SAPA 2020 Annual Conference Goes Virtual: The Unique Role of Pharma and Biotech in a New Era

2020 is destined to be an extraordinary year. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges to the global economy and society, while also fostering a deeper awareness of the importance of life and health, thereby highlighting the unique mission and responsibility of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Against this backdrop, the theme of the 28th Annual Conference of the Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professionals Association (SAPA) has been set as “Unprecedented Opportunities and Challenges: The Unique Role of Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology in the New Era,” aiming to showcase the distinctive contributions of the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors in saving and improving human lives. Over the course of the three-day virtual conference, including plenary sessions and several parallel breakout sessions, participants will engage in in-depth discussions on this theme from various perspectives.

For 27 years, the SAPA Annual Conference has become an annual feast for pharmaceutical professionals in the United States. Thanks to the efforts of the organizing committee, this year’s SAPA Annual Conference will be held virtually for the first time. Compared with previous years, the content has not been compromised; on the contrary, free from geographical and travel constraints, more influential guests have been invited to participate. Nearly 70 leaders and senior experts from various pharmaceutical fields will deliver speeches, including Dr. Roy Vagelos, Chairman of the Board of Regeneron and former CEO of Merck & Co.; Mr. Kenneth Frazier, CEO of Merck & Co.; Ms. Debbie Hart, Chair and CEO of BioNJ; Dr. Virginia Lee, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania and recipient of the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences; Dr. Rupert Vessey, Executive Vice President of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS); Professor Yibin Kang from Princeton University; Dr. Binodh DeSilva, Vice President of BMS; and Dr. Christos Kyratsous, Vice President of Regeneron and a honoree of Forbes’ “40 Under 40” in 2020, among others.

* SAPA active members and lifetime members should have already received the coupon code sent to you via email. Please check your registered email inbox.

** We recommend that you register as a member first ($35/year) to enjoy free conference attendance, as well as event discounts and member benefits for the following year.

*** To enjoy student discounts, please register with a .edu email address.

Note: Members who have not received their coupons, or those with registration-related questions, please contact us at event@sapaweb.org or sapa2020ac@gmail.com.

Conference Dates: October 2–4, Friday to Sunday

Registration Link: https://sapaweb.org/event/sapa2020ac/

Copy the link, click “Read Full Article” at the end of the article, or scan the QR code below to register.

To express gratitude to its members and friends for their support of SAPA during these challenging times, SAPA has decided to waive membership registration fees for members and charge only a nominal fee for non-members. The Sunday investment roadshow event will be charged separately.

Full program download link:https://sapaweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/SAPA-2020-Annual-Conference-Program.pdf

The inaugural session of the Plenary Assembly will kick off with a panel discussion for female professionals in collaboration with BioNJ, where many recognized women leaders will share their experiences and insights on leadership, gender equality, career development for female professionals, and diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

The world today is facing unprecedented challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. People around the globe are eagerly awaiting the emergence of effective vaccines and better therapies to prevent and cure viral infections, underscoring the unique mission and responsibility of the biopharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. At this conference, we are honored to have invited Mr. Kenneth Frazier, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Merck & Co., Inc., along with other distinguished industry leaders, to share their experiences, perspectives, and vision in the fight against the virus. We take this opportunity to pay tribute to Dr. Roy Vagelos, Chairman of the Board of Regeneron, former CEO of Merck & Co., Inc., and renowned philanthropist, for his tremendous achievements in the medical field. He once led teams to overcome similar infectious diseases, saving millions of lives. Meanwhile, we also honor Professor Virginia Lee for her groundbreaking research on the mechanisms of complex diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, which has laid the foundation for future drug development targeting these conditions. Her contributions earned her the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences, making her a pride of Chinese scientists worldwide. Through these initiatives, we promote science, innovation, and humanitarianism, demonstrating to the world the unique role and immense potential of the biopharmaceutical industry in saving lives and improving human health in the new era.

Within just eight months, a virus caused 23 million infections and 800,000 deaths. COVID-19 has not only challenged humanity’s capacity to respond to catastrophic public health threats but also awakened the realization that science is the foundation for addressing such disasters, while sound public policies and regulatory frameworks serve as essential guideposts. This pandemic has once again demonstrated that collaboration among all relevant stakeholders—including government and society, industry and academia, and basic science and applied technology—plays a crucial role in resolving such challenges.

At the second session of the Plenary Meeting, you will hear from distinguished leaders in academia, industry, and regulatory agencies, including two recipients of the 2020 SAPA Distinguished Achievement Award, as they share their expertise and perspectives on topics ranging from basic science to drug development and the regulatory approval process. Additionally, this session will pay tribute to and express gratitude for SAPA’s volunteer services, as well as the contributions and support of SAPA members and sponsors.

CEO Forum is a traditional segment of the SAPA Annual Conference, inviting CEOs of biopharmaceutical companies to engage in in-depth discussions on the current and future challenges and opportunities facing the pharmaceutical industry. In this session, the roundtable discussion will explore corporate development trends, share insights into the future of medicine, and provide strategies related to portfolio adjustments. Topics covered in this forum will include entrepreneurship, innovation, regulatory and policy changes in healthcare, manufacturing and quality, China–U.S. financing, challenges in talent acquisition and development, and opportunities in partnerships. You will hear stories from successful CEOs in both China and the United States, along with their professional experiences and insights, and have the opportunity to receive career advice from industry leaders.

As a customized healthcare model, precision medicine tailors medical decisions, therapeutic approaches, clinical practices, and products to specific patient populations, rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all single-drug model. This conference will focus on current trends and potential applications of precision medicine in the field of drug development.

Statistics and data science are becoming increasingly important in drug development. Statisticians play a vital role throughout the entire process, from study design and trial monitoring to data analysis and drug registration and approval. As in other aspects of our lives, data science—particularly artificial intelligence—is beginning to bring transformative changes to drug research and development. At this conference, experts from the healthcare industry and health regulatory authorities will share their insights on how data science and statistics contribute to the drug development and review processes.

Storytelling is one of humanity’s oldest and most important art forms. For thousands of years, we have used storytelling for entertainment and education, sharing and transmitting ideas among individuals and across generations, thereby enhancing our understanding of the world around us. At this year’s SAPA Annual Meeting Career Development Session, we will share the essential elements of a compelling story, aiming to help you begin crafting your own impactful and authentic narrative. Please come prepared for an interactive session where you can practice what you learn on the spot. Once you master the art of conveying data-driven insights from your analytical mind through storytelling, you will wield the true power to inspire action.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020, risk financing and IPO activities in the healthcare sector continued to demonstrate exceptionally strong growth. However, policies such as travel restrictions and social distancing are likely to impede business development efforts, particularly for cross-border transactions. Deals are built on mutual trust. How can relationships be cultivated, and how can virtual negotiations and due diligence be conducted to facilitate transactions? At this conference, our BD&L experts from the United States and China will share their experiences and insights on cross-border deals and successful business development cases.

The sub-committee invited distinguished speakers from the FDA, as well as Merck, Eisai, Genentech, and PAREXEL, to introduce the FDA’s Office of Clinical Evaluation (OCE) Innovative Programs and share successful case studies. The FDA-Pharma roundtable discussion was personally moderated by Dr. Gideon Blumenthal, former Deputy Director of OCE.

Due to the lack of platform methodologies and prior knowledge, the continuous emergence of novel drug modalities in recent years has posed increasing challenges to Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (CMC) development. Innovations in technology and strategy can enhance the efficiency and speed of CMC development while maintaining or even improving product quality. Given that CMC development requires substantial resources and labor, such innovations will significantly reduce the overall cost of drug development. In this session, we will highlight recent case studies of technological and strategic innovations in CMC involving various drug modalities.

This sub-forum focuses on the research and development of drugs and vaccines for infectious diseases. The drug session will review the history of infectious disease research and pharmaceutical development, discuss the development of the newly approved antibiotic Recarbrio™, and provide an overview of several prominent COVID-19 therapeutics. The vaccine session will cover progress made by Regeneron and Sanofi in their COVID-19 vaccine development efforts. Breakout sessions will feature joint discussions among guests and attendees on topics of widespread interest in the field of infectious disease drug and vaccine R&D.

Concurrent with this annual conference, the second session of the 2020 SAPA Health Investment Summit and Cloud Roadshow will be held across three breakout venues. The first part of the “2020 SAPA Health Investment Summit and Cloud Roadshow” was successfully held online on June 20, 2020. Please refer to the SAPA report:

“USCPS Successfully Hosted the 2020 SAPA Health Investment Summit and Cloud Roadshow Online”

This three-hour interactive workshop will explore the various considerations for entrepreneurs planning an initial public offering (IPO), covering topics such as business operations, human resources, investment, accounting, taxation, and due diligence. SAPA will invite law firms, industry leaders, and strategic partners to deliver instructional sessions providing guidance on these critical subjects.

A large number of project applications were received for this conference. The investors and the organizing committee of the SAPA Health Investment Summit carefully selected 10 outstanding projects to participate in the online roadshow presentations. Renowned investors provided on-site commentary and guidance.

It’s been a long time since we last saw our old SAPA friends due to the pandemic. Would you like to reconnect at the annual meeting? Or perhaps you’re interested in meeting new friends attending the conference? The SAPA 1:1 Online Meeting Platform offers you this opportunity!

Since the introduction of one-on-one meetings at the inaugural SAPA Venture Capital Pitch Event in 2018, this session has been widely embraced by investors and entrepreneurs. This year’s one-on-one meeting event will be conducted online via a business platform. Furthermore, participation is not limited to investors and entrepreneurs but is open to all attendees. If you are interested in participating, please complete the Google Form below for registration, and SAPA will arrange your enrollment in the one-on-one meeting system. We welcome both new and returning friends to gather virtually at the 2020 SAPA Annual Conference!

Form Link: https://forms.gle/KmXXBmYJzRZWCP898