Biotech R&D is changing. Don't get left behind

Over the last few years we've seen some big changes in the way some drugs are developed.

The old, indefinite timelines are being thrown out as drug developers are getting more focused on a clear clinical path for their most important therapies. Open-ended demands for more and more data of all kinds are being dumped in exchange for some greater clarity on late-stage drugs related to safety and efficacy as well as their competitive position in the marketplace. The FDA's breakthrough drug designation has changed the R&D game for some diseases, though certainly not all. And a group of upstart biotechs are promising to help transform the proverbial paradigm on drug development.

What better time to host a new FierceBiotech executive panel discussion on current trends in late-stage development?

Bright and early on October 21 at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, I'll be joined by Jose-Carlos Gutierrez-Ramos, Ph.D., Pfizer's ($PFE) head of biotherapeutics R&D; Agios CEO David Schenkein, who's out to create the next great cancer drug developer; James Burns, head of Sanofi's ($SNY) R&D ops in the Boston hub; Nick Leschly, who as CEO of bluebird bio ($BLUE) has been turning heads on gene therapy's potential; and Jason Gardner, GSK's ($GSK) VP of R&D and head of its new Boston-area talent scouting office.

Together, we'll discuss the pros and cons of some of the most significant new thinking on R&D, looking at the forces molding drug research work in one of the globe's most important biotech hubs. We'll reserve time for your questions as well.

I hope to see you there. You can register here. Please drop me an email if you have any questions. -- John Carroll, editor-in-chief (email | Twitter)