From in-licensing to partnerships to outright acquisitions, the historical divide between pharmaceutical and biotech companies is increasingly closing. The appropriate intersection of small and large molecule businesses, however, is a subject of debate within the industry. This panel will therefore address the growing convergence of pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and ponder the value of the increasingly “blurry line.”

Questions Addressed in this Panel:

• What factors have led to the relative attractiveness of biotech acquisitions vs. in-licensing in recent years?
• What impact will this integration have on the current commercial model for both pharma and biotech?
• What are the implications for drug development? Is this a sustainable model?
• What is the market for standalone biotechs in the future?

Confirmed Panel Speakers Include:

• Rick Edmunds, Partner, Booz & Co.
• Kumar Srinivasan, Vice President, Business Development, Liscensing, Wyeth
• Hui Liu, Senior Director, Worldwide Business Development, Pfizer
• Henry Rath, Director, Licensing & Acquisitions, Amgen
• Alan Hartman, Head of Americas M&A, Bank of America Merrill Lynch Securities
• Nancy Chang, Chairman & Managing Director, Asia, OrbiMed

The current economic downturn is causing many to wonder whether traditional financing models are broken.  Limited access to capital and increasingly conservative risk profiles leave companies across the health care industry struggling to determine the best way to fund and fuel growth.  This panel will bring together a mix of financial experts to discuss how companies can and are succeeding financially despite the current environment.

Questions Addressed in this Panel:

• How are established companies thinking about R&D investments given a slower economy?
• How are younger firms thinking about getting capital given a limited IPO market?
• Who are the emerging players in financing R&D and what kind of financing structures are they introducing? How do these players think about risk?
• What innovative financing structures are emerging as alternatives to the traditional model? Have any proven more successful than others?

Confirmed Panel Speakers Include:

• Simon Gisby, Moderator, Managing Director, Deloitte
• Mike Gaito, Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co.
• Dennis Purcell, Senior Managing Director, Aisling Capital
• Brad Vale, Vice President, Head of Venture Investments, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation
• Raymond Falci, Managing Director, Cain Brothers & Company LLC

Health care reform is inevitably a hot topic, but particularly one of great speculation with the new Obama administration.  While the stressed health care system will demand some changes in the next few years, the current financial crisis only exacerbates the question of how and when health policy and legislation will evolve.  This panel will provide a forum for debate across health care stakeholders as to where policy developments are likely to take place.

Questions Addressed in this Panel:

• What are the key health care policy changes that are likely to be implemented?
• What reforms are feasible given current budget constraints?
• Who will be the winners and losers under the new administration?
• What will likely occur regarding key policy issues such as Medicare, reimportation, and insurance coverage?

Confirmed Panel Speakers Include:

• Michael Conway, Moderator, Director, McKinsey
• Dr. Steven Udvarhelyi, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, Independence Blue Cross
• Kevin Gorman, Managing Partner, Putnam Associates
• J. James Rohack, MD, President Elect, American Medical Association
• Len Nichols, Director, Health Policy Program, New America Foundation

Medical device companies are increasingly considering the world outside the US in their growth strategies.  From research and development to new patient markets, the international market is providing tremendous opportunities and challenges.  This panel will address the issues device companies consider as they weigh the potential benefits and limitations inherent in entering evolving international markets.

Questions Addressed in this Panel:

• How are companies incorporating emerging markets into their overall strategy?
• Where are the next geographic frontiers in the device world, from R&D to patient populations?
• What are the biggest challenges companies are facing when entering emerging markets?
• What strategies have proved most successful in combating these challenges?

Confirmed Panel Speakers Include:

• Peter Lawyer, Moderator, Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group
• Steve Murray, President, Craniomaxillofacial Division, Synthes
• Shane Gleason, Abbott Vascular, Director, Marketing
• Flavia Pease, Finance Director, Johnson & Johnson Medical Brazil
• David Fischell, CEO, Angel Medical Systems

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