Biotech Showcase 2015 Kicks off in One Week

The seventh annual Biotech Showcase investor conference takes place in just over one week on January 12–14, 2015 in San Francisco, CA at Parc 55 Wyndham San Francisco - Union Square. Biotech Showcase is an investor conference devoted to providing private and public biotechnology and life sciences companies with an opportunity to present to, and meet with, investors and pharmaceutical executives. Nearly 300 investors are already registered to attend.

San Francisco is teeming with activity the week of January 12 as investors and biopharmaceutical executives from around the world present and discuss the latest in healthcare innovation during this annual gathering of the industry which is widely viewed as setting the tone for the coming year.

As a life science investor event, the highlight for investors and pharma attending are the public and private company presentations that take place over 3 days. Over 200 companies are already on board to present, and represent some of the most innovative companies ranging from discovery, to preclinical and clinical stage, to commercialization stage companies across the biopharmaceutical speciality market.

Of particular interest are companies specializing in advanced therapies and regenerative medicine, as well as companies in the immuno-oncology space. On Monday morning, 12 Januar, a special presentation entitled “Regenerative Medicine and Advanced Therapies State of the Industry Briefing” will take place. An introduction and industry update will be given by Edward Lanphier, President and CEO of Sangamo BioSciences, and the Chairman of Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM). Based in Washington, DC, ARM is a global advocacy organization that promotes legislative, regulatory, reimbursement, investment, technical and other initiatives to accelerate the development of safe and effective regenerative medicine technologies.

“Advanced therapies are on everyone’s radar screen. They represent a new paradigm in human health that has the potential to transform the future of healthcare and the treatment of diseases of unmet medical needs,” said Lanphier. “This is an area ripe with opportunities for both healthcare investors and potential pharma partners.”

Directly following, a panel entitled “Gene therapy and genome editing: Defining the clinical and commercial requirements for success” will feature CEOs and senior executives from several of the leading gene therapy companies in a discussion looking forward to the expected clinical, regulatory and commercial inflection points for the sector in 2015 and beyond. Speakers include Katrine Bosley, CEO, Editas Medicine; Thomas Chalberg, Founder and CEO, Avalanche Biotechnologies; Josh Schimmer, Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst, Piper Jaffray; Jeffrey Walsh, COO, bluebird bio; Sue Washer, President and CEO, AGTC; and Kristina Zsebo, CEO, Celladon.

The briefing will wrap up with the panel called “Dose, delivery, data: Understanding the three Ds of Advanced Therapy drug development” which will examine key issues related to advanced therapies as the field progresses over the next 12 months. Speakers include leaders in the regenerative medicine space, including Tony Fiorino, CEO, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics; Adam Gridley, President and CEO, Histogenics; Paul Laikind, President and CEO, ViaCyte, Inc; C. Randal Mills, President and CEO, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM); Robert Willenbucher, Head, Janssen Cell Therapy and Head, Janssen Incubator, Janssen R&D and Paul Wotton, President and CEO, Ocata Therapeutics.

Over 2000 executive-level delegates representing qualified private and public equity investors, industry analysts, bankers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry executives as well as other industry professionals are expected to attend.