February 8, 2023 | 12:30 pm EST
Panel: Trends in Pharma Licensing
Ali Ardakani
Founder & Managing Director
Novateur Ventures Inc.
Ali Ardakani is a technical and entrepreneurial corporate development and operations biotech executive with over 20 years of experience in managing life science projects and companies. His experience includes managing R&D projects in the areas of oncology, respiratory, infectious disease, CNS therapeutics and medical devices, as well as fundraising, licensing and M&A.
Ali is the Founder & Managing Director of Novateur Ventures. Until recently he was Senior Vice President Device & Business Development for Beyond Air (NASDAQ:XAIR), where he was involved with the company from early stage until Nasdaq public offering and several rounds of financing and licensing. He is the CEO and co-founder of Optigo Biotherapeutics, an ophthalmology R&D company, the Chair of the Board of Directors of Life Sciences British Columbia, and Entrepreneur in Residence at Innovate Calgary. He is also an Associate at Creative Destruction Lab.
To date, Ali has taken several projects from concept to FDA approval, including several 510(k)s, PMA for medical devices and several FDA INDs. He has also worked on commercialization and pharma partnerships, as well as several global mergers and acquisitions.
Panel moderator
JUNG-KAY CHIU, B.SC, LLB
Partner, Canadian National Chair, Intellectual Property
Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP
Jung-Kay Chiu is the national practice head of the Canadian intellectual property practice at Norton Rose Fulbright and also sits on the firm’s national management committee. Jung-Kay Chiu practises in all areas of intellectual property law, with a focus on intellectual property acquisition, protection and exploitation in the fields of biotechnology and medical devices. Mr. Chiu is experienced in devising and guiding IP strategies for his innovative clients, including the development and management of their global IP portfolios. He has significant experience in mining inventions, and drafting and prosecuting winning patents and industrial designs to maximize the value of intellectual capital. Mr. Chiu advises on all related branding, trademarks and commercialization matters for his clients. Mr. Chiu is also routinely involved in conducting complex IP-related value assessments, such as patentability, infringement and validity opinions and other deep dive due diligence. His technical experience includes genetics, molecular biology, biotechnology and biochemistry.
Julia Pomoransky, Ph.D
Sr. Director, Business Development
Turnstone Biologics
Julia Pomoransky, Ph.D., leads business development for Turnstone Biologics, a clinical stage biotechnology company developing next-generation immunotherapies to treat and cure solid tumors. Dr. Pomoransky joined Turnstone as one of the first employees in 2015 in a leadership role within the CMC and Technical Operations group and was responsible for growing the organization and leading bioprocess development, analytical development, and manufacturing sciences. In 2020, she transitioned into the Business Development function at Turnstone and her contributions across several transactions, including a company acquisition, licensing agreements, and research/clinical collaborations, have been pivotal to the growth of the company. Prior to Turnstone, Dr. Pomoransky founded the Biotherapeutics Manufacturing Center (BMC) based out of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute; an academic group focused on the translation of complex biologics from the laboratory to first-in-human clinical studies. Dr. Pomoransky successfully led the BMC through a transformation, becoming a profitable Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO). Dr. Pomoransky earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Ottawa, working in the laboratory of with Dr. John C. Bell, and a B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Brock University.
Christopher Tan, PH.D
Executive Director in Business Development & Licensing
Merck & Co., Inc.
Christopher Tan is an Executive Director in Business Development & Licensing based in Cambridge, MA, USA. His primary responsibility is to serve as a Merck spokesperson and scientific prospector for identifying, evaluating, and championing new Infectious Disease and Vaccine research collaborations, preclinical assets, clinical assets and/ or technologies in the New England States and Eastern Canada, through licensing, acquisition, collaborations, co-development agreements, and strategic alliances.
February 9, 2023
The Honourable Victor Fedeli
The Honourable Victor Fedeli is a lifelong entrepreneur, successful businessperson, author, and philanthropist, and serves the Ford government as Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade.
His business experience led his firm Fedeli Corporation to be ranked 34th in the Top 50 Best Places to Work in Canada in 1989. It also served him well, when he was elected to two terms as Mayor of North Bay from 2003 to 2010. As Mayor, Vic focused on fiscal prudence and economic development, restoring hope and restoring solvency to North Bay.
In 2011 Vic was elected to the Ontario Legislature and is now serving his fourth term as MPP for Nipissing. In 2018 the PC Caucus unanimously elected him to serve as Interim Leader of the Official Opposition.
Vic served ten terms on the Board of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, served as Director with Global Vision, and has served on many agencies, boards, and commissions, often as Chair.
He is married to local humor writer Patty and is always seen in one of his trademark yellow ties.