San Jose Biocenter, Tuesday All-Day, Sept. 28, 2010
Topic: “Meet with Merck and Co”
Speakers:
Dr. James Schaeffer, Executive Director of Licensing & External Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co., Inc.
Dr. Yael Weiss, Director of Licensing & External Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co., Inc.
Date and Time: Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM Registration & Networking
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM Presentation & Q&A
10:40 AM - 11:30 AM BioCenter Tour
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Lunch & Networking
12:30 PM - 5:00 PM One-on-one Meetings
Location: San Jose Biocenter, Location: San Jose BioCenter, 5941 Optical Court, San Jose, CA 95138
Cost: One-on-one Application and costs
• Registration for one company representative:
o $175 Regular
o $150 Partners’ Network
• Registration for two company representatives:
o $250 Regular
o $215 Partners’ Network
• Registration for three company representatives:
o $300 Regular
o $255 Partners’ Network
• Registration for four company representatives and above:
o add $40 [or $30 for Partners’ Network] per attendee
• BioCenter Residents and Affiliates: Free
Presentation and Q&A costa:
• Regular Price: $40
• Partners' Network: $30
• BioCenter Members: Free (please RSVP to Aurélie)
**Includes: Presentation & Q&A session + lunch ONLY. Seating is limited for this event, so early pre-registration is recommended to avoid disappointment! Additionally, there will be no on-site registrations.
Topic Description
Emerging companies find it increasingly difficult to reach the right person when seeking funding and/or partners. Through the “Meet with…” Series, we provide emerging companies with greater access to partnering and/or financing opportunities.
In this session, Licensing Directors from Merck & Co., Inc. will talk to potential licensees to first explain what they are looking for in a company. After the presentation, attendees will have lunch with the Merck team.
Finally, each pre-approved attendee* will be granted a private meeting with Dr. James M. Schaeffer - the Executive Director of Licensing & External Research for Merck Research Laboratories at Merck & Co., Inc. - or Dr. Yael Weiss - the Director of Licensing & External Research for Merck Research Laboratories at Merck & Co., Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc. is interested in:
•Novel patented compounds
•Targets with proof of concept
•Molecules with a defined mechanism of action or testable hypothesis'
•Technologies with patent protection that provide a competitive advantage
Late-stage clinical compounds with proven therapeutic value (phase IIb or beyond) are of interest in any therapeutic area. Merck & Co., Inc., is most interested in novel compounds that have large market potential for unmet medical needs. An attractive compound would have selectivity, potency, a demonstrated mechanism of action, preliminary toxicology data, oral availability, and a good half-life for once-daily administration. We also look for strong intellectual property protection on the target and the molecule.
*Registrations to one-on-one meetings are subject to approval of application. To apply, please send your Executive Summary by September 3, 2010 to events@sjbiocenter.com. The Review Board, composed of the BioCenter management team, sponsors, partners and mentors, will then meet to consider your application. You will be notified on September 10, 2010 if your application is accepted or rejected. Registration must be completed upon approval to secure your meeting slot.
Speaker Bios
Dr. Jim Schaeffer joined Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) in 1986. During his first 16 years at MRL, he directed research groups focusing primarily on neuroendocrine-related projects. Jim joined the Department of External Scientific Affairs in 2003 with primary responsibility for all neuroscience licensing opportunities and during the next 18 months, he was directly involved in the signing of four major agreements. Jim moved to San Diego in 2004 to assume the role of Merck's "Science Scout" on the West Coast, with the responsibility to identify new opportunities across all therapeutic areas at all stages of development including enabling technologies. During the past four years, Jim has been directly involved in the execution of 7 major agreements with West Coast based organizations including recent agreements with AmbrX, Marcadia, MediVas, the Gladstone Institute, the University of California in San Francisco and the University of Texas-Southwestern. As of July 2008, Jim is also responsible for Merck's scouting efforts in China.
Dr. Yael Weiss, Director of Licensing & External Research, Merck Research Laboratories, Merck & Co., Inc.
Yael completed her MSc and PhD in molecular genetics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel and obtained her medical degree at Hadassah Medical Center, affiliated with The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. After practicing medicine for a few years, Yael joined an Israeli venture capital firm as a vice president responsible for analyzing and maintaining deal flow, and then moved on to become a medical and business development director at Genzyme Israel. Yael joined MSD Israel as medical director in the beginning of 2004 and in 2007 she joined Merck's Licensing group in San Francisco as a scientific scout responsible for identification of licensing opportunities emanating from the West Coast.
