BioNetwork 2021
October 06 - 08, 2021
The Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, CA
Day One
Innovation in the BioPharma Partnering Landscape
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
7:00 am - 8:05 am Full Breakfast Buffet & Registration
8:05 am - 8:15 am Welcome Remarks
8:15 am - 8:30 am Chairperson’s Opening Remarks
8:30 am - 9:00 am Keynote: J&J’s New Paradigm for External Innovation
Healthcare has been undergoing dramatic changes due to a congruence of three trends: the explosion of scientific knowledge and previously unimaginable enabling technologies; the empowerment and broad use of self-quantification for health information by consumers and the exploitation of big data sets by industry to drive new healthcare related insights; and, finally, pressures from and on the healthcare system to adopt new models, including stronger focus on early detection and prevention.
In this session, we will hear how Johnson & Johnson harnesses its expertise in pharma, medical device and consumer products to transform the innovation landscape to meet patient, consumer, and market needs in this new reality.
9:00 am - 9:30 am Keynote: Genomic Prediction of Complex Traits and Disease Risks via AI and Large Genomic Datasets
Steve Hsu is SVP for Research and Professor of Theoretical Physics at Michigan State University. He is a leader in the use of AI in computational genomics. His lab produced the first accurate predictors for human height and other complex traits, including disease risks such as diabetes, atrial fibrillation, breast cancer, and hypothyroidism. He is the founder of biotech startups Genomic Prediction (advanced genetic testing for IVF) and Othram (DNA forensics for law enforcement and military applications).
This talk is divided into two parts. The first gives an overview of the rapidly advancing area of genomic prediction of disease risks using polygenic scores. We can now identify risk outliers (e.g., with 5 or 10 times normal risk) for about 20 common disease conditions, ranging from diabetes to heart diseases to breast cancer, using inexpensive SNP genotypes (i.e., as offered by 23andMe).
We can also predict some complex quantitative traits (e.g., adult height with accuracy of few cm, using ~20k SNPs). This talk will discuss application of these results in precision medicine as well as embryo selection in IVF, and give some details concerning genetic architecture. The second part covers the AI/ML used to build these predictors, with an emphasis on "sparse learning" and phase transitions in high dimensional statistics.
9:30 am - 10:00 am Morning Refreshment Break & Partnering Opens
10:00 am - 10:30 am Morning Refreshment Break & Partnering Opens
10:00 am - 12:30 pm 1:1 Partnering
10:30 am - 11:00 am Panel: The Colliding Worlds of High Technology & Life Sciences
Speakers:
Jennifer Leeds Head, West Coast Search and Evaluation Novartis
Jeff Elton Chief Executive Officer Concerto Health AI
Ron Alfa Senior Vice President of Translational Discovery & Chief Evangelist Recursion Pharma
Jane Rhodes Chief Business Officer Verge Genomics
Moderator:
Christopher Leo Senior Vice President Back Bay Life Science Advisors
Jennifer Leeds Head, West Coast Search and Evaluation Novartis
Jeff Elton Chief Executive Officer Concerto Health AI
Ron Alfa Senior Vice President of Translational Discovery & Chief Evangelist Recursion Pharma
Jane Rhodes Chief Business Officer Verge Genomics
Moderator:
Christopher Leo Senior Vice President Back Bay Life Science Advisors
There is a mad dash to utilize innovative technology for drug development and investment with the hopes for increased speed & efficiency. However, a knowledge gap exists on the availability and viability of these technologies. This panel discussion will share the perspectives from fledgling technology innovators and industry representatives on what boxes must be checked off in order to be successful when partnering with high technology.
Ron Alfa
Senior Vice President of Translational Discovery & Chief EvangelistRecursion Pharma
10:00 am - 12:30 pm 1:1 Partnering
11:00 am - 11:15 am Biotech Spotlight Session: Jaguar Health
Jaguar Health, Inc. is a commercial stage pharmaceuticals company focused on developing novel, sustainably derived gastrointestinal products on a global basis.
10:00 am - 12:30 pm 1:1 Partnering
11:15 am - 11:30 am Biotech Spotlight Session: RubrYc Therapeutics
RubrYc Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that integrates chemistry and computation to decode therapeutically significant protein interfaces, revolutionizing the discovery of antibody-based drugs.
10:00 am - 12:30 pm 1:1 Partnering
11:30 am - 12:00 pm Panel: The Future of Immuno-Oncology Deal Making
Moderator:
Hemmie Chang Chair, Licensing & Strategic Alliances Practice Group Foley Hoag
Speakers:
Melissa Fitzgerald Head of Oncology Search & Evaluation Halozyme Therapeutics
Syed Kazmi Global Head, Business Development & Licensing, Oncology Novartis
Michael Andrew Johnson VP, Business Development Eli Lilly
Hemmie Chang Chair, Licensing & Strategic Alliances Practice Group Foley Hoag
Speakers:
Melissa Fitzgerald Head of Oncology Search & Evaluation Halozyme Therapeutics
Syed Kazmi Global Head, Business Development & Licensing, Oncology Novartis
Michael Andrew Johnson VP, Business Development Eli Lilly
The highly competitive immuno-oncology market is poised for massive growth for all the right reasons. As opposed to conventional therapies like radiation, immunotherapy has shown to have low-toxicity, higher approval rates and subsequently rapid clinical adoption. This panel will discuss the current standing and opportunities in the immunotherapy market as well as enabling deal structures that best allow promising candidates to get to market.
10:00 am - 12:30 pm 1:1 Partnering
12:00 pm - 12:15 pm Biotech Spotlight Session: Modulation Therapeutics
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm Biotech Spotlight Session: Open
10:00 am - 12:30 pm 1:1 Partnering
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Networking Lunch in the Courtyard
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm Panel: Mastering the Science of Due Diligence
Speakers:
Robert Bagdorf VP & Group Lead, Search and Evaluation, Worldwide Business Development Pfizer Inc.
Wesley Galamb US Lead, Business Development & Innovation Novo Nordisk
Vanitha Sekar Executive Director, Business Development & Licensing Merck Research Labs
Hannah Cabot Associate M&A Back Bay Life Science Advisors
Robert Bagdorf VP & Group Lead, Search and Evaluation, Worldwide Business Development Pfizer Inc.
Wesley Galamb US Lead, Business Development & Innovation Novo Nordisk
Vanitha Sekar Executive Director, Business Development & Licensing Merck Research Labs
Hannah Cabot Associate M&A Back Bay Life Science Advisors
To achieve success, the right partnership “fit” is critical but how can stakeholders best identify a strong cultural match while navigating the current landscape of both market and company-specific challenges? Even in the strongest partnerships, a variety of hurdles can arise that terminate a deal. The art of due diligence to address financial resources, manufacturing capabilities, regulatory consideration and many more must be addressed properly to ensure contractual deliverables that nurture success. This session will review the approach to due diligence with specific how-to’s and how-nots shared.
Robert Bagdorf
VP & Group Lead, Search and Evaluation, Worldwide Business DevelopmentPfizer Inc.
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
2:00 pm - 2:15 pm Biotech Spotlight Session: For-Robin
For-Robin, Inc, founded in 2012 and named in honor of the founder’s sister who died at age 31 of breast cancer, is an antibody immunotherapy company whose primary mission is developing treatments for breast and lung cancer patients.
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
2:15 pm - 2:30 pm Biotech Spotlight Session: OncoNano Medicine
OncoNano Medicine is developing a new class of pH-activated compounds that digitalize and exploit the variability of pH in disease. OncoNano is the first company to advance product candidates using pH as a biomarker for cancer immunotherapy, therapeutic use and intra-operative imaging based on its pH-sensitive micelle technology.
Ravi Srinivasan
Founder, President, CEOOncoNano Medicine
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Panel: Creative Strategies in Biopharma Funding
The investment and funding landscape has evolved rapidly and deal structures have progressed far from the one-size-fits-all approach. This session will examine some creative deals including co-development and co-promotional rights. Lessons will be shared from unconventional deals that have taken place in the past couple of years.
Learn how the biopharma funding landscape is still evolving and how biotechs can take
advantage of the current funding environment.
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
3:00 pm - 3:15 pm Biotech Spotlight: Biotech Spotlight: CytomX
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm Biotech Spotlight: IMEC
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm Afternoon Refreshment Break
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm Biotech Spotlights
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm 1:1 Partnering
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm Deal Spotlight: Tales from the Trenches: A Brief History of how Teneobio and Abbvie Came Together to Become Partners in the Development of TNB-383B, A Novel Bispecific T Cell Engager for Multiple Myeloma.
This session will discuss:
•History of how the deal came into existence
•What each partner brings to the table
•What specifically TNB-383B is, and why working on this program collaboratively was an attractive proposition to both parties
•How this deal augments AbbVie’s Oncology pipeline
•What value and differentiated value proposition both companies believe TNB-383B could bring to patients
