So, like, there was this panel discussion, right? It was called “Paths to Liquidity – Strategies for Adapting to Volatile Markets.” They talked about the crazy market and how to help companies get ready for big money events. The panel had some heavy hitters: Amanda Laskey, CPA, Life Sciences Senior Analyst from RSM US; Matt Vamvakis, MBA, Managing Director at J.P. Morgan Private Bank; Kee Colen, MBA, Managing Director at Cantor Fitzgerald; and Ryan Saadi, M.D., MPH, Founder & CEO of Tevogen Bio. David Schwartz, J.D., Partner at Morgan Lewis, was the one keeping things in check as the moderator.
BioNJ’s 15th Annual BioPartnering Conference was lit with 93 companies showing off their stuff. It was on May 14, 2025, and boy, oh boy, did it bring in a crowd of 600 people, including 100 investors. They all gathered at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City to learn about what’s happening in the life sciences world.
The whole Trump situation was a big deal at the conference. Debbie Hart, the President and CEO of BioNJ, talked about Trump’s Most Favored Nation Policy executive order. She kinda said it wasn’t the end of the world, which was a relief. She mentioned how the policy wants the US to pay drug prices like the lowest-paying country in the world. But, like, only for certain drugs under Medicare given in a healthcare setting.
Then there was this talk about Dr. Vinay Prasad being in charge of vaccines at the FDA. People got a bit antsy about it ’cause he got some heat for talking smack about COVID vaccines. It was all about the uncertainty of what’s gonna happen next.
On the bright side, there was some hope for the biotech world. Thomas Morrisroe from J.P. Morgan shared that things were looking kinda gloomy but could get better. He mentioned how tariffs were shaking things up, but there’s a chance for a more stable investor scene in the future. It’s all about waiting to see how things play out.
At the conference, they also chatted about AI. Corey Sanders from CoreWeave was all about using AI to speed up drug research and improve manufacturing and quality control. Shlomi Madar from SpotitEarly even talked about using AI with dogs to sniff out cancer early. Crazy stuff, right?
The attendees weren’t just there to chill. One company, Australis Pharmaceuticals, was all about showing off their oncology lead compound. They were looking to partner up with peeps to push their clinical program forward and get some serious cash flow going. The CEO, Michele Korfin, was on a mission to raise $10 million by the end of the year. Big dreams, big moves.
So, that was the scoop from the BioNJ conference. Lots of talks about the market, Trump, and even some doggy AI action. The life sciences world is buzzing with possibilities, and it’s all about waiting to see what the future holds. Who knows what’s next, right?
