- New Therapeutics to Improve CHF Outcomes
Congestive heart failure can affect almost anyone; today there are more than five million people in the U.S. diagnosed with CHF. The people most at risk include those who have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, heart attack, cardiomyopathy, heart valve disease, chronic or untreated hypertension, chronic kidney disease and thyroid dysfunction. Congestive heart failure is most common in elderly people, particularly those over the age of 70, a growing global population. A complicated disease of multiple etiologies, CHF presents significant clinical treatment challenges. This panel will provide an update on products in development to improve CHF outcomes.
- Targeting Seizure Disorders - a Pipeline at the Threshold of Broader CNS Opportunity
Epilepsy is a well-defined clinical category with compelling CNS targeting opportunities and significant unmet need. A panel of experts will discuss the fascinating track record in epilepsy drug development and innovation across CNS applications. What's in the pipeline today and what can we learn about drug development that will inform clinical strategy and life cycle planning?
- Pre-ASH Primer - Hematology Heavy Hitters Discuss What's on the Horizon
Hear from thoughtleaders in hematology on what’s likely to be the incremental or the category-defining data at ASH 2008 and in 2009. Where can we expect to be the greatest advances in hematology? Recent strides in the understanding of the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma, for example, have led to new drugs, clinical investigation and treatment strategies and improved survivals. This panel will take a look at current front-line treatment options in multiple myeloma and the new therapeutic options on the horizon for the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas.
- Opportunity in Osteoporosis and Bone Metabolism Disorders is Spurring Pipeline Growth
Osteoporosis is significantly under-diagnosed worldwide, and for patients with either osteoporosis or bone metabolic disorders, treatment options are limited, especially for those addressing bone metabolism. Difficulty with patient compliance, even with the newer products, requires treatment regimens that are easier to use and require less frequent administration. With baby boomers driving the size of the aging population, 2007 sales in excess of $10B, and the top-selling drugs starting to face generic competition, how will new agents in the pipeline transform the fast-growing osteoporosis and emerging bone metabolic disorder markets? A panel of industry and clinical experts will discuss the current and future therapeutic classes of drugs in the pipeline for treating osteoporosis and the metabolic disorders related to this disease, including recent clinical data, therapeutic characteristics and patient compliance factors that will drive eventual adoption and success.
- First Things First - New Approaches to Treating Fibromyalgia Are Coming into Focus But Where Do Clinicians Start?
Fibromyalgia is becoming understood as a complex syndrome of conditions where the physician and patient will likely need to work together in determining which symptoms and clinical issues get treated first and where to move from there. This discussion will focus on the clinical features of fibromyalgia, the need for a multidisciplinary treatment approach and recent advances in therapeutic management.
- Bullseye: Novel Targets in Oncology
A vast number of insights into the molecular basis of cancer and solid tumors have yielded exciting targets and a belief that the development of new cancer therapeutics will become more predictable, rational and efficient. This panel will describe emerging data on targeted therapies for cancer and how these new agents are reshaping treatment strategies. Learn more about biological targets, new drug profiles, cell cycle point of intervention, specificity and emerging biomarkers. Leading clinicians and drug developers will debate: clinical settings for these new therapeutics including first-line use and adjuvant; combination or sequential strategies; which targets are likely to prevail in cancer treatment; and the patients who may benefit from the use of targeted cancer therapies.
- Neurodegeneration - A Focus on Huntington's and Parkinson's Diseases
Damaged proteins and loss of neurons are common to all human neurodegenerative diseases. But explanations for the mechanisms that actually cause cell death have varied widely, leading researchers to ask whether neurodegenerative diseases are related or very different diseases. This discussion will highlight current research for neurodegenerative diseases, with a focus on Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, and the potential new therapeutic options in development for patients with these unmet medical needs.
- Come up for Air! What's in the Pipeline for Cystic Fibrosis?
With only two approved treatments for cystic fibrosis, no cure and no drug approved since 1997, companies (both public and private) have been jumping on the CF bandwagon. Treatments thus far have remained focused on managing the symptoms of CF and include mucolytics, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, enzyme therapies and others. With a better understanding of the genetic defect that characterizes CF and the biology of the cystic fibrosis airway, therapy is moving to a pre-symptomatic approach that targets the underlying causes of the disease. This panel will focus on the current phase 2 and 3 pipeline that may soon yield important new therapies for CF.
- Changing Paradigms in Lung Cancer Care and Advances in the Pipeline
Lung cancer still holds the distinction of being one of the nation’s top killers. With multiple targets, single and combination therapies, and maintenance therapy following platinum-based chemotherapy, the treatment paradigm is rapidly changing. Pursuing multiple targets for treatment may be cost-saving but toxicity adds another cost. Where does each therapy fit in and what's the most promising in each type of setting? This panel will focus on the latest data expected to have an impact on lung cancer treatment practices, as well as explore potential future therapeutic options.
*BIO is pleased to partner with Gerson Lehrman Group (GLG) for the Seventh Annual BIO Investor Forum Therapeutic Workshops. A number of the physician experts participating on these panels are members of the GLG Councils who educate and provide insight to decision makers through a wide range of consulting methods, including telephone consultations, expert surveys and seminars. For more information about GLG, please visit www.glgroup.com.
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- "Privately Thriving" in the Bear Market
Given the current lack of public market appetite for new life sciences offerings, companies are staying private longer and significant public capital is being put to work in private company investments. This panel will provide insights into an emerging secondary marketplace for private investment in which management can hope to attract funding from diverse public and private sources. Receive expert advice from veteran private company executives, patient VCs, opportunistic public investors and bankers on managing valuation, evaluating capital access and negotiating deal terms you and your shareholders can live with for a long time.
- One Exit Strategy Isn't Enough
The lack of IPOs in the last year has lead companies to explore alternative strategies for exit, including further rounds of financing and entertaining offers at an earlier stage. The best returns can be realized by management able to walk two or more paths at the same time. Learn from late-stage private company executives on how to explore multiple exit scenarios simultaneously and potentially enhance your returns.
- Beyond Classic M&A
M&A, the heralded exit strategy of 2008, has not only grown in popularity but in the diversity of deal structures. The company leading the deal is not necessarily the larger entity; the core asset could be a CEO; and the impetus may be a motivated shareholder, or a VC with an asset and capital looking in from the outside. This panel will discuss a range of business combinations -- including traditional big pharma with biotech; private with private; public with private; reverse mergers; spin-outs and carve outs -- that all represent New World M&A.
- An Insiders' Take on Outsourcing - Building Value Without Owning the Infrastructure
Sophisticated investors and senior executives alike are increasingly asking how the services of contract organizations can be leveraged to aggressively manage resources through preclinical, clinical and manufacturing stages of development. Focusing on corporate and financial strategy and the investor’s perspective, this panel will review case studies as well as the analytical arguments – pro and con - for outsourcing. Gain an insider’s perspective on how and when to make critical outsourcing decisions for emerging private and public companies. Whether you are a CEO, venture investor with a board seat or weighing how your investment in a public biotech may fare in a company with limited resources and a growing burn rate -- when to outsource and who to select is one of the most fundamental decisions a company can make today. This panel will focus on how to achieve and even exceed objectives when you decide to entrust your results to contractors while avoiding formidable internal investment and expense.
- Big Pharma's Wish List
With the marked decline in R&D investment & touted increase in acquisition outlook, what is big Pharma looking for from the Biotech industry and what is the preferred mode of collaboration? A panel of senior pharma business development executives and franchise heads will address recent deal flow, pipeline needs and what's front of mind for collaborations in 2009.
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