Class Work-5

Case Study

Bioburp Ltd were set up in 1995 as a 'spin off SME' from Cambridge University and are now
situated in one the larger units on the Biotechnology Business Cluster on the outskirts of the city.
Through his research at the University, Dr. James Bradshaw has developed a range of treatments
for rheumatoid arthritis. Having worked in research at the University since graduation James felt
there was an opportunity to commercialize his ideas and set up a business with fellow researcher
Chuck Keeble. The company currently has 35 employees many of whom they have directly
recruited from Cambridge University. The company has a three strong management team
comprising James as CEO, Chuck heading up R&D and Jude Marsh who they recruited from a
local therapeutics Biotech firm to lead their new sales and marketing team of 4 people. Although
the company has a number of UK patents for their products only one of them is on the market
and generating a moderate sales income although this has not superseded their initial setup costs
for the project and the business. Their leading product Exocytosis is a new Non-Steroidal Anti-
Inflammatory Drug (NSAID), was launched three years ago and is not widely recognized by the
medical profession, although it has been accepted by the FDA. It is manufactured by Klumps
Ltd., a small, local tablet pressing firm, and they are currently marketing it under their own brand
name Bioburp through the Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation and key London Hospitals. The 25
personnel work in the laboratory developing a range of new products to combat arthritis based on
COX-2 blocker principle. Their two most successful formulations are in the early stages of
clinical trials and are being tested on animals.

Required:
Draw up a SWOT analysis matrix and determine key strategies in four quadrants.

Entrepreneurship/2017