What Does Judo Have to Do with Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Life Science Investing?

The Smart Money in Life Science Investing is Smart Everywhere, Including the Supply Chain and Manufacturing.

The Pandemic taught us that “just in time” and “lean” processes are easily and thoroughly disrupted when multiple environmental changes take place. 

If a product or technology involves novelty or materials and components critical to the product but not easily acquired or produced, that has the potential to extend development timelines, delay manufacturing transfer, time to market and ultimately adds risk that is ultimately unacceptable for investors. For example: distribution of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine demanded temperatures that required liquid oxygen for transport, it was a huge issue.

How do you reduce that risk? Make sure your team has the right expertise in manufacturing and supply chain then learn to play Judo with suppliers.

What attendees will learn

• Where are the supply chain and manufacturing landmines that generate risk investors may find unacceptable?
• How can investors mitigate those risks and when?
• At what point in the innovation process does manufacturing strategy need to enter the conversation and why?

Panelists

Mike Fisher, Director of Product Development, GCMI

Samir Merchant, Director of Global Procurement, Avanos

Robin Pennisi, Director of Supply Chain Programs, Avanos

Paul Snyder, VP, Healthcare, Write2Market (moderator)

Life Sciences to the Cellular Level: A Chat with Mason Chilmonczyk, CEO and Co-Founder, Andson Biotech and Jason Rupp

• South Carolina: David Stefanich, CEO, Rymedi
• Alabama: Robert Agnew, CEO, TruSpin

Room A – Biopharma & Diagnostics 
Room B – Medtech & Healthtech

Douglas E. Kelly, MD, MBA
Chief Scientist, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, U.S. Food and Drug Administration

Doug Kelly, MD joined the FDA in 2020 after a 30-year life sciences venture capital career starting, financing, growing and exiting companies spanning biotech, medical devices, robotics, laboratory tools, healthcare IT, ADME/Tox simulation and clinical trial software. At CDRH, Doug is the interface between the FDA and patient and physician groups, payors, industry, academia, innovators, investors, and other agencies and governments. His focus is on creating a more vibrant and sustainable medtech ecosystem, to bring new innovations to patients faster to relieve suffering, especially in unserved and underserved populations.

The gist: Accelerating early-stage medtech. FDA’s TAP program for Breakthrough-Designated products combines early stakeholder input, strategic advisory services, real-time communications and radical transparency to dramatically reduce the risk, time and cost of early-stage medtech while producing more financially sustainable companies and better characterized, safer and more effective products.

Doug received his BA in Biochemistry and Cell Biology with honors from University of California, San Diego, his MD from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and his MBA at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. In addition to lecturing at the Stanford GSB and Medical School, he conceived of and taught the class “Financing The Start-up,” for over a decade the Stanford’s Department of Continuing Education biggest and most popular class.

Room A – Biopharma/diagnostics (3 VCs/3 portfolio CEOs)

Room B – Devices/Three Health IT/Innovative Delivery Topics (3 VCs/3 portfolio CEOs)

Room A – Biopharma/diagnostics (3 VCs/3 portfolio CEOs)

Room B – Devices/Three Health IT/Innovative Delivery Topics (3 VCs/3 portfolio CEOs)

Top Four Companies from PitchRounds

Speakers: 

• Rachel Lane, CEO, Alabama Bio
• Maria Thacker, President & CEO, Georgia Bio/Center for Global Health Innovation
• Abby Trotter, Executive Director, Life Science TN
• Laura Gunter, President, NCBIO 
• James Chappell, President & CEO, SCBio
• John Newby, CEO, VirginiaBio