Wednesday, October 21, 2026
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Conference On-Site Registration
6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception and Dinner
Thursday, October 22, 2026
7:30 – 9:00 a.m.
Registration and Networking Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Partnering Hall
9:00 – 9:15 a.m.
Welcome Remarks
9:15 – 10:00 a.m.
Alternative Financing Panel
Moderator:
Speakers:
Art McGivern, Royalty Pharma
Ed Baxter, Evercore Group
10:00 – 10:45 a.m.
10:45 – 10:55 a.m.
Break
10:55 – 11:40 a.m.
State of the IP Market: Trends Shaping Biotech Patent Strategy
Join leaders from big pharma, emerging life sciences companies, and the investment community for a conversation about where the IP market stands today. The panel will explore how companies are building and defending patent portfolios in a crowded landscape, the growing role of IP in financing, licensing, and deal-making, and how investors weigh IP when sizing up an opportunity, along with candid takes on the trends and tradeoffs shaping strategy today.
Moderator:
Derrick Rowe, Wilson Sonsini
Speakers:
James Harrington, Vera Therapeutics
11:40 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
TBD
12:25 – 1:30 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:30 – 2:15 p.m.
Fireside Chat
Join us for a discussion on Soleno Therapeutics’ journey from its founding to becoming the company behind VYKAT XR, the first approved therapy for hyperphagia in people with Prader-Willi syndrome. We will review the company’s growth, including its financings, 2014 IPO, and commercial launch, with Wilson Sonsini as a trusted advisor throughout. The session will also address Soleno’s $2.9 billion acquisition by Neurocrine Biosciences in 2026 and examine how this partnership combines expertise in rare diseases and endocrinology to benefit more patients and families.
Moderator:
Philip Oettinger, Wlson Sonsini
Speaker:
Anish Bhatnagar, CEO, Soleno
2:15 – 3:00 p.m.
Building Biotech Partnerships That Last: A Legal Playbook for Collaborations and M&A
Co-development deals, licensing agreements, and acquisitions power biotech growth. Getting these relationships right from the start means thinking ahead about how trade secrets, patents, and antitrust considerations intersect. Drawing on real-world scenarios, this panel offers biotech leaders and their legal counsel a practical playbook for what to build into agreements upfront, so companies can pursue ambitious partnerships with confidence and stay well positioned as those relationships evolve.
Moderator:
Tina Hanson, Wilson Sonsini
Speakers:
Hanok George, Azurity Pharmaceuticals
Brendan Coffman, Wilson Sonsini
Lisa Zang, Wilson Sonsini
Sundar Srinivasan, Emerald Lake Safety
3:00 – 3:15 p.m.
Break
3:15 – 4:00 p.m.
TBD
4:00 – 4:45 p.m.
4:45 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Venture Capital Uncorked: Wine Tasting Closing Reception