Theraclone Sciences was founded back in 2005, when biotech companies with hot platform technologies could sometimes be excused for thinking they could raise unlimited sums of venture capital. That’s certainly not true anymore, but Theraclone, an early stage antibody drug discovery shop, is still alive and kicking seven years later without raising limitless piles of venture cash.
There’s an interesting story in how Theraclone has adapted to the new financial climate, and I’m happy to say that new CEO Cliff Stocks will be on hand at the big Xconomy event next Tuesday to tell it. Stocks is the latest addition to “Reinventing Biotech’s Business Model” the half-day forum we are organizing April 3 at PATH in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. He replaces Carol Gallagher, the former CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, who had to drop out because of a conflict.
More than 220 people have registered for this event so far, but there is still time to get your tickets before prices go up at the door. For those of who may have missed it, this conference is a gathering of top-notch biotech entrepreneurs and investors from around the country, and the Northwest. Corey Goodman, Kevin Starr, John Maraganore, Kathy Glaub, Carl Weissman, Thong Le, Bruce Montgomery, Brian Atwood, Peppi Prasit, and Steve Tregay will all be on hand to share their experiences crafting business models that are supposed to deliver the kind of home-run returns biotech has long promised its investors.
This event is structured for maximum interaction with these great speakers. There will be no PowerPoint presentations, just a series of interviews in which I and a couple of guest moderators (Ed Saltzman of Defined Health and Alex Lash of Elsevier) will ask questions about how these people have adapted their businesses to create innovative new drugs on leaner budgets. Here’s the program:
1 pm Registration and networking
2 pm Welcoming remarks, PATH & Xconomy.
2:10 pm Opening keynote chat.
Corey Goodman, venBio.
Luke Timmerman, Xconomy (moderator)
2:40 pm Experiments with new business models. 20 minutes each.
Ed Saltzman, president, Defined Health (moderator)
Brian Atwood and Peppi Prasit, Versant Ventures/Inception Sciences
Kathy Glaub, Plexxikon
Steve Tregay, Forma Therapeutics
Thong Le & Bruce Montgomery, Cardeas Pharma
4 pm Networking Break
4:30 pm Experiments with new models
Alex Lash, reporter/editor, Startup/In Vivo (moderator)
Carl Weissman & David McElligott, Groove Biopharma
Heather Franklin, Blaze Bioscience
Cliff Stocks, Theraclone Sciences
5:30 pm Closing Keynote Chat
Kevin Starr, Third Rock Ventures
John Maraganore, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals
Luke Timmerman, Xconomy (moderator)
6 pm Networking reception
7 pm End
