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LIFESCIENCELEADER.COM MARCH 2014 EXCLUSIVE LIFE SCIENCE FEATURE leaders 31 Partial Metadata Statuses Dynamic Forms & Questions Intelligent Data Cleaning User Configurable Reporting datatrak.com +1.440.443.0082 marketing@datatrak.com MAKES TRIALS MORE efficient D ATATRAK u EDC delivers greater efficiency with our unique set of benefits. Find out how we can optimize your trial, from Concept to Cure ® DATATRAK u EDC A N D Y S H E L D O N President and CEO the time being and as long into the future as anyone can see, the Japanese company seems to value the acquired company's distinct identity, management, and oper- ations. Sheldon is optimistic about the business- and product-development pros- pects for their combined businesses, but he is also sanguine about the underlying rationale for the merger: the cost of late- stage clinical trials. "As we moved forward with our Phase 2 and Phase 3 trials in flu, it became neces- sary for the company to look at all the options — either licensing or selling the company, or trying to continue on with private or public financing. Right now we have CROs to ensure that the trials are done appropriately and in a timely fashion, and with the merger, we have the financial resources to do that. All compa- nies face the same choices at some time, and I believe we have found the right solu- tion with a perfect marriage of sharehold- ers, which allows us to continue on and drive these products to the market." For Mitsubishi, the acquisition is a big step forward into biologics, a goal for company expansion. Sheldon says MTP was "looking for a leap-ahead technology that could allow them to be a world player in biologics." The two companies have been partners since March 2012, work- ing together on a rotavirus project and other collaborations. "Now Mitsubishi has the technology platform and develop- ment products to start building a brand new vaccine entity, and our goal is make Medicago part of what will become a major leader in vaccines worldwide." PLOWING NEW GROUND "You'll hate this word, but I'm going to say it anyway, because I like it — we believe we have a disruptive technology," says Sheldon. He argues Proficia's plant- based process is, "by definition," a great improvement in production speed, effi- ciency, cost-effectiveness, and outright cost-of-goods. Even though worldwide vaccine production would require build- ing even more capacity, he figures the company has time to grow because mar- ket penetration would be gradual. "But if truly our first product proves to be a better vaccine in the elderly, which we believe it will be, we will be in the position where people see we can actually manu- facture better product. Then I think we're It was always difficult to see how we could possibly be a contract manufacturer if we had never actually taken our own products to market. 0 3 1 4 _ F e a t u r e _ M e d i c a g o _ F . i n d d 4 0314_Feature_Medicago_F.indd 4 2 / 1 9 / 2 0 1 4 2 : 2 7 : 1 5 P M 2/19/2014 2:27:15 PM