A Renewed and Resilient Life Sciences Ecosystem

Moderated by Geneviève Guertin, panel members discuss their personal experiences as business executives, share their hopes for the future of the industry and even make a few predictions about stock markets in 2023.

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Biographes

Roberto Bellini

Roberto Bellini has served as President and CEO of BELLUS Health since January 1, 2010. 
BELLUS Health (NASDAQ : BLU | TSX : BLU) is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of refractory chronic cough and other disorders associated with hypersensitization. The Company’s lead product candidate, BLU-5937, is a highly selective P2X3 antagonist being developed for the treatment of refractory chronic cough. The Company has initiated the CALM Phase 3 program, which consists of two pivotal trials CALM-1 and CALM-2. 
BELLUS is evaluating potential opportunities to study BLU-5937 for the treatment of other cough disorders and hypersensitization disorders where hypersensitivity plays a key role. 
Mr. Bellini previously oversaw the licensing and partnering activities of BELLUS Health Inc. His experience includes several roles and responsibilities at Picchio Pharma Inc., a joint venture healthcare investment firm owned by the Bellini Family Trust and Power Corporation of Canada, and its investee companies. 
Mr. Bellini holds a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from McGill University. 

Biography 2022

 

Clarissa Desjardins, Ph.D.

Dr. Clarissa Desjardins is the founder of Congruence Therapeutics, a biotechnology company working at the interface of computational and experimental drug discovery to design novel small molecules for diseases of protein misfolding.  Using structural bioinformatics, computational chemistry, and machine learning, the Company is deploying an in silico platform that enables the design of new pharmacological stabilizers, a validated class of small molecules, at an unprecedented speed and scale. 
Previously, Dr. Desjardins was the founder and CEO of Clementia, a clinical-stage company focused on developing therapies for rare pediatric bone diseases.  Clementia was a Nasdaq-listed company until its acquisition by Ipsen in 2019 for $1.3 billion. Clementia’s lead product, SohonosTM (palovarotene), was recently approved in Canada and is under review at the FDA as the first and only treatment for Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva, a debilitating and progressive rare bone disorder.  
Dr. Desjardins is an award-winning entrepreneur with more than 25 years of biotechnology experience. Prior to her current venture, she has founded three successful biotech companies, leading all aspects of company creation, including conception, financing, team building and governance.  As a graduate student, she founded Advanced Bioconcept, a research reagent and diagnostics company sold to NEN Life Sciences (Perkin Elmer) in 1998.  Dr. Desjardins also co-founded Caprion Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology company focused on proteomic biomarker discovery and drug development, where she was Executive Vice-President of corporate development. Caprion, now CellCarta still operates in Montreal and employs several hundred people.  Prior to Clementia, Clarissa was CEO at the Centre of excellence in Personalized Medicine, a federally-funded think tank created to promote personalized medicine research and policies.
Dr. Desjardins is the recipient of the 2018 Bloom Burton Award for her contribution to Canada’s innovative healthcare industry, the BRIO award for outstanding contributions to the biotechnology industry from the Quebec Biotechnology Association and was named one of 2017’s Fiercest Women in Life Sciences by FiercePharma. Dr. Desjardins currently sits on the boards of BELLUS Health (BLU) and INSMED (INSM).  Dr. Desjardins earned a doctorate in Neurology and Neurosurgery from McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine with a minor in History and Philosophy of Science.

Biography 2022

 

Geneviève Guertin

In her current role, Ms. Guertin uses her over 20 years of professional experience in life sciences to lead a team of seven professionals dedicated exclusively to the field of biotechnology. She spent eight years on this same team as Director, Investment, Life Sciences, overseeing numerous investment projects in private and public companies and in specialised funds, both in the areas of development and venture capital.
Before joining the Fonds de solidarité des travailleurs (F.T.Q.) in 2012, Geneviève Guertin was Investment Director, Life Sciences, at Société générale de financement du Québec.
Ms. Guertin holds a Master of Science in Administration from HEC Montréal and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation. She currently sits on Montréal In Vivo, Réseau Capital and Génôme Québec boards.

Biography 2022

Gordon C. McCauley, BA, MBA, ICD.D

Gordon McCauley is President and Chief Executive Office of adMare BioInnovations, a position he assumed in 2016 after serving on adMare’s Board for four years.
A successful executive, advocate, and investor, he has been at the forefront of Canada’s life-science sector for over two decades, playing leadership roles across several domains. 
As an executive, he has a track record of success, supporting and growing private and publicly traded life-science start-ups and emerging enterprises into sustainable businesses. 
As an advocate, he has played an influential role in shaping Canada’s public policy and regulatory agendas to advance knowledge, innovation and growth in the life sciences while respecting its social responsibilities. 
And as an investor, he has drawn on his extensive knowledge, insight, and networks in the business, research and academic communities to advise life-science investment funds on how and where to target their investments. 
Gordon earned a BA in Political Science from McMaster University, an MBA (with honours) from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, and holds the ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto.

Biographie 2022