CBA is a boutique life science and healthcare management consulting firm focused on growth strategies for companies in the device, diagnostics, life science tools, and pharmaceutical sectors.
WHAT WE DO
CBA provides solutions to our clients' strategic and operational needs​
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GROWTH STRATEGIES
Actionable strategies for product, business, and corporate goals.
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NEW BUSINESS CREATION
Advisory assistance for investment, management, and operational needs.
TECHNOLOGY & ASSET EVALUATION
Provide independent assessments of technology and product offerings, supporting the needs of business development, new product development, marketing, and commercial strategy.
PRODUCT STRATEGY & COMMERCIALIZATION
Assist your company in all stages of bringing a product from idea to commercial product.​​​
INTERIM MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Operational support for new and growing businesses.
MARKET ASSESSMENT
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Understand and assess your opportunity landscape as well as your competitive position in the market.​​​​​
OUR AREAS OF EXPERTISE
LIFE SCIENCE TOOLS
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Bioprocessing
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Formulation and Drug Delivery
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Regenerative Medicine
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Cell Therapy
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Cell Biology
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Biospecimen Processing
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Cold-chain Storage & Logistics
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Applied and Industrial Markets
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Research Tools
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Outsourcing & Contract Services
DIGITAL HEALTH
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e-Health solutions
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m-Health solutions
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Digital Pathology
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Solution offerings
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Integrated Delivery Networks
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Clinical pathway analysis
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Unmet needs analysis
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Financial modeling
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IT solutions
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EHRs
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Artificial intelligence
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Internet of things
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Cross-organizational buy-in
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Organizational design
DIAGNOSTICS AND DEVICES
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Molecular Diagnostics
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Genomics
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Immunoassays
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Translational Medicine
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Companion Diagnostics
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Point of Care
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Pathology / Digital Pathology
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Imaging
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Flow Cytometry
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Technology-Enabled Devices
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Imaging
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Wound Care
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Ophthalmology
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Surgery
PHARMACEUTICALS
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Hematology - Bleeding Disorders
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Hematology - Oncology
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Immuno-Oncology
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Companion and Complementary Diagnostics
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Cell and Gene Therapies
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Inflammatory and Autoimmune Diseases & Disorders
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Neurology and Psychiatry
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Drug Discovery and Development
CASE STUDIES
EXAMPLES OF OUR WORK
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Diagnostic Opportunities in Prostate Cancer: Patient Journey and Workflow Analysis
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Assessment of Commercial Opportunities for Digital Pathology Business
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Market and Acquisition Target Assessment in Immunoassay and Molecular Diagnostics
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Technical Due Diligence for a Private Equity Acquisition of a Clinical Chemistry Spin-Out
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Complementary Diagnostic Biomarker for a Branded Pharmaceutical
WHO WE ARE
MICHAEL JACOBSON, PhD
MANAGING PARTNER
RICK LIFSITZ
PARTNER
Michael is a founding Partner at Cambridge Biostrategy Associates, LLC (CBA). With over 20 years’ industry and consulting experience, Michael has a strong business, scientific and technical background as well as pharmaceutical product development experience. He has led multiple engagements in the areas of pharmaceutical development and commercialization, contract services, diagnostics, medical devices, and life science tools. Product areas include oncology, immunology, bleeding disorders, cardiovascular, psychiatry, surgical devices, molecular diagnostics, and pathology. In addition, he has extensive experience in corporate and product strategy; new product development; and partnering, market entry, geographic, and market access strategies.
Prior to founding CBA, Michael was a Principal in the Health Technology and Innovation practice at Precision for Value (previously Precision Advisors) and in the Strategy practice at Scientia Advisors. Before his consulting career, Michael was a Scientist and Manager at Millennium Pharmaceuticals, where he led a cell biology team in genomic discovery and led technology transfer teams across multiple areas.
Michael completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology at University College, London, UK. He has a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from UCSF, an ALM in Management from Harvard University, an M.Phil. in Pharmacology from Cambridge University, and a BA in Biology from Cornell University. He is an author of numerous scientific publications and a patent.
Rick, a Founding Partner at Cambridge BioStrategy Associates (CBA), has over 25 years of technology, healthcare, startup, and strategy consulting experience. He began his post-graduate career working for The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in the high-technology and healthcare strategy groups.
Following BCG, Rick started a series of successful pioneering software, hardware and imaging companies. He spent five years building a web-based Picture and Archiving Communications System (PACS) company used by Radiologists (AMICAS) which was sold to Merge Healthcare (now IBM). He was the Chief Operating Officer and founder of the first healthcare company to use hyperspectral imaging in medicine, where he led the organization to develop an award-winning spectral imaging platform with algorithms to predict healing of diabetic foot ulcers and better understand tissue perfusion.
Prior to CBA, Rick was a Vice President at Precision for Value (previously Precision Advisors) where he led 50+ strategy projects in healthcare technology and innovation. He holds an MBA from The Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree from The University of Michigan. Rick has two issued patents in hyperspectral imaging and serves as an advisor to startup companies in the Boston area.
MICHAEL G. PALFREYMAN, PhD, DSc, MRPharmS
PARTNER
Since 2009 Dr. Michael Palfreyman has been guiding biotechnology companies along the path from discovery to clinical proof of concept. He has more than four decades of successful drug discovery and development experience with two major pharmaceutical companies and several biotechnology companies. He is currently Chairman, Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board & SVP Drug Development at Aminex Therapeutics; Chief Scientific Officer at Amorsa Therapeutics; Scientific Advisor to NeurAegis and Jasco Pharmaceuticals, and he is responsible for R&D Diligence at Torrey Pines Investment Ventures.
Previously he was Chairman of the Board at Amakem Therapeutics and Opthakem; President and CSO at Psychiatric Genomics; Vice President of Drug Development and Program Management at EnVivo (now Forum) Pharmaceuticals, and Senior Vice President of R&D at Scriptgen (now Anadys) Pharmaceuticals. Michael also held executive positions at Marion Merrell Dow (MMD) Research Institute (now Sanofi), including Vice President of Research (North America). Prior to MMD, Michael was the Head of Biochemical Pharmacology at Beecham Pharmaceuticals (now GlaxoSmithKline).
Michael received his BPharm, MRPharmS, PhD, and DSc from the University of Nottingham. He is co-inventor on 45 US and European patents, several pending patents, and has coauthored over 150 scientific articles and book chapters.
CONTACT​​
Cambridge Biostrategy Associates, LLC
Cambridge, MA 02138
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