The Partnering for Global Health (PGH) Forum, co-organized by BIO Ventures for Global Health and the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), kicks off May 3 and is co-located with the BIO International Convention in Chicago. We spoke with Mark Feinberg, VP of Medical Affairs and Policy, Merck Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, and a member of the 2010 Partnering for Global Health Steering Committee about the importance of the PGH Forum, what we can expect from this year’s meeting, and how to get the most out of partnering meetings.
Q: You participated in a panel at the 2008 Partnering for Global Health Forum. Can you tell me a little bit about your experience? What made you want to participate on the Steering Committee this year?
A: I think the Partnering for Global Health Forum is very important meeting and one that has huge potential to spur new collaborations in global health product development. The meeting brings together a wide variety of individuals with varying perspectives but with a common interest. Many people interested in global health R&D have not yet met each other, despite the fact that our greatest potential for impact is through collaboration. While some collaborations can be driven effectively through one-on-one meetings, there is a huge value to bringing a broad group of different stakeholders together for a frank discussion about how to move forward.
Q: You’ve been an active member of the Steering Committee for the 2010 Forum. We’ll be sharing more information with attendees in the coming weeks on what topics we will focus on and what speakers will be joining us. Can you share some thoughts with us on what you think we can expect from this year’s panels and plenary sessions so far?
A: My hope is that this years PGH program will allow us to move beyond the abstract notion of "public-private partnerships" towards a frank, concrete discussion of what kinds of partnership models have been successful so that we can identify new and even more innovative and effective models for partnership and collaboration in the global health arena. This is what I hope PGH can provide and I believe it will do so. I also have high hopes that through frank discussions at PGH, we can better understand how we can work together most effectively to realize important public health innovations and impact.
Q: PGH is going to be co-located with the BIO International Convention, which will give non-profit attendees free access to the Business Forum where thousands of one-on-one partnering meetings take place over three days. Can you give us some insight into how you’ve conducted those in the past and how to get the most out of those meetings?
A: There is an incredible amount of partnering activity that happens at PGH, but only a subset of those meetings will ultimately result in the establishment of successful partnerships. To get the most out of these meetings, I would advise public sector organizations to spend time before the meeting identifying organizations with whom their interests are potentially best aligned and where potential partnerships might be possible. In addition, I encourage them to also use the meeting as a way to garner valuable insights to inform their product development strategies. Due diligence is critical, and more will be gained from the partnering opportunity at the meeting by doing their homework beforehand and come to the meeting with a vision of who they need to meet and what they hope to accomplish.
Q: As a large pharmaceutical that is already actively engaged in global health product development, what does Merck look to get out of a meeting like PGH?
A: Merck is looking to make as much of a difference as we can to enabling our products and R&D capacity to benefit individuals all around the world, and we very much want to demonstrate our sincere interest in expediting progress in achieving important global health goals. At the same time, we realize that our potential for impact is much greater if we work in partnership. We go to PGH actively looking for potential partners and seeking to identify new partnership opportunities. We also want to have open discussions about what partnership models have worked well for us and which haven’t worked so well, and to hear from others about their experiences. Collectively, we hope that we can not only advance individual partnerships in pursuit of global health needs, but also be a positive contributor to the dialog concerning how public-private partnership models can be developed that are increasingly effective moving forward.