Welcome to BioMarketing Insight's monthly newsletter.  

Next week, June 18-21st, 2012 is the BIO Convention here in Boston. This is the largest global meeting for the Biotech Industry, four action-packed days of lectures, panel discussions, and networking meetings. For those of you who will be there, I will be highlighting some of the more interesting sessions to attend and for those who are unable to attend; here is an overview of some of the topics.  

Read on to learn more about this topic and other current news. On the right are quick links to the topics covered in this month's newsletter. The next newsletter will be published on July 16th.                                                                                                     

We encourage you to share this newsletter with your colleagues using the social media icons at the top left or by simply forwarding the newsletter via email.

Please email me, Regina Au, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions.

Sincerely,

Regina Au

Principal, Strategic Marketing Consultant

BioMarketing Insight 

This global event for biotechnology will bring more than 15,500 professionals to Boston from 65 countries for four days of partnering, networking, and sharing ideas that drive innovation. The event consists of Key Note Meetings, Super Session, Breakout Sessions, BIO one-on-one partnering with 4,000+ companies and a chance to visit 1,800+ exhibitor companies. There will be many opportunities for post-session networking both at the convention center and in the local area sponsored by various organizations and companies.

It will be an exciting event. I hope to see you there at my breakout session on June 21st at 10:00 am to 11:30 am in room 258B. See you there.

For more information on BIO, click here. Here are some of the highlights for the various meetings:

I. Keynote Meetings:  

1) State of the Global Economy: A Conversation with Former Secretaries of the Treasury Robert E. Rubin and Henry M. Paulson, Jr.

Tuesday, June 19: 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Ballroom, Level 3

BIO President & CEO Jim Greenwood will moderate a conversation between former Secretaries Rubin and Paulson, Jr. on global economic challenges, the need to balance austerity and growth and how these challenges and public policy reactions will affect biotechnology innovation and investment in the years ahead.

Robert E. Rubin, Secretary of the Treasury (1995-1999) 

 
Henry M. Paulson, Jr., Secretary of the Treasury (2006-2009)

Moderated by: James C. Greenwood, President & CEO, Biotechnology Industry Organization

2) Biotech and Big Pharma - What's Next?

Wednesday, June 20: 12:00 - 2:00 pm   

Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Ballroom, Level 3

A panel of top industry executives will discuss where biotech will be in the next ten years and how the pharmaceutical industry landscape is changing. With the biotech and pharmaceutical industries facing both considerable challenges and tremendous growth opportunities, attendees can expect to gain valuable insights into the future of biotech and big pharma.

Joshua Boger, PhD, Founder and CEO (Retired), Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Moderator)

Rachel K. King, Chief Executive Officer, GlycoMimetics, Inc

Christopher Viehbacher, Chief Executive Officer, Sanofi, Chairman, Genzyme

H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, Human Genome Sciences

II. Super Session

III. Breakout Sessions:

There are 125 Breakout Session that are divided into 13 different categories. While it would be impossible to list them all, I will highlight a number of categories of interest and one session in each category.

1)      Achieving Regulatory Approval and Compliance

a) 1107 - Interchangeable Biosimilars: Distinguishing Between Aspiration and Achievement  

2)      Biotech Patenting and Tech Transfer

a) 1117 - IP Issues Affecting Biomarkers, Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine

3)      Drug Discovery and Development

a) 1127 - New Frontiers in Brain Disease

4)      Finance

a) 1249- New Business Models for Project Based Development of Drug Candidates.

5)      Global Innovation and Markets

a) 1143 - Emerging Markets Become Strategic Markets: Biotech Looking Internationally for R&D, Manufacturing, and Market Opportunities

6)      Health Policy and Reimbursement

a) 1151 - Exploring the Accountable Care Organization (ACO) World: Interaction between Patient, Payors and the Pharmaceutical Industry

7)      International Case Studies

a) 1161- Brazilian Innovation Model

8)      Personalize Medicine and Diagnostics

a) 1188 - Using Systems Biology to "Fast-Track" Development and Approval of Novel Therapeutics and Diagnostics

DNA Origami, courtesy of the Wyss Institute..

Since the discovery of DNA Origami in 2006, scientists have been experimenting with it for all types of applications. Particularly, "if you sequence DNA's four bases the right way, they will bind together naturally, allowing researchers to craft complicated shapes that fold together on their own."

Researchers at Harvard's Wyss Institute are using this method to develop self-assembling, self-destructing drug delivery vessels. They developed an open DNA tube with a hinge on one side, allowing it to be filled with a drug and then locks.

For the full story in FierceDrugDelivery, click here.   

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Nineteen Medical Device and Nineteen Pharma/Biotech Funding Deals

To determine whether funding is picking up, I will be focusing on all types of funding that are $1 million or greater in seed investments and series A or B (or the valley of death) that are pre-IPO. Even though VCs are investing, they continue to invest in their existing portfolio companies and less in start-ups. Incubators, state funding, and business competitions are great for initial seed money but not enough to keep the company going long-term.  These are worldwide funding deals. 

Partnerships and licensing deals with upfront payments and milestones will not be included.

Funding deals are in chronological order by date.

$0 = No financial terms disclosed. For more information, read  more....

Funding deals are in chronological order by date.

$0 = No financial terms disclosed. For more information, read  more...     

Acquisitions continue to be made for both medical device (18) and pharma/biotech (7). Covidien continues to acquire companies with two purchases this month.  Private Equity Firms Avista Capital Partners and Clessidra Capital Partners purchases 50% stake in Rottapharm, an Italian drugmaker.   

Acquisitions are in chronological order by date with Medical Device/Diagnostics followed by Pharma/Biotech.

$0 = No financial terms disclosed. For information on specific companies, read  more ....

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About BioMarketing Insight

We help companies de-risk their product development process by conducting the business due diligence to ensure that it is the right product for the right market and the market potential for the product meets the business goals of the company. We can then develop marketing strategies to drive adoption for the product.

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