Held on September 11 and 12, 2023, at the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM), the inaugural Top of Mind for Life Sciences Summit, presented by UPMC Enterprises, brought together an elite group of life sciences leaders and biotech innovators for discussion, shared learning, and relationship building.
The CCM has produced a recap report highlighting sessions, speakers, and key themes from the Top of Mind for Life Sciences Summit. Download a complimentary copy of the recap report from the CCM website.
Summit Objectives
Top of Mind for Life Sciences was not just a dialogue for life sciences experts and biotech innovators to discuss their latest work and accomplishments. It was a platform where conversations could lead to collaborations, and those collaborations could be harnessed for meaningful and purpose-driven change – how novel scientific breakthroughs or advances in technological capabilities can effectively be transformed into actionable benefits for health care patients.
By matching perspectives on unmet needs and trends from the frontlines of health care delivery with emerging solutions spanning therapeutics, devices, and diagnostics, the summit provided a platform for speakers and attendees to grapple with how innovation in health care and the life sciences is accomplished in the face of complex challenges and constraints.
Highlights and Prevailing Themes
The summit saw more than 70 experts and leaders from around the United States convene for two days of interactive panel discussions and thought leadership.
UPMC Enterprises leadership and staff, including President Jeanne Cunicelli, MBA, and Executive Vice President for Translational Sciences, Matthias Kleinz, DVM, PhD, led the summit and set the tone for the panel discussions. While the panel topics were diverse, a few key themes emerged:
- The transformative power and potential of data and data analytics to speed innovation and discovery and facilitate shifts in patient care.
- How health care and health care technology innovation can and should occur across disciplines.
- Financial implications and models to ensure equitable and sustainable access to innovative treatments, alongside significant shifts in health care delivery and consumption.
From building a successful regional biotech ecosystem and accelerating drug discovery for much-needed therapeutics, to the rapidly advancing innovations in immuno-oncology, the basic biology of aging, and the need for ensuring equitable and financially sustainable access to novel therapeutics, the conversations were insightful and inspiring.
The gathering underscored the importance of innovation in health care, especially in light of current fiscal challenges and the opportunity presented by digital transformation. Various panels shed light on emerging areas, such as the role of AI in drug discovery and advances in neuroscience.
The summit also touched upon the evolving landscape of health care regulations and concluded by charting potential future directions for the industry, emphasizing actionable insights and cooperative efforts.
UPMC Enterprises Model for Nurturing Early-Stage Biotech is Making an Impact
A sentiment that cropped up in several of the panel discussions and featured heavily in the wrap-up session of the summit was the philosophical approach adopted by UPMC Enterprises in how it fosters the growth of early-stage biotech companies. Specifically noted was that, unlike traditional venture models that operate with time-bound fiscal constraints, UPMC Enterprises takes a longer-term approach that ensures and creates consistent progress and provides the flexibility crucial for startups during their foundational years. Further, Enterprises has developed productive relationships with VC partners eager to welcome UPMC as part of an investment syndicate.
Over the past decade, the pharmaceutical industry has increasingly recognized the importance of innovation from young biotech companies and academia, such as the companies being created and invested in by UPMC Enterprises. This reliance on biotech startups for groundbreaking innovations will continue to grow, making the efforts and investments by UPMC Enterprises that much more central to bridging gaps in access to cutting-edge patient care and promoting health equity across regions and populations.
Further Reading
See a complete list of the Top of Mind for Life Sciences Summit speakers and panel discussion topics.
Learn more about the Translational Sciences focus area at UPMC Enterprises.
Read about the Center for Connected Medicine’s Top of Mind program of research and events.
