BOSTONCOLLEGE – OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND LICENSING

PRELIMINARY COMMERCIAL ASSESSMENT FOR DISCUSSION

Confidential – Do Not Distribute

IR# / e.g. 200X.0XX/3 initials / TLO Initials
Date Received / From the Invention Report:
Potential Inventor(s) / List names (PI in BOLD) / Author Initials
Descriptive Title / From the Invention Report
Category / Subcategory / Use Technology Codes
Additional keywords / Relevant search terms
0.Non-confidential description for an educated generalist / Succinct 5-10 lines addressing the following:
  • What is the opportunity / unmet need?
  • What is the technology?
  • What element of the solution does the technology provide?
  • e.g. new target? new assay? new compound? new diagnostic?
Note: Use ‘technology’ rather than ‘invention’ wherever possible
1.Technology Details / Bullet point description of the science:
  • What was is the scientific context? What was already known in the field?
  • What was the discovery / contribution to previous knowledge?
  • What is the current supporting data? (e.g. in vitro, simulations, etc.)
  • What follow-on experiments are planned? (if discussed)

2. Potential Applications / Outline how this invention could be applied as a product or a service that addresses a commercial need
Leverage the ideas in the invention report, but also try to think creatively
Feel free to include multiple uses for the invention
  • Qualify potential downstream applications (e.g. If inhibitors to this target are found, they could be of therapeutic relevance in osteoporosis and diabetes)

3. Market Landscape / Brief statement to define the relevant market (e.g. Though this technology may find use in multiple applications, this analysis will focus on the market for …)
Market Size and Growth
  • Who are the customers?
  • How many users? What is the prevalence? incidence?
  • What is the size and value of the available market?
  • What are revenues from current products?
Competitive Landscape
  • How is the market segmented? What are the dominant segments?
  • Who are the key players? Is market power fragmented or concentrated?
  • What have been recent trends? (e.g. acquisitions? Licensing deals?)
Note: For aspects of the market that are well-defined, provide quantitative data where possible. When a market is ambiguous or non-existent, provide a qualitative description. DO NOT include data that is irrelevant (e.g. drug sales if the technology is a research assay; total semiconductor sales for a manufacturing process improvement.)
4. Potential Competition / Marketed Products
Product name (Company). Brief description of the product and revenues for each. Reserve company descriptions for Appendix I.
Products in development
  • Product name (Company). Stage of development. Brief description or therapeutic indication for clinical trials.
Research activity (optional)
Note labs, institutes, non-profits (if any) with similar area of focus. Reserve journal publications and abstracts for Appendix II.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Avoid unqualified and / or negative comparisons of the invention to other products / approaches!
If there are points of differentiation worth noting:
  • Focus on the merit of the invention and the defects of the competition.
  • Avoid statements that narrowly describe either the operation of the invention or the benefits of the invention over the competition

5.Key Commercialization Challenges / Note: This is perhaps the most important section for the discussion. Allow ample time for reflection – your input is greatly valued.
Questions to consider:
  • Are the potential applications clear?
  • What advantages need to be established relative to current options?
  • Are additional data / development required?
  • How might the customers or competitive environment evolve?
Remember, this assessment will be shared with faculty. Phrasing concerns as specific questions makes them easier to address.

CONFIDENTIAL – For internal use only1v. 02072008

Appendix I: Profiles of Relevant Companies (recommended target ~10)

Company Name & Country / Company Description / Rationale for Interest / Email Contact
e.g. / e.g. / e.g.

Additional Companies of Interest:

  • Major pharmaceutical companies (e.g. Pfizer, GSK, Merck, Novartis, etc.)
  • Major medical equipment manufacturers (e.g. Siemens, GE, Philips, etc.)
  • Major high tech companies (e.g. Intel, IBM, Cisco, etc.)

See ‘Guide to Company Research’

Appendix II: Relevant Patent & Publication Search Results (recommended max. 6)

Publication Details / Author(s) / Inventor(s)
Assignees(s) / Title / Relevant Excerpts / Hyperlink
Patent number
Filing date / Inventor(s)
Assignee(s) / Cut-and-paste from abstract and claims. Bold / highlightkey passages.
Journal
Volume / Issue
Page numbers / Author(s)
University? (optional) / Cut-and-paste from text available. Bold / highlightkey passages.
Web site (e.g. conference abstract)
Date (if known) / Presenter(s)
University? (optional) / Hyperlink

Basic advice:

  • Start with search on the inventor. Look for previous related disclosures and / or common citations.
  • Narrow key word searches by title if possible
  • Check for other patents that cite the same references
  • Search all known names and abbreviations, esp. for compounds and genes

Recommended resources:

  • Patents: Google Patent, USPTO, WIPO,
  • Publications: PubMed, SciFinder, lab web site, abstracts from industry conferences
  • General: Google, Wikipedia

See ‘Guide to Patent & Publication Searching’

CONFIDENTIAL – For internal use only1v. 02072008