Today we’d like to introduce you to John Van Drie.
Thanks for sharing your story with us John. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have worked in pharmaceutical research for the past 30 years, oscillating between working for large pharma companies, and small entrepreneurial ventures. I left Novartis in Cambridge ten years ago to start my own business, consulting mainly to small biotech companies, both in the Boston area and around the globe. I’ve also been teaching yoga for the past 3 years.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being an entrepreneur is never a smooth road, in my experience. Surviving the violent downturn in business during the financial crisis 2007-2009 was exceptionally challenging.
Van Drie Research – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My consulting originally was oriented to working hands-on with details of the science, but increasingly I’m involved with coaching/mentoring leaders of these organizations and helping new startups get off the ground.
My biggest successes during my time at Van Drie Research have been: first, assisting Steve Tregay with in the formation of the startup Forma Therapeutics, now a successful biotech company in Watertown with hundreds of employees. Second, my collaboration with Acylin Therapeutics in Seattle led to molecules now in the hands of Abbvie (Chicago), proceeding to a clinical candidate for oncology (these results just appeared in Nature, the most prestigious scientific publication).
I am a very rare breed in this industry, primarily due to my unusual blend of skills, the breadth and depth of my experience, and my ability to structure relationships flexibly with companies at almost any stage in almost any geographical location.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
When I was ten, my family did a road trip from Chicago to California, making many stops in the West.
Contact Info:
- Address: 109 Millpond No Andover, MA 01845
- Website: www.vandrieresearch.com
- Phone: 978-806-6276
- Email: john@vandrieresearch.com
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