PatientsLikeMe, an online health community formed to provide value for patients in exchange for sharing their health data, had grown substantially since its founding in 2004. By 2016 it had over 130 employees. However, convincing investors of the viability of the business model proves more challenging.

Sanofi Pasteur’s newly approved dengue vaccine, Dengvaxia, was unusual in that it was launched in the Philippines and other at-risk countries. By choosing to “flip the model” – launch in an emerging market setting as opposed to developed markets – it had to overcome various obstacles across the value chain, from registration to financing to supply.