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
Generate actionable strategies for product, business, and corporate goals.
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NEW BUSINESS CREATION
Serve in an advisory capacity for investment, management, and operational needs.
TECHNOLOGY & ASSET EVALUATION
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Assess 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
Provide 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
FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER
PAMELA NORTON, BSE, MSE
SENIOR ADVISOR
Michael is founder and Managing Partner at Cambridge BioStrategy Associates, LLC (CBA). With over 20 years’ industry and consulting experience, Michael has a strong scientific and technical background as well as pharmaceutical product development experience. He has assisted clients in multiple strategy and market assessment engagements in the areas of pharmaceutical development and commercialization, contract development and manufacturing, diagnostics, medical devices, and life science tools.
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Among the engagements he has led, 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.
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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 PhD in Neuroscience from UCSF, an ALM in Management from Harvard University, an MPhil in Pharmacology from Cambridge University, and a BA in Biology from Cornell University. He is an author on numerous scientific publications and a patent.
Life sciences and medical devices consultant with over 15 years experience in biomedical engineering and consulting. Well-versed in both qualitative and quantitative research to inform marketing and commercialization strategies. Previously Senior Associate at BluePrint Research Group. PhD, Columbia University; BSE Johns Hopkins University, both in Biomedical Engineering.
In 2025, Pamela Hochman Norton joined Cambridge BioStategy Associates LLC (CBA) as a Senior Advisor. Pamela brings more than three decades of experience in the medical industry where she has extensive experience as a professional management consultant and worked for 2 global medical players. Pamela has worked with many emerging companies and with the investment community.
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In recent years, Pamela has created relationships between innovators, established companies and investors to accelerate corporate growth. Driven by her desire to help patients, her search for breakthroughs has brought her across the globe to uncover unique solutions for unmet clinical needs. For corporate clients, Pamela’s global innovation network is unsurpassed. Her outreach and experience cover orthopedics, nephrology, cardiology, hematology, and radiology with a focus on device intervention. Recently, Pamela has gained experience in the cell and gene therapy arena, particularly from the standpoint of overcoming manufacturing challenges for new viral and non-viral targets.
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Pamela has served on 8 Boards of Directors and has had roles in compensation and governance committees. She currently supports two early-stage medical companies as a Board observer. Her insight through this work on boards can enhance her client’s thinking about strategic and commercial challenges and how best to leverage corporate leadership.
Her current focus is helping clients ensure their future market position by raising their awareness of potential leapfrog technologies and helping her clients align with those opportunities best suited to their strategic goals.
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Prior to joining CBA, Pamela was the head of small equity investing for Asahi Kasei’s medical business unit covering blood purification, ICU products and services and tools for manufacturing pharmaceuticals.
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Pamela graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BSE degree majoring in bioengineering and an MSME degree from Northeastern University. Earlier in her career she was an author and speaker at multiple biomedical industry forums.
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MICHAEL G. PALFREYMAN, PhD, DSc, MRPharmS
ADVISOR
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.
JENNIFER HOI, BSE, PhD
CONSULTANT
VICTORIA HAYNES
SENIOR ANALYST
Senior analyst and primary market research manager specializing in KOL recruitment. She is an experienced qualitative and quantitative research manager for pharma, biotech, and CDMO/CRO end clients.
Previously a Senior Manager at FirstThought, a healthcare and life-sciences-focused expert network, and an analyst at The Council Advisors.
CONTACT​​
Cambridge Biostrategy Associates, LLC
Cambridge, MA 02138
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