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.
Financing Without Dilution: Royalty Deals and Alternative Capital in Biotech
As traditional equity has grown more expensive, life sciences companies are increasingly turning to royalty and revenue-based financing, venture debt, and creative structures to fund their pipelines while limiting dilution. Bringing together capital providers and advisors from across the financing landscape, this panel offers a practical look at how these deals get done: how they’re sourced, structured, and negotiated; what makes a company or asset fundable; and how to choose the right approach for a given stage and strategy. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, investor, or advisor, this session offers useful guidance for navigating today’s financing landscape.
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, Wilson 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.
Keynote Fireside Chat
Join us for a conversation about Isomorphic Labs and its ambition to reimagine and accelerate drug discovery through an AI-first approach. Founded in 2021, the company has advanced quickly, raising $600 million in its first external round in 2025 and a $2.1 billion Series B in 2026 to develop its AI drug-design engine and advance programs across multiple therapeutic areas. Wilson Sonsini has been proud to serve as legal advisor through both landmark financings, working alongside the team to help structure and execute the rounds that fueled this growth.
Moderator:
Tony Jeffries, Wilson Sonsini
Speaker:
Jay Carter, Isomorphic Labs
4:45 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Venture Capital Uncorked: Wine Tasting Closing Reception
Panel, timing, and speakers are subject to change.