With recent waves of patent expirations and pursuits of similar therapeutic targets, there is the need to discover, adapt, and deliver new treatments in the biotechnology space. This panel will discuss innovation- and competition-related challenges faced by biotechnology firms as they compete in this next stage of health care evolution.

• What are sources and types of uncertainties for emerging biotechnologies?
• Do emerging technologies provide a way to create new barriers to entry and/or to establish differentiation?   
• Do alliances play a role in the future growth and sustainability of this niche industry?
• What are the difficulties in attracting investment with emerging technologies? 
• What forces in the market make these technologies attractive and unattractive from a commercialization perspective?
• What are the potential near-term social issues arising emerging biotechnology?

Panel Speakers:

• Moderator, Charles Beever, Vice President, Booz Allen Hamilton
• Stuart Pollard, Vice President, Scientific Business & Strategy, Alnylam
• John Clarke, Managing General Partner, Cardinal Partners
• Kim Popovits, President and Chief Operating Officer, Genomic Health, Inc.
• John P McLaughlin, CEO & Director, Anesiva
• Franz F. Hefti, Chief Scientific Officer, Avid Radiopharmaceuticals, Inc.

The evolution of health care information and its use across the health care value chain has the potential to achieve unprecedented efficiency gains.  This panel will show how large corporations and start-ups alike are approaching the information equation.  Our panelists will offer insight into the intersection of information, quality care, and profits.

• What are the various business models that are using data and information in the health care services industry?
• What are the key challenges faced by providers, consumers, payors, and others that can be addressed by data and information?
• Where will new data and information have the most sustainable impact and provide the greatest value?
• How can the new use of information improve quality and efficiency of health care delivery?
• What has changed in the past five years that has increased the momentum of the use of data and information in health care services?
• What are examples of markets that don’t exist today but which will be areas that players in the industry will compete on in the future as a result of new data and information?

Panel Speakers:

• Moderator, Steve Van Kuiken, Director, McKinsey & Company
• Jonathan Bush, CEO, President and Chairman, athenahealth
• Andy Slavitt, Chief Executive Officer, Ingenix
• Anthony Gabriel, Vice President, DaVita
• Keith R. Dunleavy, President & CEO, MedAssurant
• Michael G. Bronfein, Senior Managing Director, Sterling Partners

Health care has become a major platform issue for Presidential and Congressional candidates in the upcoming 2008 election.  The proposed changes to the health care system are quite varied and extensive.  This panel will explore how major players in the M&A industry (including strategic buyers, private equity funds, and hedge fund investors) are planning for these changes.

• How will different presidential health care proposals affect the areas and/or timing of investments?
• How have you protected your existing operations or investments from proposed changes that are being contemplated?
• What areas do you believe will be most adversely affected by the different health care proposals?
• Which areas of health care are poised for growth regardless of the outcome of the elections?
• Which Congressional elections are you watching most closely, and why?

Panel Speakers:

• Moderator, Ted Kennedy, Jr., President, Marwood Group
• Gerald Adolph, Senior Partner, Booz Allen Hamilton
• Kevin Molloy, Portfolio Manager, Satellite Asset Management
• Walter Jin, Portfolio Manager, SAC Capital
• Hui Liu, Senior Director, Worldwide Business Development, Pfizer
• Andrew Bressler, Bank of America

The medical device industry has witnessed in recent years a vibrant M&A activity. Leading corporations put much focus on expanding their portfolios and entering new therapeutic areas through gaining stakes in start-ups. This panel will explore the considerations behind large corporations’ investment decisions, and will provide perspectives on post-merger integration models in the industry.

• What attributes do medical device corporations look for in start-ups they acquire?
• What developmental stages does a start-up need to go through in order to be considered an attractive target for acquisition?
• What type of integration models best leverage both the corporation’s marketing muscle and the start-up’s innovative spirit?

Panel Speakers:

• Moderator, Matthew Collier, Partner, Bain & Company
• Rick Gennett, President, Trauma Division, Synthes
• Tom Crowley, Managing Director, FBR Capital Markets
• Bob Hopkins, Managing Director, Medical Technology Equity Research, Lehman Brothers
• Aradhana Sarin, Executive Director, Global Healthcare Group, UBS Investment Bank
• Aileen P. Stockburger, Vice President of Worldwide Business Development, Medical Devices & Diagnostics Group, Johnson & Johnson

For many years, life science venture capital firms were focused on creating a diverse investment portfolio with a notion that early stage VC had relatively higher returns.  However, recent trends in the life science space have led to a sharp increase in the number of late-stage investments due to their decreased risk and shorter time to exit.  This panel will address what the new paradigm of life science venture capital is, who the new players are, and how best to position oneself as an early stage company.

• Is the recent decline in early-stage investing a short-term trend or a fundamental change in investment strategy?  What are alternative investment strategies that firms may adopt?
• If early stage venture capital declines, which new players will emerge to drive innovation?  How will the role of academia change?
• With changes happening in the pharmaceutical industry, have expectations for exit opportunities changed?
• What can an early-stage company do to differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive VC market?
• Who will be the new players in the industry over the next 5-10 years?
• How does the stage of investing differ between corporate and boutique VC firms?

Panel Speakers:

• Moderator, Tom Salemi, Senior Staff Writer Windhover Information Inc.
• Rishi Gupta, Private Equity Principal, Orbimed
• Asish Xavier, Vice President, Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation
• Stewart Hen, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
• Brenda Gavin, Founding Partner, Quaker BioVentures
• Bruce Peacock, Venture Partner, SV Life Sciences

Facing an increasingly challenging business environment, pharmaceutical companies have been exploring fresh opportunities in high-growth economies. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) are particularly interesting target markets given their robust economic development. This panel will address the question companies consider as they weigh the potential benefits and limitations inherent in entering these evolving markets.

• Is the potential to enter the market early worth the risk to intellectual property?
• Who can (or will) pay for drugs in these markets and how does that affect the marketing strategy?
• How will companies instill strict safety standards overseas to meet regulatory requirements?
• What is the preferred growth strategy to enter these markets?
• How do companies plan to deal with the infrastructure challenges they are likely to encounter?
• With many companies shifting R&D capability to the emerging markets, what are the long-term R&D goals?

Panel Speakers:

• Moderator, David Gilman, Managing Director, The Frankel Group
• Terry Hisey, Vice Chairman, Deloitte Consulting
• Robert Brown, Executive Director of International Marketing, Eli Lilly and Company
• Saeed Motahari, Divisional Vice President & General Manager of Marketing Analytics & Business Insights, Abbott Laboratories
• Eric Rothstein, Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives, Vaccines & Infectious Disease, Merck & Co., Inc.
• Cindy Warren, Senior Director of Marketing, APJLA, Centocor Inc.