The Master’s in Biotechnology and Enterprise here at Manchester is a course that provides more than just excellent teaching: it gives you a greater knowledge of working in the biotechnology industry and helps build a strong foundation upon which you can develop your research skills.
Consulting Case Competition 2019
This year, three MSc Biotechnology and Enterprise students joined forces with an undergraduate and an exchange student to create the Pharmapoint team, who went on to win the Consulting Case Competition for 2019. The competition was run by the Northwest Biotech Initiative: an organisation that encompasses the biotechnology field in the region often referred to as ‘The Industrial North’ of England.
This competition involved analysing several acquisitions deals from a financial and scientific perspective for a fictional pharmaceutical company, before pitching the chosen strategy to a panel of industry judges (Adelphi and Catapult Ventures). The contestants were presented with key facts, capabilities, the product portfolio of the pharmaceutical company, as well as the activities, products, clinical trials and deal terms of five biotechnology companies that could potentially be acquired. Here’s what the students had to say after their wonderful achievement…
“The MSc of Biotechnology and Enterprise programme was instrumental for this achievement. The Commercialisation in the Life Sciences module trained us to critically evaluate the commercial feasibility of the various products of the biotech companies of the competition according to the potential market, the strength of competition, and the risk involved in the development and approval.
Moreover, the intellectual property course allowed us to understand the differences between licensing and acquisition deals and the importance of a strong patent portfolio to ensure future revenues. Our team would also like to thank the Remap Consulting team and Dr. Graham Foxon in particular for his mentorship and guidance throughout the course of the competition.”
– Alvaro san Martin Ricci, Melvin See and Andy Garside (Pharmapoint team)
Looking to the future, Andy Garside is interested in commercialisation within the pharmaceutical sector and Melvin See is looking to gain experience in the biotechnology sector in order to develop a bio-entrepreneurship support network in his home country. Alvaro san Martin Ricci, on the other and, is interested in consultancy in the biopharmaceutical industry, specifically in pricing and market access to new drugs.
Testimonials from our international students
As well as this year’s Consulting Case Competition, we also got the chance to hear from a group of international students studying the Biotechnology and Enterprise MSc and find out what they thought about their year in living in Manchester and studying at UoM…
“Here at Manchester, we have had the opportunity to learn from some of the best academic faculty and members of staff we could have asked for. As we are approaching towards the end of the course, we feel extremely competent as the programme has equipped us with relevant skills in scientific research and essential business knowledge to convert any scientific innovation to a commercial product.
The best part of this programme is the research environment it provides. We are currently doing some interesting work around expressing recombinant proteins in microalgae, dinoflagellate and tobacco plants, and we feel confident that we have gained the necessary skills to apply our knowledge whatever area of research we choose.
All of us can undoubtedly say that coming to Manchester to pursue a master’s degree was one of the best decisions of our lives. Manchester is a fantastic city with an amazingly diverse community and is one of the best places for international students live. We feel very lucky to have studied at The University of Manchester.”
– Nusrat Rouf, Zerun Mao & Vidushi Sharma
Biology, Medicine and Health Student Blog 