Agenda

Topic: The capital markets that supporting the advancements in biotech and life sciences are evolving. This session will explore the current landscape of the capital markets, examining investment patterns and innovative financial strategies in healthcare. Industry experts will share their insights on the impacts of economic shifts, regulatory changes, and technological innovations on market conditions.

Moderator: Dean Miller, PACT, President and CEO

Panelists:

• Hany Awadalla, LifeSci Capital, Managing Director and Head of Investment Banking

• Amit Gandhi, Wharton School, Senior Fellow, Uber and Airbnb, Senior Economics Advisor

• Michael Nguyen, Banc of California, President, BofCal Asset Management

Topic: This panel focuses the challenges and benefits of integrating AI/ML solutions to drug development. Industry experts will discuss current and future applications, the impact on workflows, and where more work is needed.

Moderator: Bob Pearson, The Next Practices Group, Chair

Panelists:

• Mark Silverman PhD, AbbVie, Director, Digital Lab and Omnichannel Strategy, Gastroenterology

• Paul Buckman, US FDA, Director, Online Media

• Colin Hill, Aitia Bio, Co-Founder & CEO
  

Topic: As organizations grow, attracting, retaining, and fostering skilled professionals is crucial to sustaining growth and driving innovation. Expert panelists will discuss the development of staffing plans, and best practices for talent development and retention, and options to fill talent gaps in resource-constrained organizations.

Moderator: Rita Johnson-Greene, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine, Chief Operating Officer

Panelists:

• Lauren Celano, Propel Careers, Founder and CEO

• Rebecca Grant, City of Philadelphia, Senior Director of Life Sciences & Biotechnology

• Kate Rochlin, In8Bio, Chief Operating Officer

• John Balchunas, National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), Workforce Director

Grant Mitchell, MD, MBA, is Co-Founder and CEO of Every Cure. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, operator and investor in the areas of health, technology, and machine learning. He has launched multiple health tech companies and operated in the CEO role in life science and tech organizations. Previously, Dr. Mitchell was a Principal in Analytics at McKinsey & Company’s artificial intelligence division, QuantumBlack. There he led teams that pioneered the use of machine learning algorithms and real world evidence databases to predict health outcomes in subpopulations by drug type. Dr. Mitchell was an integral part of the effort to support Dr. Fajgenbaum in the search for the cure of his own rare disease, and further collaborated with Dr. Fajgenbaum on the CORONA project. Every Cure is the culmination of Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Fajgenbaum’s experience in rare disease research, drug repurposing, and advanced analytics. Dr. Mitchell earned a BA in economics from New York University, MD from the University of Pennsylvania, and MBA from the Wharton School.

Matthew Burkhardt is a biotech industry expert and scientist and is currently serving as the first Director of B.Labs at Cira Center, a life sciences incubator in University City, Philadelphia.A Haverford native, Burkhardt most recently was an independent consultant in biotechnology and chairs the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of the Schinzel-Giedion Syndrome Foundation in the U.K. He previously worked with RxCelerate, Ltd., a top asset development group that is based in the U.K. with a U.S. presence. Burkhardt was involved with discovery and development programs in central nervous system disorders at Merck and iPierian/True North Therapeutics before consulting in the innovation and startup ecosystem in San Francisco. He began his career in the labs of Elizabeth Blankenhorn, PhD, at Drexel University and Kathryn Saatman, PhD, at the University of Pennsylvania. A 1999 graduate of Davidson College, Burkhardt did post-graduate study in Life Sciences at the University of Oregon for two years.

Laurie had a 25 year career in financial services and was President of Los Angeles-based fixed income software firm Capital Management Sciences/IDC Fixed Income Analytics. Diagnosed with incurable Stage IV follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma at the age of 46 in 2006, Laurie spent 12 years in continuous cancer treatment.  She had seven different lines of therapy including 3 clinical trials, but the first 6 therapies failed to produce complete remission.  In 2018, as her seventh treatment, she received CAR-T in a clinical trial and finally achieved a complete remission where she remains today.

Laurie spends considerable time assisting cancer patients navigating the challenges a cancer diagnosis brings. She is a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) First Connection volunteer, an LLS Public Policy Volunteer Advocate, an LRF Patient Ambassador and a CRI ImmunoAdvocate.

Laurie was a Russian language and International Relations major at Colgate University. She resides in the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles with her husband, Ben, and they have a son, August who graduated from college in Washington D.C. in May 2022. August was in kindergarten when Laurie was diagnosed and spent his entire elementary, middle and high school years with a mom in cancer treatment.

This panel will delve into the vital role of patient advocacy in indication selection, funding research and development, and drug access. Speakers will discuss strategies for drug developers to address underserved patients. How can innovators align the interests of payers, manufacturers, investors, hospitals, and patients to create a more inclusive and effective healthcare ecosystem?

Moderator: Mike Walsh, Patient Advocacy Strategies, Founder & CEO

Panelists:

• Josh Argall, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Father, Patient Advocacy Strategies, Vice President of Engagement & Operations

• Joan Chambers, Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development, Senior Consultant

• George Eastwood, Emily Whitehead Foundation, Interim Executive Director

• Chris White, Mucosal Melanoma Survivor, Thriver, & Advocate, Self-Published Author & Inspirational Speaker

Learn from seasoned biotech founders and investors as they navigate the current capital markets landscape and explore alternative or creative financing strategies. This panel will delve into different funding sources and operating models, managing cash flow, and leveraging financial instruments to sustain momentum. How are venture capitalists strategizing their investments and where do "new funds" fit within the ecosystem amidst fundraising challenges?

Moderator: Scott Hansen, Banc of California, EVP, Head of Life Sciences Venture Banking

Panelists:

• Owen Smith, 4Bio Capital, Partner

• Tom Olenzak, Cigna Ventures, Managing Director

• Lazar Bojic PhD, Curie.Bio, Head of Investor Network

• Rose Ritts PhD, Managing Partner, Black Venture Capital Consortium (BVCC)

Explore the forefront of biotech innovation this panel showcasing emerging biotech companies in the greater Philadelphia area that are leading the charge in novel modalities. Attendees will gain insights into the latest trends and opportunities in cell and gene therapy (CGT), RNA-based therapies, and cutting-edge delivery systems.

Moderator: Bruce Peacock, SV Life Sciences Advisors, Venture Partner, Interius Biotherapeutics, Founder

Panelists:

• Brian McVeigh, Code Bio, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder

• David Garrett, iECURE, CFO

• Peter Ghoroghchian MD, PhD, Latus Bio, CEO

• Nick Siciliano PhD, Vittoria Biotherapeutics, CEO

• Sophia Lugo, Radar Therapeutics, CEO