Strategies for Growth:
How a “Small” Company can become a “Big” Player

Abstract:
It has been estimated that the value of most of the Fortune 500 companies resides within each company’s IP Assets. It follows therefore that strong IP assets yield successful businesses. This talk will provide practical advice for strengthening your company’s IP assets. Topics to be addressed include sufficiency of patent protection, freedom to operate and ownership considerations. This talk is a “must see” for anyone contemplating an IPO, financing round or a corporate partnership deal. By solidifying your company’s IP assets, you will provide the means necessary to take your company to the next level.

Biography:
Ms. DiNunzio’s practice consists of negotiating and drafting contracts, including licensing agreements; conducting due diligence inquiries including drafting and negotiating intellectual property opinions; counseling clients with respect to intellectual property rights and business considerations; preparing non-infringement, invalidity and patentability opinions; and preparing and prosecuting domestic and foreign patent applications in the biotechnology and life science arts.

Prior to joining Stroock in 2001, Ms. DiNunzio was a patent attorney for Synaptic Pharmaceutical Corporation for over three years. At Synaptic she managed the company's patent portfolio and counseled its management on intellectual property issues. She is also a former Patent Examiner for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Abstract:
Partnerships in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries can provide the necessary means for achieving success. This talk will discuss typical partnership mechanisms, technology and product licensing and the concept of strategic investing. The importance of specific partnerships in Lundbeck's development as a USA "specialty pharma" company will be discussed in detail. This talk will conclude with the speaker’s predictions regarding the future of pharma/biotech partnerships and the evolution of the "specialty pharma" industry.

Biography:
Matthew L. Wotiz has been with Lundbeck, Inc., the USA subsidiary of H. Lundbeck A/S (Copenhagen, Denmark) since October 2001. H. Lundbeck A/S is a global leader in the development and marketing of CNS therapeutics. During this time, Mr. Wotiz has participated in the growth of the US subsidiary from a core group of three professionals to its present state of over 130. As Business Development Manager for Lundbeck's U.S. Business Development and Licensing operation, Matthew L. Wotiz serves H. Lundbeck A/S through corporate and strategic development functions, and Lundbeck, Inc. through product and technology licensing functions.
Mr. Wotiz holds a MS in Biotechnology from the J.L. Kellogg Center for Biotech at Northwestern University, and a BS in Biology from Washington and Lee University.

Abstract:
This talk will focus on the processes of securing venture capital investment and realizing exits. Desirable characteristics of a company from a venture capitalist’s point of view will also be discussed.

Biography:
Matthew R. Rothman has a background in investment banking and venture capital. Prior to joining Euclid SR Partners, Mr. Rothman was a financial Analyst at Broadview International. At Broadview, Mr. Rothman helped provide mergers and acquisitions advisory services to companies in the information technology industry. He has held summer Analyst positions at Patricof & Co. Ventures and SG Capital Partners. Mr. Rothman currently serves as an Observer on the Boards of MediSpectra and Rib-X Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Rothman received his BA in Economics from Yale University

Abstract:
One means by which start-ups obtain funding is through equity investments made by large pharmaceutical corporations. This talk will focus on equity investing by Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and the factors J&J considers when deciding whether to invest in a start-up company. Specific topics to be addressed include the process of obtaining equity investments, a brief review of the mechanics of such investments and what steps a company could and should take to make its business an attractive target for equity investments. Obviously a significant factor that J&J considers when reviewing smaller companies for potential investments are barriers to entry, including IP. The second part of the presentation will examine the ways a company can improve its IP position to become more attractive to a larger company

Biography:
Todd J. Burns, is Senior Patent Counsel with Johnson & Johnson located in New Brunswick, NJ. Prior to joining Johnson & Johnson, Mr. Burns was an associate and Senior Counsel with the law firm of Foley & Lardner in their Washington, DC office, where he focused on intellectual property procurement and client counseling in the areas of inorganic materials, polymer chemistry and small molecule pharmaceuticals. Mr. Burns was also employed as a Patent Examiner at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for over four years. Mr. Burns has a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University at Buffalo and a law degree from The George Washington University in Washington, DC

Abstract:
Facing rapid advances in technology and increased competition in the international marketplace, mutually productive liaisons between industry and universities is rapidly becoming more of the rule than the exception. While research partnerships between academics and industry have traveled a rocky road, recent changes in economics, scientific culture and government regulations have fueled a new determination to make these relationships both seamless and mutually beneficial. This talk will present a brief overview of the history of industry/academic relationships, including some examples of well-known successful interactions as well as discussion of some of the “perils and pitfalls” faced by both partners when establishing and undertaking these collaborative efforts. The primary focus will be on the current opportunities for successful collaborations between industry and university partners and discussion of the future of industry/academic relationships with respect to the changes in both infrastructure and philosophy that may be required to create an optimal partnership.

Biography:
Kathleen W. Scotto, PhD, professor of Pharmacology, has joined UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School as senior associate dean for research. She earned a bachelor’s of science degree cum laude in Biology from St. John’s University, Jamaica, N.Y., her doctorate in molecular biology from Cornell University, New York, N.Y., and completed post-doctoral fellowships at both the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and The Rockefeller University, both in New York.

Dr. Scotto returned to Sloan-Kettering in 1989 to begin her independent research career. She was a member of the faculty of Cornell University Graduate School of Medical Sciences from 1989 to 2001 and served as its director of graduate studies in pharmacology from 1997 to 2001.

Most recently, Dr. Scotto served as acting chair of the Department of Pharmacology at the Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) in Philadelphia, where she had been a member of the faculty since 2001. At FCCC, she directed the Translational Research Facility and led the Program in Drug and Radiation Response.

The NIH recently awarded Dr. Scotto two four-year R01 grants to study the transcriptional regulation of the MDR 1 (multidrug-resistant) gene in human tumors. She also has support from Pharmamar, SA, to study the mechanism of action of ET-743, a novel marine-derived compound that is in clinical trial and was recently approved as an orphan drug for ovarian cancer in Europe.
In addition to being an exceptional researcher, Dr. Scotto lectures at major national and international meetings and has served on numerous national review panels, study sections, and committees, and was program committee chair of the Women in Cancer Research of the American Association of Cancer Research. She has authored or co-authored more than 35 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and serves on the editorial boards of Cancer Biology and Therapy and Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.
As senior associate dean, Dr. Scotto will work with the school’s basic and clinical researchers and build new support in industry and among non-profit organizations to help provide the school with the infrastructure it needs to meet research goals for the next decade.