Deebie Symmes

Principal

Deebie Symmes has worked in business development across the pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and devices industries for over 20 years and has originated, negotiated, and closed complex licensing transactions on behalf of multiple companies for technologies in all stages from discovery through Phase 2.  She held the senior business development roles at Napo, ARYx, Tularik, and Gliatech and has worked as a consultant for over 11 years, providing analysis and guidance that leads to creative strategies around partnering and growth.  She believes partnering work is best done with strong collaborative internal teams and strives to bring out every element of context, science, and know-how that can enhance the partnering value of a program.  She enjoys gaining fluency in each technical area she works in and has therapeutic area deal experience across CNS, GI, cardiovascular, inflammation, and oncology.  Earlier in her career, she held business development and strategy positions in medical diagnostics and devices, and provided expert testimony on HIV market projections for patent disputes as well as managed a global corporate planning process for a multi-national company.  She holds an M.B.A. from The Wharton School, a certificate from UCSF in Drug Development and Regulatory Science awarded by ACDRS, and a biology degree from Smith College with concentrations in Neuroscience and Psychology.

deebie@keelinreeds.com