By Karen Deyo, Senior Investor Research Analyst, LSN
For many therapeutics companies, acquisition by a Big Pharma is the most sought-after exit scenario. The big question always is: how do startups get there? The Big Pharma panel at RESI Boston, taking place on Wednesday, Sept 11th, looks to answer this, and other, questions. The panelists will discuss how to get in front of the right people at a Big Pharma, the different types of partnerships and collaborations that can be a first step towards potential acquisition, and even how Big Pharma companies may be expanding beyond traditional therapeutics.
We are excited to announce the panelists participating on the Big Pharma panel at RESI Boston. Moderated by Guillermo Yudowski, Principal Investigator, External Portfolio Innovation Unit (EPIU) at Biogen
Guillermo Yudowski serves as Principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Neuronal Cell Biology (LNCB) and the External Portfolio Innovation Unit (EPIU) in Biogen. As member of the EPIU, Guillermo represents Biogen externally to establish a global network with industry and academia fostering partnerships and collaborations focused on developing innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Prior to joining Biogen, Guillermo held various academic appointments at The University of Puerto Rico and the University of California San Francisco where his research focused on understanding fundamental aspects of neuronal function. He was a visiting scientist at Pfizer, the Weizmann Institute and is recipient of several honors including been selected as Pew Latin American fellow.
The panelists are:
Javier Cote-Sierra, Head of External Innovation Inflammation & Immunology at Sanofi
Javier is the Head of External Innovation Inflammation & Immunology. Before joining Sanofi, Javier was Senior Director External Science & Innovation Inflammation & Immunology Research Unit at Pfizer. Prior to joining Pfizer, Javier was the Director of Immunology at the GSK Center for Skin Biology. Javier joined GSK from Hofmann-La Roche where he was Senior Scientific Investigator, in the Respiratory, Inflammation & Autoimmunity department. Javier started his career in the Immuno-Inflammation TA at Millennium Pharmaceuticals. Javier has a BSc in Microbiology from Universidad Industrial de Santander, Colombia, a MSc in Molecular Biology and a PhD in Immunology from the Free University of Brussels, Belgium. He completed his postdoctoral studies in Immunology at NIAID, NIH in Bethesda, MD.
Mark Stencik, Executive Director, Business Development & Licensing, Boston Innovation Hub at Merck
Mark has more than 17 years of industry experience mainly focused in business development and licensing. Mark currently leads transactions at the Merck Boston Innovation Hub, which is a Business Development and Licensing team focused on early-stage therapeutics (pre-clinical proof-of-concept) as well as accessing innovative research and technologies through collaboration, licensing, or mergers and acquisitions in the academic, pharma and biotech communities. Mark has led the negotiation of various complex transactions, including Merck’s acquisition of Tilos Therapeutics and licensing deals with Skyhawk, Dragonfly, Moderna, among others. Prior to Merck, Mark spent over five years at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Business Development and Strategic Operations roles. Prior to that he spent time at Amgen in various finance roles including Treasury and Business Development & Strategy. Mark holds a B.S. in Accounting from the Pennsylvania State University and an MBA in Finance from New York University.
Jennifer Ma, Executive Director, Business Development & Licensing at Novartis
Greg Fralish, Director, Oncology Business Development at Takeda
