Mr Joël Besse, Senior Partner, Atlas Venture

Joël Besse is a Senior Partner in the life sciences team of Atlas Venture, an international venture-capital group with more than $2b under management and with which he has worked since 1995. At Atlas Venture, he was a founding or first-round investor in Actelion Pharmaceuticals (listed on SWX in 2000), Novuspharma (listed on Nuovo Mercato in 2000 and acquired by Cell Therapeutics in 2004), Sporever (listed on Paris Alternext in 2005), Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, Xytis Pharmaceuticals, Nitec Pharmaceuticals, and Fibrex Medical. Joël Besse currently sits on the Board of Arrow Therapeutics, Fibrex Medical, Newron Pharmaceuticals, Prestwick Pharmaceuticals, Sporever, U3 Pharma and Xytis Pharmaceuticals. In addition to his current board seats, Joël has also served on the boards of Axovan (acquired by Actelion Pharmaceuticals in 2003), Immuno-Designed Molecules, Neurotech, Laboratoires Effik (listed on Euronext in 1999 and acquired by Italfarmaco and Liconsa in 2003), Modex Thérapeutiques (listed on SWX in 2000, now merged with Isotis), Micromet and Renovo.

Joël holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Toulouse and graduated from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace. He started his career as an auditor at Arthur Andersen and at Crédit Lyonnais in Paris before joining SED Ventures in 1991, a firm that specialized in international life sciences investments.

Mr Karl Keegan, Managing Director, Life Science Analyst, Canaccord Capital

Karl graduated from University College Dublin with a 1st class degree in pharmacology, followed by M.Phil. and Ph.D.degrees in biophysics from Cambridge University. Karl completed his postdoctoral training at Baylor Collge of Medicine, Houston, Texas, pior to joining SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals (UK), where he worked both in research and in strategic product development. Karl also holds a Master's degree in Finance from London Business School.

In 1997, Karl entered the City with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson as a biotechnology analyst. In 1999 he joined UBS Warburg and helped set up one of the leading research franchises covering European life science companies and in 2002 Karl was recruited by Banc of America Securities to set up a similar franchise. Karl and his team continue to be highly ranked in all institutional client surveys for the sector, and he joined Canaccord in July 2003.

Ms Stephanie Léouzon, Managing Director, European Healthcare, Credit Suisse First Boston

Stephanie Léouzon is a Managing Director in Credit Suisse First Boston’s European Healthcare group, based in London.

Mrs. Léouzon joined CSFB in 1997 from Salomon Smith Barney where she was a Director in the Health Care Group. Prior to joining Salomon Smith Barney, Mrs. Léouzon worked at JP Morgan and Lehman Brothers in Health Care Investment Banking.

Mrs. Léouzon has worked in Health Care Investment Banking since 1989, participating in over 50 transactions. Her extensive experience includes a number of strategic advisory and financing assignments, including cross-border pharmaceutical transactions such as the $34.6 billion AstraZeneca merger, the $6.8 billion Pharmacia & Upjohn merger, Hoechst’s $7 billion acquisition of Marion Merrell Dow and the creation of Syngenta through the merger of the agricultural businesses of AstraZeneca and Novartis. She has also led teams for several financings across a number of health care sectors, with a special focus on the biotechnology and specialty pharma sectors. Recent financings in these sectors have included the $2.4 billion bank and high yield financings for the LBO of Warner Chilcott, the $90 million IPO of Ark Therapeutics, $160 million of convertible note offerings for Skye Pharma and the $70 million IPO of ProStrakan.

Mrs. Léouzon received an M.B.A from the University of Virginia and a B.A. degree, cum laude, from Mount Holyoke College.

Mr Anthony Warnock Smith, Partner, Morgan Lewis

Anthony Warnock-Smith is a partner in the Business and Finance Practice.  His practice focuses on government regulation and business transactions involving the pharmaceutical, medical device, cosmetics, veterinary drug, and foods and food additives industries.

Anthony has 30 years of experience in regulatory matters, as well as commercial agreements and transactions in Europe. His government regulation experience involves the full range of services of interest to these industries, from clinical trial and product development issues, to marketing and allied reimbursement, product liability and other trade regulation matters. He is also experienced in joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, European Union competition law, restructurings, distribution agreements, technology licensing and strategic partnering for these industries.

From 1973 until 1996, Anthony worked in the legal department of the pharmaceutical company Sterling Winthrop (now Sanofi - Aventis), rising to vice president of legal services in Europe.

Mr Antoine Papiernik, Managing Partner, Sofinnova

Antoine Papiernik, Managing Partner, joined Sofinnova Partners in 1997. Antoine has an MBA from the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania). He started his career in Private Equity in the Caisse des Dépôts group, first with CDC-Participations, then in its newly formed venture capital arm CDC-Innovation where he invested exclusively in life sciences. Since joining Sofinnova Partners, Antoine has been an initial investor in Actelion (a Swiss biopharmaceuticals company that is now listed on the Zürich stock exchange), as well as NovusPharma (a company listed on the Milan stock exchange that merged with Cell Therapeutics, which is quoted on Nasdaq). He is also an investor in and a board member of Biolipox, Diatos, SpineVision, Pro-Med, CoreValve, and Addex.

Mr Nick Lowcock, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus International LLC

Nick Lowcock joined the Warburg Pincus Healthcare Group in 1994. Based in London, he is responsible for the firm’s European healthcare investment activities. Mr. Lowcock spent the first four years of his career with Warburg Pincus in New York. He received an MBA (with distinction) from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a BA (first class) in Experimental Psychology from Oxford University. His previous experience includes two years as a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group in New York and four years in the Pharmaceutical Industry in the United Kingdom. Mr. Lowcock currently serves on the board of directors of Zentiva, Eurand, ProStrakan, Archimedes and Euromedic. He is also a trustee of Project Hope UK, a charity devoted to improving healthcare in developing nations. Mr. Lowcock is a member of the Executive Management Group of Warburg Pincus.