Despite the global financial turndown, the Swiss biotech industry has remained strong and dynamic in 2009. While the annual turnover increased 7% compared to 2008 to reach CHF 9.3 billion, Swiss biotech companies were successful in raising more than CHF 370 million.
Yet the economic turmoil has indubitably impacted the biotech industry. How will biotech entities operate now? What changes can be foreseen in terms of financing opportunities? Do processes and management have to be adapted and how? What factors will be key to keep the whole sector thriving?
This BioFirst, organized in collaboration with Merck Serono and Ernst & Young, will explore the challenges faced by the biotech industry in the post-financial crisis era and which new salient features will be critical for success in the future in the biotech world.
Note : Registration to this event is required for logistical reasons. Registration is open until Friday June 4th.
Welcome speech by Tomas Roztocil, Manager External Relations, Merck Serono
Presentation of the Ernst & Young's 2010 Biotech Report "Beyond Borders 2010 - Ernst & Young's Global Biotechnology Report - The new normal" by
((( Jürg Zürcher Biotech Industry Leader for EMEIA Ernst & Young
((( Mark Hawkins Partner Audit Services Ernst & Young
Panel moderated by Mark Hawkins and Jürg Zürcher, with
((( Andrea Pfeifer CEO of AC Immune "AC Immune : from mouse to man in four years. The key factors behind a thriving biopharmaceutical company"
Dr. Andrea Pfeifer is CEO of AC Immune, which she co-founded in 2003. As former Head of Nestlé's Global Research in Lausanne, Switzerland, she has extensive senior management experience leading the development of the first Functional Food and Cosmoceutical Products. During this time she also co-founded the Nestlé Venture Capital Fund, a € 100Mio. Life Sciences corporate venture fund. She serves as Chairwoman of the BioMedInvest AG Investment Fund, on the board of Sygnis Pharma AG and holds a professorship from the EPFL, Lausanne. Prof. Pfeifer is a registered Pharmacist and Toxicologist and author of more than 200 papers and abstracts in leading scientific journals.
((( Ernest Loumaye Co-founder and CEO PregLem "How PregLem business model helped during the financial drought"
Before founding PregLem SA in 2006, Dr. Loumaye (MD, PhD, OB/GYN) was the Vice President, Medical Sciences, Endocrinology, Research & Development at IPSEN in Paris. Before joining Ipsen, he had 9 years’ experience as the Head of Clinical Development for Reproductive Health (RH) at Serono, where he actively contributed to the worldwide registration of three important biotechnology products. Dr. Loumaye studied at Louvain University (Belgium), specializing in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, where he today is a visiting Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology. He has been a research fellow at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in the US and has authored more than 90 publications in peer-reviewed journals.
((( Staffan Lindstrand Partner with HealthCap "Current biotech financing trends from a VC perspective"
Staffan Lindstrand, born 1962, is a partner with HealthCap. Prior to joining HealthCap in 1997, he gained over 10 years of investment banking experience. Mr. Lindstrand received his M. Sc. in Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology of Stockholm. He serves on the Boards of Directors of several private and public companies, including, inter alia, HealthCap AB, Aerocrine AB, Biotage AB, Orexo AB, PulmonX Corporation and Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH.
((( Christoph Hüls Vice President Early Stage Licensing, Merck Serono "Update on Pharma / Biotech Symbiosis"
Dr. Christoph Hüls is since January 2010 Vice President Early Stage Licensing. He joined Merck in August 2008 and was responsible for Operational Excellence Research & Development. Since 2001 he was Chairman of the board of Protagen AG and responsible for the business areas Analytics and Bio-IT as well as marketing, sales, administration and human resources. Since 1999 Christoph Hüls was in the management at Azupharma GmbH & Co. KG, the German generics subsidiary of the Novartis Group. He was responsible for project and portfolio management. Christoph Hüls began his professional career 1994 at Hoechst AG in Frankfurt am Main. After two years in the pharma department in the therapeutic area rheumatology/immunology, he switched to the central research department. Christoph Hüls received his PhD from the Johannes-Gutenberg Universität in Mainz at the Institute of Immunology.
How to get there ? We encourage you to come with public transportation, as there is no available parking nearby. By bus : Line 1, direction « Jardin Botanique », stop « Mines » By tram : Lines 13 or 15, direction « Nations », stop « France »
