Walking the Razor's Edge: Disclosure, Transparency, and Reputation in the Era of Sunshine 

Against the backdrop of health care reform, pricing scrutiny, and new legislation such as the Sunshine Act, bioscience companies are responding to calls for transparency. They are now revealing their ties to the medical community on a regular basis. Both BIO and PhRMA have responded with pathways for conduct and major health professional organizations have outlined policy recommendations.

Companies have responded to these calls for transparency by opening up their records and sharing annual payments to researchers and institutions starting at $50 per transaction, as well as expenses for third-party grants, consulting, and promotional efforts. 

This session will focus on the need for increased industry transparency, the long-term implications of disclosure, and best practices for implementation. It will also examine the effect that this level of disclosure has on the reputation of stakeholders including companies, doctors, medical institutions, and others. 

Moderator:

Fritz Bittenbender
Vice President, Government & Corporate Affairs
Cephalon, Inc.

Panelists:

Diane Bieri (Presentation)
Executive Vice President and General Counsel
PhRMA

Matthew Cabrey
Senior Director, Corporate Communications
Shire Pharmaceuticals

John Murphy
Director for State Health Policy
Biotechnology Industry Organization

Richard Pasternak
Former Head Global Scientific Affairs and Scientific Leadership
Merck & Co., Inc.
 

Compliant Communication: Who's Listening (and Who's Talking)? What You Say Can be Held Against You

The era of controlled communications is over. Social media has opened up an increasing number of communication channels to any and all employees. Anyone within a company can now instantly transmit information about their companies, products, or pipelines. At the same time, regulatory agencies around the world, including the FDA, are increasing their scrutiny of off-label promotions and adverse event reporting. 

This situation sets up an inherent clash between communications from companies and their employees and the regulatory bodies.

This panel will feature leading regulatory and legal experts from biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostic companies, who will discuss the challenges of meeting FDA and other regulatory rules in the era of instantaneous communications through social media. 

Moderator:

Lizanne Wentz
Director, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
Incyte Corporation

Panelists:

Debra Dunne, Esq.
Partner
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP

John Murray
Owner
Grayscale Compliance

Michael Parks
Executive Vice President, Public Relations & Marketing Communications
Vox Medica

Thomas Sanford
Worldwide Vice President, Public Affairs & Communication
Johnson & Johnson
 

New Bioscience Entrepreneurs: The Strategy Behind Positioning for Investors and Partnering

Emerging companies usually have the difficult task of needing to focus simultaneously on advancing the science, building the business,and attracting funding. In this panel, startup CEOs, investors, and the financial media will discuss how communicating scientific achievements, business development milestones, and the strength of the team can be key to positioning a company to attract capital and partnerships.  The panel will focus on helping emerging and established bioscience firms explore how they can better leverage corporate communications to achieve strategic goals, including:

• Developing and refining your elevator pitch
• The three things every VC wants to see (and hear about)
• Fielding tough questions from VCs, shareholders, patients, and other stakeholders
• Who is listening, and via what media?
• The importance of communications: simplifying the message, timing, and consistency as the company grows
• Messaging to potential partners to attract non-dilutive investment and achieving industry validation

Moderator:

Gil Bashe
Executive Vice President, Health Practice
Makovsky + Company

Panelists:

Morgan Conn, Ph.D., CLP
Senior Director, Business Development
PTC Therapeutics, Inc

Blaine Davis
Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Endo Pharmaceuticals

Peter Loftus
Reporter
Dow Jones Newswire

P. Sherrill Neff
Partner
Quaker BioVentures