that the connections it facilitates are not only strategically aligned but also effectively communicated and executed. Probatech's offerings are thoughtfully packaged to be accessible to early-stage start-ups as well as established firms looking to utilize their funds more efficiently. This approach aligns perfectly with the concept of Ecosystem Intelligence, making Probatech a pioneer in applying this model in a practical and impactful way.
Probatech has already established itself as a significant player in the industry, having facilitated hundreds of connections, influenced the R&D strategies of numerous companies, and assisted in securing funding. While most of their clients are based in Europe, their influence extends across various global regions, including the US, Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Looking forward, Probatech is set to expand its footprint in the United States. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the biotech community, irrespective of their location, can leverage the opportunities arising from the science ongoing in smaller hubs all over the globe. This vision underscores Eyram's commitment to democratizing access to resources and connections in the biotech ecosystem, making it more inclusive and efficient. "Our vision is to impact the entire industry so that there are better medicines available for all."
In conclusion, Eyram's journey and the rise of Probatech under his guidance are testaments to the power of innovative thinking in addressing longstanding challenges in the pharmaceutical industry. For innovative biotech companies trying to move their companies forward—this could be the answer to the challenges they're facing. By championing the concept of Ecosystem Intelligence and applying it to bridge the innovation gap, Eyram is not only reshaping the way stakeholders connect and collaborate but also laying the groundwork for a more efficient and equitable future for healthcare.
