Strategies for turbulent times

About the event

For many Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical companies, the need to attract new investors is a constant fact of life: as they the company grows, their investment profile naturally changes. Added to this, there is the need to source investors for special one-off investments, such as financing an acquisition. Along, then, comes the credit crunch, which rather than sorting itself out, seems to be getting more and more widespread with every week that passes.

How then has the situation changed? Is this external volatility stalling growth within the industry, or is it actually creating added value for investors in Biotech and Pharma, especially when one looks at other places to invest that were previously considered as “safe as houses”.

With all this going on, what should the Biotech or Pharma company looking for new investors change in order to become more attractive? Or should they do nothing, considering this to be a problem external to the industry.

In particular, the following issues will be addressed:


• Has the credit crunch made the Pharma and Bitoech industry more attractive to investors?
• Will some funds now increase their allocation to the industry?
• What companies need to do to attract this investment
• The sources of finance that have now started to dry up and what to do about it
• The changing roles of banks, venture capitalists and private equity funds as a result of the credit crunch
• The extent to which the Venture Capital industry has benefitted/been disadvantaged as a result of the credit crunch
• The different expectations of the institutional and private investors
• The science of successful fundraising in difficult times
• The particular problems for investors of "high-risk investments" and how senior management should address those concerns
• How pharma/biotech companies need to change in order to attract new investors, for instance, explaining the science, being transparent about risk etc.
• Do investors need quicker exit strategies than were usual before?





Networking evening

One of the main reasons to attend this event is the opportunity to meet other key players within the industry, whether they be CEOs, Finance Directors, other key Directors, Consultants, Lawyers etc.

Due to the nature of this event NSEP will be particularly targeting the investors, including venture capitalists, banks, fund managers and corporate financial advisors.

The cocktail party immediately following the event (it is almost worth coming for the famous Four Seasons canapés themselves!) is the ideal place to discuss matters in a less formal environment, whether this discussion is directly related to the event topic or not.
 





Excellent speaker panel




Matthew Walls - Chief Executive Officer   Epistem Matthew joined Epistem in February 2007 as Chief Executive Officer. Matthew is an experienced CEO most recently with Oxford BioSignals Limited where he led the strategic 'diagnostic' collaboration with Rolls Royce Plc and Covance Inc and completed the recent fundraising and repositioning of the medical diagnostic business to the United States. Matthew spent the early part of his career with ICI plc progressing through the executive development programme and several senior management positions. Matthew headed up the corporate financial and commercial development of plant biotechnology at AstraZeneca plc prior to its merger with Novartis to form Syngenta plc. Matthew has led the growth and development of several technology and biotechnology companies as CEO including Internexus Limited and Zylepsis Limited. Matthew holds a non-executive role at Riyada Oxford Investments Limited and is a chartered accountant and a member of CIMA.






Dr Satu Vainikka - Chief Executive Officer   Valirx Satu Vainikka has extensive experience in the biotechnology industry, technology commercialisation, equity financing and business management. Prior to her current role as a CEO of ValiRx, she was a founder, director and CEO of Cronos. In her past roles, Dr Vainikka has successfully developed business strategies, negotiated corporate and academic transactions and raised funding for companies.






Robert Mansfield - Chief Executive Officer   Neuropharm Robert has extensive US and international experience of the pharmaceutical industry and held senior roles at SmithKline Beecham in the UK and other markets, before moving into the biotech sector in 1992. He is a past Chairman of the UK BioIndustry Association and is a chartered accountant. Robert is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the company and for leading the Executive Management Team. He liaises with the Board, the committees of the Board and is responsible for the Investor and Press relations.






Tim Wright - Chief Executive Officer   IS Pharma With over 15 years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Tim has held senior commercial positions at Pfizer and SmithKline Beecham both domestically and internationally. His most recent roles were with Elan where he was general manager for Ireland and vice president, international marketing. During his time at Elan, Tim was instrumental in the establishment, significant growth and ultimate successful divestment of their European business.

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