On September 4, over 50 Bay Area alumni joined to attend a Healthcare Industry Reception and Panel at the Sofitel Hotel in Redwood City, CA.  

The focus on Life Science Investments and Entrepreneurship was headlined by Daniel O’Day ’97, President and CEO, Roche Molecular Diagnostics who spoke about coming platform consolidation in the fragmented business of molecular diagnostics and provided his view on how his business will create value for pharmaceutical manufacturers in the era of personalized medicine.

Later, Alison de Bord ’99, Ron Eastman ’78, Andrew Hindman '05, Richard Juelis '73, Winnie Wan, PhD ’83, engaged in a spirited panel discussion, moderated by Professor Cliff Cramer. The panel discussed their differing investment perspectives and debated audience-posed questions about whether the coming election will change the business and regulatory environment for emerging healthcare companies and how the maturation of the venture industry has affected life science entrepreneurs. 

There was consensus that the regulatory environment is expected to firm up post-November and that the resulting visibility will be beneficial for just about all parties who have an interest in growth healthcare ventures.

The discussion about the evolution of VC was more open ended. Winnie stuck to her position that VC firms now want to see products and companies that are further along, making it harder to start life science companies than 15 years ago. The investors on the panel made a good case that while that may be true, the formalization of VC investment processes have led to better risk assessments and thus better returns.  

Attendees enjoyed a post-panel networking reception thanks to the sponsorship of Roche Molecular Diagnostics, Credit Suisse, PB Fund, Essex Woodlands Health Ventures and Dorsey & Whitney LLP.  Thanks also goes to Alumni Relations and the Bay Area Alumni Club for their support for this event.