Swiss Biotech Industry: Challenges and Achievements

Date: 1 April  2011

Location :
Biopolis   l   Matrix Building   l   Level 4   l   Breakthrough Theatrette

Registration  11.45 am   l   Conference  12.00 noon

Lunch               1.30 pm   l  Sponsored by Debiopharm SA

Together with Debiopharm SA and swissnex Singapore this complimentary conference will feature some of the delegates participating in the Swiss Pavilion. In order to promote the research hub Switzerland and popularize its pioneering biotech community, they will give insight into their strategies in connection with Asian markets.

Programme:
Introduction on the Swiss Biotech Landscape
By Dr Suzanne Hraba-Renevey, Executive Director swissnex Singapore

KEYNOTE LECTURE
Biopharma Industry - Academia Partnerships, Oxaliplatin, a Blockbuster Case Study of Debiopharm SA
By Dr. Kim Bill, Vice President of Debiopharm Group

Dr. Kim Bill will share an insightful licensing and development story of oxaliplatin, a 'gold-standard' therapy blockbuster for metastatic colorectal cancer that sold over US$2.3B. Oxaliplatin was discovered at Nagoya University, Japan in 1976, in-licensed by Debiopharm and first launched in 1996. She will also look at the academic-industry partnerships models in the past and present.

Other speakers

Mr. Mourad Nemra, Vice President of Biopôle AG, will give a short presentation on Biopôle, a Park situated in the north of Lausanne that offers you a strategic location for the ‘tailor-made’ development of research life science activities in the Geneva’s lake region. Furthermore he will focus on the importance of creating a network of scientific parks to help companies located in their campus to develop beyond national borders.

Mr. Allen Moradian, Global Operations Manager at MD Biosciences, will give insight into a privately-owned Swiss company bringing preclinical discovery through innovative science and technology within both the pharmaceutical and the biotech sectors. He will approach this subject from the perspective of an international service provider.

Mr. Thomas Kehl, Head of the Strategic Business Unit Materials Characterization at Mettler Toledo AG, will describe the challenges of doing business in Asia. He will briefly deal with cultural differences, organizational aspects and specific needs for products and services in Asia.

REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT OBLIGATORY

REGISTRANTS WILL RECEIVE POST LECTURE HANDOUTS

FROM KEYNOTE SPEAKER