BioTrinity 2015 Highlights Resurgence in Life Sciences Funding and Examines Key Industry Themes and Challenges

LONDON, May 12, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

New models for innovation and a booming investment climate are major themes to be addressed at BioTrinity 2015, the leading European Biopartnering and Investment Conference. The conference, now in its ninth year, and second in London, has brought together keynote speakers, presenters and delegates from across biotechnology, life sciences, medtech and pharma with more than 950 delegates including 160 investors to examine the key dynamics in the industry today.

Dr Jon Rees, CEO of OBN, said: "Last year saw a resurgence in investment in life sciences with $2.9bn raised in the UK alone. This has created a new impetus in the industry and a greater capacity to advance new products and technologies across therapeutics, diagnostics and devices. At the same time, we are seeing the emergence of exciting new models of partnership and interaction between the pharmaceutical companies and innovation sources in both academia and industry.

"This environment will be addressed by high profile speakers as will some of the challenges  and issues which remain - investment in Europe versus the US, where the next generation of innovative discovery companies will come from, and how to address large indications."

Keynote speakers at BioTrinity 2015 include Karen Akinsanya, MSD, Rafaèle Tordjman, Sofinnova Partners as well as Jos Rijntjes, Phillips, who will keynote the inaugural MediTrinity conference running in parallel with BioTrinity.

Karen Akinsanya, Associate VP & Head of Early Assessment for Business Development & Licensing, MSD, said, "New scientific partnerships are a critical part of our strategy for growing and advancing our pipeline of therapies to address unmet medical and patient needs.  We are actively seeking opportunities to collaborate with forward-thinking leaders in biotech, academia and venture capital with a particular focus on identifying breakthrough innovation at its earliest stages."  MSD is establishing Business Development & Licensing hubs in North America, Europe and the Far East focused on finding the best-of-biomedical science.  "Through our new European hub, based in London, we are exploring all opportunities with a strong scientific rationale-across all therapeutic areas and modalities."

Rafaèle Tordjman, Managing Partner at Sofinnova Partners, said: "From biotech with companies like DBV Technologies, ProQR, or MedDay, to medtech with Corevalve, Shockwave Medical, or Mainstay Medical, Sofinnova Partners has a 40 years history of backing visionary entrepreneurs and help them build successful companies around market breaking technologies. Capitalizing on our privileged position in the European biotech industry, I will discuss the challenges of today's early stage financing, and explore the keys of success in this new biotech environment."

Jos Rijntjes, Head Commercial Operations, Handheld Diagnostics, Healthcare Incubator, Philips said: "The healthcare industry is currently undergoing great changes. Increasing decentralization is creating a demand for far greater innovation and for new models of reimbursement. The dedicated MediTrinity sessions at BioTrinity will present industry and investors with the opportunity to discuss these themes with leading figures in the medical devices space and to hear from some of the companies bringing forward the innovations the healthcare industry needs."

In addition to keynotes, major BioTrinity sessions for the biotech sector will address:

• Corporate Investing in 2015/2016
• How is Pharma Innovation Sourcing Changing?
• Who is Founding New Biotech Companies: Startup and Seeding
• The New IPO Reality: Europe vs US
• What Opportunities are Created by M&A, Consolidation and Innovation Hubs?
• How to Get $500m Upfront
• Valuing Early Stage Therapeutic Assets
• Can Venture Capital Finance Major Indications like Alzheimer's, Cardiac Diseases and Stroke? And Build Larger Biotechs around these Themes?

And the major MediTrinity sessions for the medtech sector will cover:

• What Makes Early Stage Medtech Investible?
• What Motivates Angel Investing in Medtech?

About OBN 

OBN is the Membership organisation supporting and bringing together the UK's emerging life sciences companies, corporate partners and investors. Our 380-plus Member companies are located across the Golden Triangle and beyond to Nottingham, Manchester and Scotland and benefit from our networking, partnering, purchasing, advising and advocacy activities.  OBN is best known for its delivery of BioTrinity (10^th Anniversary Edition: April 25-27, 2016), Europe's leading life sciences investment and biopartnering conference - also see http://www.biotrinity.com. Further information about OBN's tailored networking and partnering events, purchasing consortium, advice, consultancy services and advocacy activities is available on OBN's website http://www.obn.org.uk .

Contacts
OBN
Jon Rees, CEO
Tel: +44(0)7795-233883
Email: [email protected]

For media interview requests contact:
Katja Toon
Tel: +44(0)7789-435-990
Email: [email protected]

Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Sylvie Berrebi
Tel: +44(0)7795-197-271
Email:  [email protected]

SOURCE OBN