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Partnered Events

FT Live and Syneos Health - Funding Biopharma Innovation

June 26, 2024
Cure, 345 Park Avenue South, NY, NY 10010

Introduction

Strategies for investing in drug development and commercialization

Major breakthroughs in healthcare – from cell and gene therapies (CGT) to mRNA vaccines – have highlighted the power and value of investing in biopharma innovation. CGT alone could be worth US$80 billion by 2029. However, in an industry where an estimated 90% of clinical drug development fails, biotech firms and start-ups need to stand out from the competition to appeal to investors looking for a solid return on investment.

There are deals to be done for biotech firms with the right therapeutic innovations. Big pharma companies are eyeing emerging start-ups as they seek to replenish their drugs pipeline before exclusivity rights on top-selling products expire. Investment firms are also looking to fill gaps in their portfolios. In the US, investor sentiment is improving because of a rebound in stock prices, expectations of a cut in interest rates and a boom in mergers and acquisitions in the sector. However, investors remain cautious about backing earlier stage and riskier companies.

The Financial Times, in partnership with Syneos Health, is bringing together investors, biotechs and big pharma for part two of the Funding Biopharma Innovation series. Join us in person in New York or online as we explore how to create the competitive advantage that enables emerging biotechs to stand out from their peers. Gain insights into the innovative strategies being adopted by biotechs to increase the probability of successful drug development and commercial uptake; and learn how investors in biotechs are achieving positive returns.

Funding Biopharma Innovation Agenda

8:45 AM - 9:30 AM EDT (45 Min)

Registration and networking breakfast

9:30 AM - 9:35 AM EDT (5 Min)

Welcome remarks

FT Chair Oliver Barnes US Pharmaceutical and Biotech Correspondent, Financial Times

9:35 AM - 10:35 AM EDT (1 Hour)

Panel discussion: Securing capital to advance a biotech asset

  • What types of biotech innovations are exciting investors today?

  • Which therapeutic areas are attracting interest and capital?

  • And why are some therapeutic areas more investable than others?

  • How is interest rate stability and large pharma’s intention to replenish revenue and pipeline gaps affecting deal making and biotech innovation?

  • What models do stakeholders involved in bio and pharma funding and innovation find most appealing?

  • How can biotech innovators stand out in a competitive environment?

Panelists:

  • Rohan Ganesh Partner, Obvious Ventures

  • Neel Patel Executive Managing Director and Head, Commercial Advisory Group, Syneos Health

  • Heather Schwoebel CBO, Antibodies and Strategic Collaborations, Alloy Therapeutics

  • Oliver Barnes US Pharmaceutical and Biotech Correspondent, Financial Times

10:35 AM - 11:00 AM EDT (25 Min)

In conversation with the FT: Creating a strategy to maximize asset values

  • How do you create a strategy that maximizes your asset values and enables you to achieve optimum results at each stage of drug development?

  • What are the benefits of establishing a market entry and commercialization strategy early on in development?

  • How can you attract capital by working with development partners?

  • What should you look for in an asset development partner during the funding process

Panelists:

  • Narasimhan Mani Chief Corporate Development Officer, Head of Specialty Pharma, Rising Pharmaceuticals

  • Lee Taurman Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial Strategy and Solutions, Syneos

  • Health Oliver Barnes US Pharmaceutical and Biotech Correspondent, Financial Times

11:00 AM - 11:25 AM EDT (25 Min)

Fireside chat: An investor’s perspective of the drug development pipeline

  • What are the trends for private equity investment in the pharma and biotech sector?

  • How is the biotech venture capital model changing?

  • And how do the development failures of the past shape investor sentiment of the future?

  • What do financiers consider when deciding whether to invest in a pharma or biotech company?

  • Why is it important to support traditionally underfunded and underrepresented start-ups?

  • How do investors ensure that academic spin-offs and other start-ups are truly globally competitive and create value?

Speaker: David Greenwald Vice President, Business Development, Deerfield Management Moderator: Oliver Barnes US Pharmaceutical and Biotech Correspondent, Financial Times

11:25 AM - 11:30 AM EDT (5 Min)

Closing remarks

Oliver Barnes US Pharmaceutical and Biotech Correspondent, Financial Times

11:30 AM - 12:00 PM EDT (30 Min)

Networking