CAMBRIDGE, MA--(Marketwire - October 30, 2008) - On November 12, the
MIT Enterprise Forum of
Cambridge, in collaboration with the
McGovern Institute for Brain
Research at MIT, will feature a keynote address by
Dr. Darryle Schoepp, senior vice president and franchise head of
neuroscience at
Merck Research
Laboratories. Internationally recognized as a leader in drug discovery
research and science, Schoepp will discuss how the biopharmaceutical
industry can overcome challenges hindering the development of new therapies
for disorders of the brain and neurodegenerative diseases.
Following Schoepp's presentation, Christoph Adams, Ph.D., chief business
officer at
FoldRX Pharmaceuticals,
will present a case study on his company, a leader in the discovery and
development of disease modifying drug therapies. A panel of experts will
provide feedback on FoldRX's plans and strategy, discussing the company's
work with misfolded proteins, which are emerging as an underlying cause of
many neurodegenerative diseases.
The expert panel includes Douglas M. Fambrough, Ph.D., general partner,
Oxford Bioscience Partners and Todd
Sherer, Ph.D., vice president of research programs,
The Michael J. Fox Foundation for
Parkinson's Research. The panel discussion will be moderated by Skip
Irving, partner and managing director,
Health Advances LLC.
Keynote Speaker:
Darryle Schoepp joined Merck Research Laboratories in March 2007, after 20
years in neuroscience discovery research at Eli Lilly and Company. At Eli
Lilly, Schoepp was responsible for formulating the company's neuroscience
strategy and expanding research in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases and
pain. Schoepp is recognized for having made major contributions in disease
pathophysiology, pharmacology and therapeutics. In 2002, Schoepp was
honored with the Pharmacia/American Society for Experimental Therapeutics
(ASPET) Award for Experimental Therapeutics for his research on the
experimental therapeutics of metabotropic glutamate receptors.
Other Speakers:
Christoph Adams is chief business officer at FoldRX Pharmaceuticals. Prior
to joining FoldRX, Adams was SVP of business development for ViaCell Inc.,
where he was responsible for strategic planning, commercial product
development and corporate partnerships.
Douglas M. Fambrough is a general partner at Oxford Bioscience Partners.
Since joining Oxford in 1999, Fambrough has specialized in financing
innovative life science technology companies, including RNA interference
pioneer Sirna Therapeutics, acquired by Merck for $1.1 billion. Prior to
Oxford, Fambrough was a genomic scientist at the Whitehead/MIT Center for
Genome Research (now known as the Broad Institute).
Skip Irving is a partner and managing director at Health Advances. Irving
has spent more than 20 years advising companies on business strategy,
technology commercialization, R&D planning and M&A in the medical products
industry. A pharmacist by training, Irving's practice focuses on
pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
Todd Sherer is the VP of research programs for The Michael J. Fox
Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Sherer joined the Foundation as
associate director of research programs, in April 2004. Sherer's
postdoctoral work has focused on understanding the role of environmental
factors and the development of model systems for Parkinson's disease.
Sherer is the author of over 20 research articles with a focus on
Parkinson's disease.
When: Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Networking: 5:30 p.m.
Program: 6:15-8:00 p.m.
Reception: 8:00-9:00 p.m.
Where: Stata Center (Bldg. 32), Kirsch Auditorium, 32 Vassar St., Cambridge
Marketing Sponsor: Mass High Tech Bio Flash
Supporting Organizations: Science Careers, LES, MBC Mass Bio Investors
Forum, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT
Registration and information: http://www.mitforumcambridge.org/nov.html
Pricing: Forum members: $20; Non-members: $30; Students from all
universities, free with college ID. Pre-registration encouraged.
Contact Information: MIT ENTERPRISE FORUM OF CAMBRIDGE CONTACT:
Regina Smith
MIT Enterprise Forum of Cambridge
617-253-3937
PRESS CONTACT :
Brad Baker
(for MIT Enterprise Forum)
CHEN PR, Inc.
781-672-3118