COURSE NUMBER: EW296.12

COURSE TITLE: Biotech and Pharma

UNITS OF CREDIT: 1

INSTRUCTOR: Kimberly MacPherson

E-MAIL ADDRESS: kmacpherson@berkeley.edu

CLASS WEB PAGE LOCATION: bCourses

MEETING DAY(S)/TIME: The course will meet over 2 Sundays: 2/26 and 3/12 9AM-5PM

PREREQUISITE(S): NONE

CLASS FORMAT:  The class will be a mixture of lecture, cases and interactive exercises.  Students will be required to advance a project in between the 1st and 2nd sessions and come prepared to present efforts.

REQUIRED READINGS:  No textbook or cases that need to be purchased. Readings will be publicly available reports and journal articles and posted to bCourses as resources.  Students with limited familiarity with biotech sector will be provided with pre-reads prior to the class start.

BASIS FOR FINAL GRADE: Mix of participation and project

SAMPLE SYLLABUS: bCourses Electives Forum

CAREER FIELD: This course will appeal to those already in or seeking to work in the life sciences sector, either directly for Biotech/Pharma or in an advisory, entrepreneurial role

ABSTRACT OF COURSE'S CONTENT AND OBJECTIVES: This two-day course will provide insight into the journey a new molecule takes from R&D through to commercialization, launch and adoption.  Along that path, the course will enumerate and discuss the major environmental trends that can impact decision-making by key stakeholders (e.g. innovators, FOB companies, payors, providers, consumers).   These trends will include the ACA, US cost projections, payment reform, provider alignment strategies, consumer empowerment/transparency and the shift from defined benefit to defined contribution. 

The first day will be a mix of didactic presentation and short case exercises. Students will be asked to go deeper in one of the key trend areas, researching and developing their forecast point of view around the impact on the sector in the next 3-5 years (similar to how firms develop their launch and reimbursement outlook thesis).  Guests from a local major biotech/life sciences firms ( e.g. Genentech, Gilead, Verily) and investors will join the class for day two and participate in advancing the synthesis process, offering their expertise and analysis of the efforts.

Key objectives will include increasing student knowledge of the biotech industry and the challenges and opportunities it faces in these uncertain times.  Students will also be exposed to techniques around patient level and volume forecasting for new drug and be able to apply that skill in a specific activity.

MODIFICATIONS TO COURSE FROM ITS MOST RECENT OFFERING: Enhanced emphasis on key trends in real world evidence development and global payer perspective.  Also elements that will come from the November 2016 elections and the new President/Congress

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH:  Kimberly MacPherson, MBA/MPH is a Haas alum (1994) and currently the Associate Director, Health Management - Haas School of Business.  She is also the
Program Director, Health Policy and Management at the School of Public Health and Co-Director for the Berkeley Center for Health Technology (BCHT).   At Haas, she teaches MBA 297A – Healthcare in the 21st Century (Fall 2016) and the MBA 296 short courses on biotech topics Spring 2015 and 2016).   At SPH, Ms MacPherson has been teaching for over ten years include graduate level courses in Healthcare Finance, Foundations of HPM and Healthcare Negotiations.   With BCHT, Ms. MacPherson conducts research in digital health and on coverage and adoption around biotech and medical devices.  She also develops and leads workshops for industry on key trends impacting those sectors.  She has over 22 years of healthcare experience in operations, management consulting and strategic planning and product development.