When people think about experiments in Big Pharma, the image that comes to mind is probably that of a petri dish. But given the crisis state of pharma R&D and early-stage biotech investment, there are also a lot of experiments going on now to find ways to reform the way drug companies and venture capitalists work together. One of those experiments is gradually starting to take shape between Polaris Venture Partners and Johnson & Johnson. Polaris, as readers in the Boston area know well, is one of the big fish in the life sciences innovation community, with $3 billion of capital under management and a big network of scientists and entrepreneurs who try to keep their fingers on the pulse of what’s new. New Brunswick, NJ-based J&J (NYSE: JNJ) naturally has the big name as the massive healthcare company that rakes in billions every year with its drugs, devices, and other health technologies.
