Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Moncef Slaoui and Top COVID-19 Thought Leaders Take Stage During BIO Digital Week

Convening national experts at the epicenter of vaccine development for COVID-19 while presenting critical conversations on the state of the biopharma industry amid the pandemic

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Anthony Fauci, M.D., National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director and Moncef Slaoui, Ph.D., U.S. Operation Warp Speed Chief Advisor will speak on a special plenary session on Tuesday, June 9 during BIO Digital, a virtual conference hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) running June 8-12. Newly appointed BIO President & Chief Executive Officer Michelle McMurry-Heath, M.D., Ph.D., joins BIO Chairman of the Board Jeremy Levin, and outgoing Chief Executive Officer and industry champion Jim Greenwood to kick-off four days of discussions on how the biotech sector is rising to meet the greatest public health challenge in a century.

“I look forward to hearing from those leading the way to accelerate progress against this global pandemic, as well as other pressing issues as we gather virtually,” said McMurry-Heath. “We are inspired by the continued collaboration of biotechnology and pharma companies and look forward to BIO Digital 2020 revealing even more from innovators working to combat COVID-19 and leading health issues.”

New programming reflects a heightened focus on COVID-19 highlighting vaccine development, clinical trials, innovative collaborations and technologies to combat the pandemic. A three-part plenary, sponsored by Johnson & Johnson, will feature notable speakers exploring the swift response from the industry to develop a vaccine against an unknown pathogen while facing challenges of manufacturing scale-up and global implementation. COVID-19 plenary sessions will be aired later, free of cost to the public.

The BIO Digital agenda includes at least 50 live and interactive sessions with an additional 60 on-demand sessions and over 250 company presentations focused on the leading industry topics and company pipelines. Beyond COVID-19, sessions will cover digital health, infectious diseases, cell and gene therapies, business development and finance, oncology, and more on the latest therapeutic advancements in healthcare. The impressive speaker lineup includes:

• Mandy Bazile, Director, Government Affairs, Public Policy & Reimbursement, Genentech
• Sharon Chan, MBA, MPH, D. Phil, Head of JLABS @ Shanghai, Johnson & Johnson Innovation
• Julie Gerberding, M.D., MPH, Executive Vice President & Chief Patient Officer, Merck & Co
• Richard Hatchett, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations
• Stephen Hahn, M.D., FDA Commissioner
• William Hait, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Johnson & Johnson External Innovation
• Natalie Holles, Chief Executive Officer, Audentes, an Astellas Company
• Julie Kim, President, Plasma-Derived Therapeutics Business Unit, Takeda
• Peter Lee, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Healthcare
• Heidi Marchand, PharmD, RPh, Global Head, Regulatory Policy and Intelligence, Gilead Sciences
• Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., Director, FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research
• Harlan Robins, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Co-Founder, Adaptive Biotechnologies
• James Sabry, M.D., Ph.D., Global Head, Pharma Partnering, Roche
• George Scangos, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer and Director, Vir Biotechnology, Inc.
• Bill Sibold, Executive Vice President, Genzyme Corporation, a Sanofi Company
• Bob Smith, Senior Vice President, Global Gene Therapy Business, Rare Disease, Global Innovation Pharma, Pfizer, Inc.
• George Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Founder, President & Chief Scientific Officer, Regeneron

Complimentary media registration is available to editors and reporters working full time for print, broadcast or web publications with valid press credentials.

Follow the us @BIOConvention and @IAmBIOtech join the conversation using #BIODigital.

BIO remains committed to amplifying the industry’s efforts to develop solutions for patients. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, BIO created a web page dedicated to resources for the biopharmaceutical industry. The Business Resource Center features the most up-to-date information on how to maintain business continuity during the pandemic. Another collaborative resource includes the Coronavirus Hub, a platform that will enable users to post requests for urgently needed resources and announce the availability of supplies and capacity.

About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.