Day 1 – Wednesday 3rd May
09:00 LSX Welcome Address
Adam Griffiths, Senior Conference Director, Biotech Lead, LSX
09:05 Assessing Biotech Investment Trends in 2023 & Beyond
Cody Powers, Principal - Portfolio & Pipeline, ZS Associates
09:30 Panel: Building Global Biotech Leader of Tomorrow – Shaping the Next Phase of Europe’s Booming Biotech Ecosystem
A tectonic shift in the biotech financing environment in recent years reached an all-time high of $104.7 billion, as biotech IPOs reached record levels in 2021 – 143 offerings totalling $19.3 billion. Fast forward through 2022, listings have dried up, valuations have dropped, and companies are faced with more difficult access to both private and public capital leaving some companies facing existential challenges. The unforeseeable geopolitical environment along with the post-pandemic landscape created difficult market conditions and new challenges, leaving the industry faced with more uncertainty in the immediate future; the skills to navigate these unprecedented challenges will be essential for the biotech C-suite. Executives of Europe’s leading life biotech companies, investors, and key stakeholders discuss the next wave of new challenges facing biotech leaders in 2023 and beyond, evidence of Europe’s successes, and potential improvements of the industry to strategically build an ever-stronger globally competitive powerhouse.
Moderator: Mark Dorff, Partner, Brown Rudnick
Ryan Richardson, Chief Strategy Officer, BioNTech
Nanna Lüneborg, General Partner, Forbion
Andrew Levin, Managing Partner, RA Capital Management
Laura Lane, VP, Venture Sciences (Europe Head), Eli Lilly
10:30 Morning Break
CAPITAL MARKETS & INVESTMENT
11:10 Panel: Leading the Way in Today’s Global Investment Landscape – New Innovations, Strategies and Future Outlook
It’s no secret that the funding environment took a major shock and reset in 2022. However, no matter what the current geopolitical climate or state of the capital markets, innovation continues at ever-increasing speed and this innovation needs funding. Investors continue to raise record breaking levels of capital from LPs through new and recharged funds, so will 2023 see an upturn? Unexpected events create unexpected challenges, and unexpected challenges breed new opportunities. Leading investors discuss the global investment landscape and shifts in public and private finance, as well as what they expect 2023 and onwards to hold.
11:50 Cureline’s journey from the US to Europe, setting up R&D in Lithuania
Hear firsthand from Cureline, a leading human biospecimen CRO, that recently decided to invest in Lithuania. Get an exclusive insight into:
12:10 Panel: Investing in the New Landscape – Future Directions in Neurodegenerative Disease
Recognition that aging populations will give rise to new healthcare needs, and heightened awareness of mental health issue, is bringing renewed focus to neurological health. Dementia is the most common degenerative neurological condition in the United States, with most cases coming from Alzheimer’s disease. In 2021, 653 clinical development programs for medicines to treat neurological diseases, 43% of which are for neurodegenerative medicines. An expert panel discusses the investment needed to overcome these obstacles and explore the future of NDD research financing and commercialisation.
PARTNERSHIPS & DEAL MAKING
11:10 Panel: The Next Era of Vaccinology: How Partnerships are Shaping the Future of Infectious Diseases
It has been a landmark year for vaccines with continued development of next-generation platforms and vaccines for unmet needs. What comes next? Opportunities to develop global partnerships and collaboration is clearer than ever. A panel of trail-blazing experts share experience and insights and on the future of this technology and wider therapeutic area of infectious diseases.
12:00 Panel: Future Horizons in Oncology Therapeutics and Global Deal-Making
Approved cell therapies have generated more than $2 billion in sales, and with novel oncology drugs being launched at an increasing rate there is more opportunity today for oncology partnering than ever before.. New technologies and techniques offer the potential to address diseases with significant unmet needs (such as solid tumors, which represent more than 90 percent of adult cancers) and non-oncological conditions., however significant challenges remain which hinder a broader use.CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT & COMMERCIALISATION STRATEGY
11:10 Go-It-Alone or Partner? A Review of First Launch and Partnering Trends
In Europe or the US, more than a 100 emerging biotech and pharmaceutical companies have commercialized themselves for the first time since 2011. Should we launch ourselves, co-promote, our out-license in key regions? This is one of the most strategic set of choices facing development-stage biotechs. What has been the experience of first-launch companies in rare disease, oncology and other therapeutic areas? How are companies adapting to a more challenging funding environment? We will share an insight and benchmark-packed short presentation to set the stage for an expert panel discussion. This is a must attend session for companies considering commercializing themselves. We will discuss:
Ben Hohn, Principal - Pharmaceuticals & Biotech, Emerging Pharma Lead, ZS Associates
11:30 Panel: First Launch and Partnering Trends
12:00 Panel: Biotech Valuation Tips, Tricks & Best Practices – Increasing the Value of your Company
Biotech companies with little to no revenue can still be worth billions. Despite facing some stiff headwinds, the biotech sector remains a strong engine for innovation, and small and emerging companies account for more than 50% of the current research and development pipeline. In uncertain times, with a market downturn and difficult geopolitical situations, how can a biotech company look to increase its value?
Moderator: Katy Georgiadis, Senior Consultant, Halloran Consulting
Sven Kili, CEO, Antion Biosciences
Duncan Young, Head of Business Development, Redx Pharma
Bev Carr, CBO, Amphista Therapeutics
Giulia Vestri, Head of Business Development, Azafaros
12.50 Lunch Break
14:00 Panel: Early-stage Investment: What’s the New Normal for Biotech Funding?
Venture-capital funding and valuations for biotechnology start-ups remain high despite economic turmoil. For emerging biotech start-up companies, funding is one of the first challenges they will face and can influence the long-term success of a company. Spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, new approaches to treating cancer, inflammatory diseases and other conditions have arrived, but how are they being sourced and funded?
A panel of expert early-stage investors with a keen eye for innovation discuss the latest innovations that excite them, their advice for biotech execs, and best practice in raising funds and positioning yourself as a leading, young company.
14:50 Panel: What I Wish I Had Known When Taking Assets to the US Market
Entering new markets comes with many challenges; intellectual property (IP) licensing, transactions, agreements – the list goes on. Entering the US market is becoming a strategic consideration ever-earlier in the growth process for many biotech companies, and experience, knowledge, and effective due diligence in navigating the whole process can save time, money, and headaches down the line. A multi-stakeholder panel will discuss how companies and their investors can optimize their IP portfolios for entry to the US, ensure long-term success in securing capital from investors, prepare for licensing and transactions, and minimize litigation risk.
14:00 Panel: Accelerating Gene Therapies for Rare Disease Patients – Where Are the Bottlenecks & How Can We Overcome Them
New partnerships continue to emerge within the gene therapy field, but the past year has also flagged distinct development challenges that need to be overcome. Experts from pioneering companies and leading pharma the way to pinpoint these obstacles and explore how we can address them to bring gene therapies to patients more quickly, safely, and effectively:
14:40 Debiopharm’s unique partnering approach to maximise patient access across the globe
With an emphasis on both in- and out-licensing, Debiopharm’s unique approach to forming partnerships bridges the gap between disruptive discovery products and real-world patient reach. With strong experience in clinical development manufacturing, attend this presentation to hear:
Sandra von Meier, Head BD & Licensing, Debiopharm International
15:00 Panel: Immuno-Inflammation: A Doorway to New Partners and Therapeutic Areas
Various dysfunctions in the immune system are the underlying cause for many health conditions, thus researching the mechanisms that drive these diseases can provide new insights across multiple therapeutic areas, ranging from neurodegenerative to cardiovascular diseases. Immuno-inflammation can also serve as a starting point leading to non-traditional partnerships between pharma, biotech, and research organisations. This panel gathers companies active in immunology & inflammation, discussing how they use this cross-indication response to identify R&D opportunities and inform their BD strategies.
14:00 Ensuring A Swift And Successful Launch - Early Commercial Innovation & Planning
It may have previously been the norm to focus on clinical development and to leave commercial thinking to a bigger partner. However, as more and more companies choose to go it alone, or to do later stage deals, there is a need for asset owners to have a more granular understanding of their target market, the needs of their stakeholders, and the evidence required to ensure successful uptake and long-term differentiation
14:40 Fast-Tracking Drug Development Through Understanding Key Decision Factors When Outsourcing to CRO
CRO have operated on a business model which predominantly focused on serving as external service providers for manufacturing mature pharmaceuticals, however in recent years a dramatic shift in business models have occurred. CRO have increasingly become leaders of innovation and are covering more areas of the Drug Development pipeline from discovery and pre-clinical through the clinical phases to post commercialisation – but what does this mean for biotech and pharma?
Jette Cowan, Head of Commercial – Pharmaceuticals, RSSL
15:00 Panel: Optimising the Value of your Asset For Entry Into the US and EU/UK Markets
Achieving a commercial transatlantic presence as a biotech company requires gaining regulatory approvals, and a successful launch of the product on the markets. The development of a clear roadmap with the right strategy to overcome challenges will increase the value of your assets and can dramatically reduce the time taken to reach market.
15.40 Afternoon Break
16.20 Afternoon Keynote: Pharma’s New Era
16.50 Panel: Hold on to Your Hats And Dust Off Your Chequebooks: Pharma BD and M&A Outlook in 2023 and Beyond
In today’s business of drug development, lucrative deals and newly formed partnerships can be just as important as scientific breakthroughs. Many of today's most influential medicines, from the life-saving cancer treatment Keytruda to the anti-inflammatory agent Humira, might not have become so without mergers and acquisitions. Over the last few years, pharmaceutical M&A hit record highs as larger companies turned again and again to young biotechs for innovation. While recently we have seen a modest rebound after a slow start in 2022, whether M&A activity continues will have a significant effect on which startups and drug programs get funded and advanced. Global leaders of pharma business development and M&A discuss the current climate, shifts in M&A strategies, the most exciting new areas of innovation, and their future outlook.
17:40 Drinks Reception
Day 2 – Thursday 4th May
09:00 LSX Welcome Address
Adam Griffiths, Senior Conference Director, Biotech Lead, LSX
09:05 New Approaches to Partnering with Novo Nordisk
Together with our partners, Novo Nordisk is committed to driving change in how the world sees, prevents, and treats diabetes, obesity and other serious chronic diseases. Taking the company in a new strategic direction requires an enhanced and renewed focus on partnering
09:30 Panel: Biotech Leaders - Building a Galvanizing Culture & Successful Transatlantic Biotech
Growing a successful biotech into a lasting transatlantic business is no easy feat, and culture within an organisation can be its success or downfall. How do we build management teams and leadership structures to create an inspiring company culture, one that is felt throughout the business and lasts into the future? A multi-biotech panel discusses best practices, insights, and pro-tips into building an inspiring company with a growth mindset.
10:30 Morning Break
CAPITAL MARKETS & INVESTMENT
11:10 Panel: Mitigating Risks and Attracting Rewards – How To Capitalise and Spot Innovation
The past three years saw venture capitalists invest $52 billion into therapeutic-based biotech companies globally, with $35 billion of this going into startups with transformative platform technologies. This session explores how investors evaluate “the next big thing” and what biotech founders with novel or innovative technologies can do to put their best feet forwards.
Moderator: Paul Ainsworth, Director, Sterne Kessler
12:00 Panel: Navigating the Public Markets – Adapting to Shift in Dynamics
US biotech stock prices declined toward the end of 2021, following a bull run that started in 2020. Investors who had recently rejoiced in positive clinical news from public companies now fled from risk. Small-cap exchange-traded funds (ETFs) struggled against ETFs skewed toward mid- to large-cap biotechs. Although the recent downturn has been less severe for businesses with commercial-stage assets, most have been negatively affected.
PARTNERSHIPS & DEAL MAKING
11:10 Panel: Emerging Pharma Deal-Making Take Centre stage – Shifts in Focus and New Opportunities
An increasing number of new and emerging deal makers at small pharma continue to make their mark, and with a shift towards commercialising products to serve orphan populations and specialist-treated conditions in recent years. While industry giants dominate the news, how are the Heads of BD and M&A at growing and emerging pharma viewing the landscape? A panel of top emerging pharma dealmakers discuss focus, strategy, and vision for becoming a lead player in the industry.
11:50 Boehringer Ingelheim’s Research Beyond Borders
Effective partnering of emerging science to bring therapeutic innovations to unserved patients.
12:10 Panel: Early-Stage Pharma Partnering – Building a Strategy For Success
Partnerships with early-stage companies often spark some of the most innovative research and development collaborations in the healthcare industry. As breakthrough science continues to come from emerging biotech, the dynamics of innovation continue to evolve. The size, scale, expertise and connections of big pharma is still critical to the ecosystem, but are strategies changing? Pharma execs discuss how they are supporting innovation, sourcing and forming networks, and continuing to work to form win-win deals to partner with next wave biotechs.
CAPITAL DEPLOYMENT & COMMERCIALISATION STRATEGY
11:10 Panel: Planning for CGT Commercialisation: It Starts Sooner Thank You Think
Every decision throughout cell and gene therapy preclinical development is an opportunity to ensure future commercial success. From anticipating supply needs to planning ahead for commercial scale-up, what are the major factors that influence commercial readiness for these therapies at every stage?
12:00 Panel: Attract, Retain, Develop – Building a Leading Executive Team & Board
Recruiting and attracting talent remains a key priority and increasing challenge as companies grow and the industry matures. Competition for roles with the right experience or training is higher than ever and with an increasing demand for hybrid or virtual workforce, how can biopharma organisations ensure the right people for their organisations. Executives discuss and tackle the biggest challenges in attracting, retaining talent and building out boards.
12:50 Lunch Break
14:00 Panel: Diversity & Inclusion in Biotech and Pharma – Optimising Internal DE&I Processes to Create an Inspiring & Inclusive Workplace Environment
Diversity and inclusion within biotech and pharma, remain behind most other industries for DEI initiatives. With a hunger for companies to create new initiatives which can bring them closer to a more diverse and all-encompassing organisation, this panel will take a deep and candid dive into strategies and best practices for pharma and biotech companies looking to improve their diversity efforts across all areas of their businesses.
15:10 Panel: Preparing for the Return of the Biotech IPO – 2023 and Beyond
Whether your planned listing date is six or 16 months away, communications play a critical role in a successful IPO — up to and beyond listing day — and need to be executed with precision. The financials are important, but any business is much more than a balance sheet. Investors care about the story behind the company, what’s driving success quarter over quarter and year over year, the priorities informing your business, the core values of your company, the quality metrics, and the leadership team powering the mission forward. For biotech and healthcare companies considering the public markets in 2023, the time to execute on IPO-readiness communications efforts is now. A major consideration for any company, executives who have taken their businesses public in the US discuss the decision and timing their listing, how they managed during in a period of huge disruption and travel restrictions and key success factors in taking European companies to Nasdaq.
16:00 Close of Congress
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