Bionest Partners offers advisory and management services to biotech, specialty pharma and medical device companies

"We at Bionest Partners have a substantial range of advisory and operational experience to bring our clients," said Alain J Gilbert, managing partner of Bionest Partners. "We are already involved in a number of projects covering business development and financing, management consulting and entry for companies into Europe, and look forward to extending these as we grow our business."

The team together has a wealth of experience in the healthcare industry. Gilbert himself brings general management experience in the European Union with Medtronic Europe, Idexx and Biogen, is an investor in VC funds and biotech companies, has built an extensive US-EU network within the biotech and finance community, and holds several active board memberships, together with hands-on consulting support.

Claude Allary, also managing partner at Bionest, has pharmaceutical industry and general management consulting experience as vice president, ISO HealthCare Consultants, Paris and as senior health-care specialist with Arthur D. Little, Brussels, London and Paris. In his 11 years' consulting, he led over 100 projects in R&D, marketing and sales, medical affairs, business development, in Europe and in North America, for big pharma and growing biopharmaceutical firms. Allary has held operational positions at Glaxo plc, Rhône-Poulenc Santé International and Parke-Davis.

Other consultants at Bionest Partners include:

- Jean Chatellier, an experienced entrepreneur with an intimate knowledge of the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry and a proven record of establishing and managing a start-up business. Chatellier, a PhD in biochemistry, and most recently business development manager with Flamel Technologies, was Principal Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Avidis, a spin-off of the UK's Medical Research Council.

- Christian Hein has worked in international strategic consulting for the pharmaceutical industry and in venture capital. He has worked on projects for companies including Pfizer, Aventis, J&J, Roche, Chiron and Biogen in areas such as European product portfolio optimization and resource allocation, strategic market assessment for a new recombinant product clinical development, and implementation of a Global Life Cycle planning process. Earlier Hein was investment manager at Mediport Venture in Berlin where he managed the first financing round (Euro 5.5M) of Avontec GmbH, Göttingen, Germany.

- Karsten Hipler, a former London investment analyst with Lehmann Brothers and Nomura, and most recently with Novartis.

"Bionest Partners' product, technology and corporate business development helps small and mid-size companies make a quantum leap in their size and value by striking important deals with larger biotech and pharma companies and/or managing new rounds of financing," says Allary.

The company's investment banking activities have a natural intertwine with strategic consulting according to Gilbert, and Bionest Partners, more than most other consulting firms, also carries out specific assignments for which the best solution is a "hands on approach". Bionest Partners' missions frequently include surrogate implementation and management responsibilities.

Business intelligence, strategy, and organizational consulting services are directed towards improvements in business planning and operational effectiveness and Bionest Partners assists North American and Asian companies, with their entry strategy and first operational steps in Europe, either using a go-it-alone approach or through partnering. Activities include investment banking, establishment of headquarters, first hirings, supply chain infrastructure set-up, financial and tax structure, resolution of pre-launch medical issues, pharmaco-economic analysis and pricing structure.