Creating a Patient-Focused Culture, Finding Financial Success and Outsourcing among the Key Topics to Be Addressed
TRENTON, NJ (October 15, 2014) - The 2nd Annual BioNJ CEO Summit, scheduled for October 20-21 at the Bridgewater Marriott, will bring together some of the most influential leaders in the life sciences industry to address the major opportunities and challenges facing the future of the sector as it works to discover and develop innovative medicines to address unmet medical needs. Just a few of the program's featured participants include Geno Germano, Group President, Global Innovative Pharma Business, Pfizer Inc.; Frank Hatheway, Ph.D., Chief Economist, NASDAQ OMX Group Inc.; Christi Shaw, U.S. Country Head/President, Novartis Corporation; and New Jersey Congressman Leonard Lance.
"The response to our inaugural CEO Summit last year was outstanding to say the least," said BioNJ President and CEO Debbie Hart. "Always remembering our rallying cry that Patients Can't Wait, we have set the bar very high for this year's program. Not only do we plan to Take It to The Top once again, we hope the Summit will help attendees gain additional insights into how to look onto the next horizon and beyond. "
The program kicks off on the evening of October 20 with perspectives on the life sciences industry that come from the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., and the world's financial capital, New York, incisive perspectives that few can provide.
In the fireside chat that evening with NASDAQ's Hatheway, Karen Young, U.S. Leader of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Assurance Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP will ask Hatheway all the probing questions about the IPO landscape and other capital formation options that are on the minds of life sciences executives.
In addition, Congressman Lance will address the current climate in Washington. Lance is the sponsor of the Modern Cures Act, proposed legislation that aims to modernize the nation's drugs and diagnostic evaluation and regulatory network by encouraging the discovery and development of new medicine for the many diseases and illness that have no or few treatment options.
"Creating a culture that puts patients first is more than a mantra, it's our mandate industry-wide," said Francois Nader, M.D., President and CEO of NPS Pharma and Chairman of the BioNJ Board of Trustees. "Some of our key goals at BioNJ that we will see in action at our CEO Summit this year include bringing together some of the great minds of our industry to foster innovation, collaboration and growth across our region, so we continue to be a transformative force for patients."
On the morning of October 21, the program gets off to a rousing start when Hart interviews Pfizer's Germano on the current terrain and future direction of innovation and healthcare. Some of the interesting topics to be covered will include convergence of science and technology in the discovery process; our evolving healthcare ecosystem and new partnerships; and how innovation and outcomes deliver value to health systems.
Recognizing that companies must analyze challenges and proactively engage in diverse and dynamic collaborations to drive innovation, Novartis' Shaw will address one of the most important issues affecting biopharmaceutical leadership today: Staying Ahead of the Curve to Elevate the Patient Experience.
Creating a patient-focused culture of excellence will be the focus of a discussion between Mark Alles, President and COO, Celgene Corporation, and Julie Kampf, CEO and President, JBK Associates International, Inc. Celgene's rise to the top of the industry is linked directly to its ability to bring innovative therapies to patients that also reduce the financial costs of illnesses and diseases to society. Attendees will hear how companies can build a patient-driven culture and achieve peak success.
Meg Tirrell, CNBC biopharmaceutical reporter, will bring her astute industry insight to her role as moderator of the panel "Charting the Right Path; Finding the Good Footholds." Tirrell will interview a panel with years of experience leading and guiding startup and early stage companies, including Ron Bentsur, CEO, Keryx BioPharmaceuticals; Chris Garabedian, President and CEO, Sarepta Therapeutics; Germano; and Nader.
Despite the volatility in equity markets, there have been fertile areas in the financial markets that have helped seed, sustain and grow the life sciences industry in 2014. The initial public offering (IPO) market for biotech companies continued to build on the strong 2013 momentum and enjoyed a strong start with more than 40 IPOs in the first half of 2014 alone. Even so, many industry observers question whether public markets will continue to fund pre-revenue business models and for how long.
Bringing together the perspectives from a variety of biotech financiers from large banks to boutique shops, the panel "Finding Fertile Ground in the Financial Markets" will review the lessons learned during the latest IPO window and look to the horizon for what might be ahead for companies in search of funding in the public markets. Morgan Lewis Partner Steve Cohen will moderate a panel, including CEO Summit Chair Al Altomari, President, CEO and Director, Agile Therapeutics, Inc.; Kevin Davies, Managing Director, Co-Head of Healthcare Investment Banking, RBC Capital Markets; Michael Gaito, Managing Director, JP Morgan Healthcare Investment Banking; Tony Gibney, Managing Director, Leerink Partners LLC; and Michael Margolis, R.Ph., Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking, Roth Capital Partners, LLC.
Picking up on the successful discussion from the inaugural CEO Summit, the panel "Diving Deeper into Outsourcing" will take a closer look at the financial and logistical benefits to be gained from outsourcing, and assess what strategies companies should implement for future success. Moderator Doug Plotkin, Director, Strategy & Operations at Deloitte, will be joined by Gerald Melillo, President, Sales Services, PDI, Inc.; Glen de Vries, President, Medidata Solutions; Mike Griffith, Executive Vice President, InVentiv Health; and Jonathan Arnold, Vice President and General Manager, Catalent Pharma Solutions.
Registration for the event is $550 for members of BioNJ, Delaware Bio, LES, NewYorkBIO, NJTC and Pennsylvania Bio; and $750 for future BioNJ members. To register, please visit www.BioNJ.org or call (609) 890-3185.
About BioNJ
With nearly 400 member companies, BioNJ is focused on the growth and prosperity of New Jersey's life sciences cluster. Founded in 1994 by New Jersey industry CEOs, BioNJ serves as the voice of companies located in New Jersey, seeks to advance their economic growth and development and works to encourage new and established companies from around the world to locate in New Jersey. BioNJ represents companies engaged in biopharmaceutical, biomedical, bioagricultural and bioremedial endeavors.