But advertising a molecule is a little more complicated than putting a '78 Datsun up for sale in the local classifieds. As with any transaction, online or off, that means a thorough and accurate description of the product for sale. But when intellectual property is involved, that need has to be balanced with the seller's desire not to divulge too much about a patented secret. Striking that balance has been the challenge for companies attempting to set up B2B intellectual property exchanges in the life sciences. ActiveCyte, which focuses on biotech, asked pharmaceutical companies for their help designing its standard.
Users can search by criteria, and connect to other databases.
But intellectual property B2B executives say they know their service is only a beginning, and with so much at stake, any introduction is followed by months of due diligence and negotiation.