Tuesday, May 18
9:00 am Recommended Workshop*
W1: Bridging the Digital Divide: Navigating and Executing Life Science and Digital Partnerships
*Separate registration required. See workshop page for details.
10:30 am Session Break - View Our Sponsor Pages
11:00 am Chairperson's Remarks
Anna Maroney, PhD, Vice President & Head, Alliance Management, AbbVie
11:05 am KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: LIVE: Internal Collaboration: Best Practices for Partnering with Business Development – Lessons from the Trenches
Cindy Warren, Vice President, Business Development, Global Neuroscience and Japan Region, Janssen Business Development, Johnson & Johnson
Edward (Teddy) Reed, Senior Counsel, Business Development Law Group, Johnson & Johnson
A documented culmination of compromises. Or as it is affectionately referred to – “The Final Executed Agreement." The journey to that final product is one that entails a well-coordinated internal collaboration between many stakeholders, and the ability to recognize the anticipated value is critical. This session will explore the advantages of early partnering between alliance management and business development to optimize the execution and success of an external collaboration.
With apologies to Steven Covey, we present seven habits highly effective alliance professionals develop and practice to deliver the services stakeholders value most. The uncertainty of the economy and wholesale changes in how business is done means we must reimagine how alliance management is implemented, and its value measured and communicated. Learning and practicing these habits help alliance professionals thrive in our next normal.
12:05 pm Insights from Evolution of Boehringer’s Alliance Management Model
Stefan Walke, Global Head of Alliance Management, Boehringer Ingelheim
Partnerships with external innovators represent a key pillar of Boehringer’s R&D strategy. As the portfolio of partnerships grew substantially, the accompanying AM model also underwent significant changes, including strategy, operational setup and responsibilities. I will discuss some of the underlying drivers, benefits/limitations and learnings that triggered the evolution in order to ensure a fit-for-purpose alliance management model in a dynamic environment.
12:25 pm Session Break - View Our Sponsor Pages
12:55 pm Interactive Breakout Discussion Groups
In this session, attendees join in a Zoom Room discussion. Each room will have a moderator to ensure focused conversations around key issues within the topic. The small group format allows participants to informally meet potential collaborators, share examples from their work, and discuss ideas with peers. Discussion topics and moderators will be listed on the website.
TABLE 1: The Value of Alliance Management
Jan Twombly, President, The Rhythm of Business
Demonstrating the value of alliance management services can be challenging, especially when not directly connected to revenue generation. This roundtable looks at the essence of alliance management and asks:
- What are the alliance management services stakeholders value the most?
- In what ways do you measure and report alliance management activity?
- How would you like senior management to describe the value of alliance management?
TABLE 2: The Pros and Cons of Centralized AM: Fit for Purpose Operating Models
Elizabeth Rex, Associate Director, Alliance Management & External Innovation, Janssen R&D
Whether building a new AM team or evolving the current, how to we strategically position the Alliance Leaders for success. This round table will discuss the following:
- What are the benefits/drawbacks of centralized vs. regional based Alliance Leaders?
- Impact on communication and ‘partner of choice’
- Discuss decision processes and culture. How do we position AM within an organization?
1:40 pm Chairperson's Remarks
Joy Dicker, Senior Director, Strategic Alliances and Program Management, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, Mount Sinai Health System
1:45 pm Launching a New COVID Alliance during the Pandemic
Irina Furman, Associate Director, Alliance Management, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners
At the height of the COVID pandemic in New York City, Mount Sinai Health System launched a three-way manufacturing and commercialization alliance based on an innovative antibody test for SARS-CoV2. Alliance management was instrumental in working with a newly formed biotech startup and a large diagnostic manufacturing company to get the partnership off the ground in record time. The presentation will review some of the opportunities and challenges of this unique collaboration in an extraordinary business environment.
2:05 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Lessons from Creation of ‘Warp Speed’ COVID-19 Treatment Alliances
Panel Moderator:
Anna Maroney, PhD, Vice President & Head, Alliance Management, AbbVie
The global response to the pandemic has significantly impacted the way our industry engages with each other to produce new therapies and investigate existing treatments. With development of a vaccine at warp speed and global access in near sight, it’s important to reflect on what new solutions have worked, where we can demonstrate more flexibility and where we can improve in the flaws uncovered during this unprecedented time.
Panelists:
Steven Twait, Vice President, Alliance & Integration Management, AstraZeneca
Brigid McTague, Vice President, Planning, Resourcing and Partnerships, Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Carrie Helland, Senior Director, Global Alliances, Vir Biotechnology
2:45 pm Interactive Breakout Discussion Groups
In this session, attendees join in a Zoom Room discussion. Each room will have a moderator to ensure focused conversations around key issues within the topic. The small group format allows participants to informally meet potential collaborators, share examples from their work, and discuss ideas with peers. Discussion topics and moderators will be listed on the website.
TABLE 3: Alliance Leadership after M&A: Virtual Integration, Managing New Partnerships
Harry Atkins, Senior Director Alliance Management, Global Strategy and Corporate Development, Incyte
Tayseer Ghazzouli, Senior Director, Head of Alliance Management & IC Support, Immunology TA, Janssen R&D
Lisa Keough, Director, Alliance Management, Eli Lilly
During these unprecedented times, the role of alliance leadership is paramount to delivering value on external innovation in our new virtual world. This round table will examine the following discussion points:
- Why is alliance management becoming more involved in M&A and integration activities?
- What new approaches are needed as we pivot from face-to-face interaction to virtual engagement?
- Following deal close, how do you integrate and deliver value on new partnered assets?
TABLE 4: Establishing Alliance Management as a Strategic Brand in Your Organization
Carrie Helland, Senior Director, Global Alliances, Vir Biotechnology
Gabriella Salvatore, Head, Solution Design & Innovation, Vantage Partners
Cheryl Marr, Business Development Associate & Alliance Manager, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
Building your Alliance Management function so that it is viewed as a strategic and value-adding partner within your organization is a difficult task. This roundtable looks at how Alliance Management can build up its brand and asks:
- In what ways can Alliance Management demonstrate value throughout alliance lifecycles?
- How can Alliance Management effectively communicate its value so that it is viewed as a strategic partner in the organization?
- What makes an Alliance Management team a “partner of choice”?
3:30 pm Close of Day
Wednesday, May 19
9:55 am Chairperson's Remarks
Brent Harvey, Director, Alliance Management and M&A Integration, Eli Lilly & Co.
10:00 am The Value of Pre-Deal Alliance Management Leadership
Joseph Russell, Associate Director, Alliance Management & Innovation Center Support, Janssen Research & Development
External innovation is a critical driver for many company portfolios, and the pre-deal space is fraught with potential inefficiencies in getting from a business opportunity to a business outcome. We will see how Alliance Management Leadership tailored to the unique needs of the pre-deal space unlocks hidden value for all parties involved through intentional and deliberate stakeholder engagement and partnering.
10:20 am Driving Increased Efficiency in Industry – University Partnerships
Mai-Tal Kennedy, Principal, Vantage Partners
Joseph Havrilla, Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Office of Industry and Economic Partnerships, University of Pittsburgh
As COVID-19 has highlighted, accelerating the translation of breakthrough science from the academic bench to real world, impact has never been more important. University of Pittsburgh and Vantage Partners recently interviewed leading research universities and leading R&D biopharma organizations to identify the key enablers of effective industry-academic alliances. During this presentation we will review the enablers identified, and how they were put into practice by the University of Pittsburgh.
10:40 am Session Break - View Our Sponsor Pages
11:00 am Interactive Breakout Discussion Groups
In this session, attendees join in a Zoom Room discussion. Each room will have a moderator to ensure focused conversations around key issues within the topic. The small group format allows participants to informally meet potential collaborators, share examples from their work, and discuss ideas with peers. Discussion topics and moderators will be listed on the website.
TABLE 5: Best Practices for Managing a Large Alliances with Many Programs
Joy Dicker, Senior Director, Strategic Alliances and Program Management, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, Mount Sinai Health System
Aida Bendt, Director, Head of Alliance Management Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca
Adam Kornetsky, Principal, Vantage Partners
Janice Lin, Assistant Director, Corporate Partnerships, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures
Managing large partnerships with multiple internal and external stakeholders is challenging and requires governance, clear roles and responsibilities and aligned business/operational guidance. This group will explore strategies to overcome the challenges and complexities of such alliances.
- Creating and managing complex governance systems
- Aligning internal stakeholders
- Information sharing across the organization
11:45 am PANEL DISCUSSION: Reshaping the Sponsor/CRO Relationship: Strategic Drug Development Partnership Benefits and Challenges
Panel Moderator:
Mark Lane, PhD, Head, Center for Global Drug Development, PRA Health Sciences
The growing biotech segment and increasing resource constraints for companies of all sizes combined with the need for innovative and flexible approaches to development is driving the growth of strategic alliances between pharmaceutical companies and service providers. Success requires a change in mindset and reshaping the traditional customer and service provider relationship. This session explores the benefits and challenges of this evolving landscape from both the Sponsor and CRO perspectives.
Panelists:
Philippa Whitelaw, PhD, Vice President, Operations, PRA Health Sciences
Michele Schmidt, Vice President, Global Clinical Operations and Planning, Daiichi Sankyo
12:15 pm Session Break - View Our Exhibitor Booths
12:45 pm KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: LIVE: Virtual Alliance Launch Best Practices
A robust launch is the most efficient way to set up a relationship for success. COVID has pushed many of us to navigate the unique challenges of effectively launching an alliance virtually. Even in the post-COVID world, we expect elements of the virtual ways of working to persist. During this presentation, Vantage will share best practices from our experience in launches – whether it’s virtual, in-person or a combination of the two.
1:30 pm Alliance Management’s New Realities: How Bayer Overcame Barriers to Partnering during a Global Pandemic
Michael Kennedy, PhD, Senior Director, Business Development & Licensing, Alliance Management, Bayer AG
In this session, you will gain insights from Bayer’s experiences and approaches to partnering – from first meetings, through deal negotiation, execution, and alliance launch – entirely in a virtual setting. Lessons learned from recent deals will be used to illustrate what works well (and what does not) when trying to reach agreement within an organization and between that organization and a potential business partner when no one is in the same room.
1:50 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: Continuous Improvement: Alliance Management Best Practices to Drive Ongoing Partnership Success
Panel Moderator:
Brent Harvey, Director, Alliance Management and M&A Integration, Eli Lilly & Co.
Join this panel to gain tips and lessons to improve alliance management within your organization. Explore best practices to employ from pre-deal to deal execution and kickoff to ongoing relationship management including managing challenges (cultural and other) to global alliances, identifying potential issues early on to avoid downstream problems, maintaining internal stakeholder alignment, mechanisms for issues escalation, and more.
Panelists:
Pamela Rizos, Director, Strategic Alliances, Merck
Shantanu Mittal, Associate Director, Alliance Management, Alliances, Guardant Health
Keith Haney, Vice President, Development Operations, Ligand Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
2:20 pm Interactive Breakout Discussion Groups
In this session, attendees join in a Zoom Room discussion. Each room will have a moderator to ensure focused conversations around key issues within the topic. The small group format allows participants to informally meet potential collaborators, share examples from their work, and discuss ideas with peers. Discussion topics and moderators will be listed on the website.
TABLE 6: The Importance of Change Management to Support Successful Alliances
Aida Bendt, Director, Head of Alliance Management Oncology R&D, AstraZeneca
Mark Lane, PhD, Head, Center for Global Drug Development, PRA Health Sciences
Richard Vatcher, Head, Alliance Management, GlaxoSmithKline
Alliances more often than not involve partners with different cultures and ways of working. There is also typically an urgency to getting work on the programs or projects involved. As a result, change management, which is critical to success, is often overlooked or minimized in the interest of getting down to business. This group will explore change management strategies and how they can impact alliance success.
- How can change management impact alliance success?
- Why do 70% of change management programs fail?
- How can fit for purpose change management help improve alliance performance and success?
3:05 pm Close of Conference