BIO International Convention Begins Day Two with Keynote from Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author Siddhartha Mukherjee

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The 2019 BIO International Convention, the world’s premier life sciences event, will open its second day in Philadelphia with a compelling keynote address from Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer and New York Times Best Seller, The Gene: An Intimate History.

Today’s programming will also include compelling Super Sessions and Fireside Chats with industry leaders, Start-up Stadium competition and a BioGENEius award ceremony among other inspiring content.

Hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), the 2019 BIO Convention will run through Thursday, June 6, at the Philadelphia Convention Center, convening more than 16,000 attendees and 1,800 exhibitors from 67 countries.

Tuesday, June 4 Highlights Include:

• Keynote: Siddhartha Mukherjee, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, physician and oncologist
  9:00–10:30 am | Ballroom AB
  • Siddhartha Mukherjee will be interviewed by BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood about the unique challenges and opportunities for the biotech community in developing cures for cancer and genetic diseases.
  • PLEASE NOTE: Keynotes are open to Convention Access and Partnering Attendees. Seating is first-come, first-served.

• Start-Up Stadium
  10:30 am - 1:00 pm & 2:00 - 4:30 pm | Exhibitor Hall, 3971
  Designed to provide start-up-level companies with the opportunity to engage key members of the investment community and venture philanthropy groups. BIO attendees can watch these impressive companies pitch their products to a panel of investor judges.

• BioGENEius Challenges Award Ceremony
  9:00–10:30 am | Ballroom AB
  The BioGENEius Challenges provide high school students the opportunity to compete and be recognized for outstanding research in biotechnology.

• Super Session: Digital Health in Practice: A Conversation with Ameet Nathwani, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Medical Officer and Member of the Executive Committee, Sanofi
  12:30-1:45 pm | 103ABC, Level 100
  Advances in digital and information technology are changing the face of healthcare. How does the biotechnology industry evolve to create a connected digital strategy across the drug discovery continuum? How do we evolve the “drugs plus” concept and engage with healthcare system stakeholders to make sure solutions can be fully integrated? Dr. Ameet Nathwani, Chief Digital Officer and Chief Medical Officer at Sanofi, will discuss strategies around these and shed light on how today’s strategies will enable technological advancements of the future.

• Super Session: Realizing the Promise of Gene Therapies for Patients Around the World
  2:30-3:45 pm | 103ABC, Level 100
  Gene therapies are transforming patients’ lives in ways that were unimaginable twenty years ago. With recent scientific advances, commercial gene therapies have been met with exciting opportunities for treatment for previously untreatable genetic diseases. With these advances come challenges and opportunities in scientific discovery and new approaches in delivering drugs. Attend this Super Session to gain insights and perspectives from stakeholders with experience tackling these challenges while bringing new types of treatments to patients.

• Fireside Chat: Understanding the Voices of Patients: Unique Perspectives on Healthcare
  11:00 am – 12:15 pm | 118B, Level 100
  This session will feature a conversation with patient advocates as they discuss their journeys to diagnosis and their viewpoints on our healthcare system. They will also share their perspectives on what it means to be a patient and how they are advocating in their own unique ways to achieve a common goal: bringing new treatments to patients.

• Fireside Chat: Jeremy Levin, CEO, Chairman at Ovid Therapeutics interviews Jeffrey Solomon, Chief Executive Officer at COWEN
  11:00 am – 12:00 pm | 108A, Level 100
  A conversation with Jeffrey Solomon, former President, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Investment Banking at COWEN, a global financial services firm. Currently, Solomon is also a Director of NuGo Nutrition, the manufacturer of NuGo Nutrition Bars. Solomon is co-chair of the Equity Capital Formation Task Force, a group of individuals from across the country’s startup and small-capitalization company ecosystems advocating for market structure reform to encourage job creation and growth.

• Fireside Chat: FDA Town Hall
  11:00 am – 12:15 pm | 113ABC, Level 100
  The session will be an interactive, roundtable discussion of FDA priorities followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience. Topics will include the FDA’s perspectives on critical topics such as PDUFA VI implementation; efforts to advance innovation and expedite patient access to novel therapies for serious and life-threatening conditions; novel approaches to integrating new scientific tools into FDA regulatory practices at all levels; and FDA resources and scientific infrastructure.

• Fireside Chat: Christi Shaw, Senior Vice President and President, Lilly BIO-Medicines, Eli Lilly and Company
  2:00-3:00 pm | 108A, Level 100
  For Christi Shaw “More moments for more memories” isn’t just a mantra – it’s a personal and professional mission. She leads through the lens of innovation, integrity and inclusion and brings an unwavering commitment to addressing the evolving needs of patients, in collaboration with healthcare professionals, advocacy groups, payers and policy makers.

Follow the 2019 Convention @BIOConvention and join the conversation @IAmBIOtech.

About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190604005325/en/