Somewhere, Somehow, Someone’s Going to Pay…for Gene Therapy

This is a unique point in time for healthcare. After decades of dedicated and dogged research by the scientific and medical communities, we are now seeing FDA approvals of gene therapies which can ease or cure a myriad of debilitating diseases. While biopharma companies seek to recoup their R&D costs, the market will struggle to price these treatments, particularly those developed for small and very targeted patient populations. Who and what will determine the cost to the patient? Big Pharma? Government? Insurers? Payers? Manufacturers? Many would say that the cost is more than just what the market will bear, as it will also need to encourage continued innovation, which is arguably, implicit. The next step is to collectively and thoroughly explore and understand the myriad pieces to this emerging “pie” – from there, the current challenges will be made clear, and we can then proceed in this new frontier.

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Towards Big Data Analytics and the Convergence of AI and High Performance Computing

Established in 1985 as one of the original supercomputer centers funded by the National Science Foundation, the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) has been an integral part of the supercomputing landscape for almost 35 years. SDSC has been there from the early days of purpose-built supercomputers to the era of “commodity clusters” to the recent trend in heterogeneous architectures (CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs). Along the way, there has been a shift in focus from massively parallel modeling & simulation to big data analytics and the convergence of AI and High Performance Computing. Join us for history, highlighted developments, trends in supercomputing for science, and a review of how SDSC collaborates with industry to benefit both science and commerce.

Ron Hawkins will draw from his 30 years of combined experience as a tech industry executive and academic professional.

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How do we end up doing the work that we do? And why?  How do we navigate the myriad of opportunities, challenges, and variables? It seems that one’s path can be both planned and unplanned. Being in an environment where one is surrounded by bright and curious minds, as well as new and traditional technologies, can boggle the mind. How do we choose among the myriad possibilities available? How is one’s career impacted when there is ample hunger, risk, movement, and symbiosis nearby? While education surely opens doors, it is still difficult, particularly at the beginning of one’s career, to predict a path.

Since 1980, when Dr. Sigal completed his studies, his dynamic work path has included academia, big pharma, and biotech start-ups. What did he learn along the way? How did Nolan end up on the “Dark Side” of the biotech world? 

Join us as Dr. Sigal shares case studies and experiences, including: (1) moving from academia to industry: (2) discovering the mechanism of action of cyclosporine and FK506 at Merck; (3) the rise and fall of Pharmacopeia; (4) roller coaster rides at various biotech companies; and (5) moving to the investment space. Nolan will share his observations and insights, including remarkable highs and discouraging lows – and how opportunities and decisions, in fact, shape who we are, and subsequent choices we make.

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