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The 2024 BIO International Convention, hosted by the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), begins today, June 3, in San Diego. It’s not so sunny—yet—but the outlook is bright for the biotech industry, converging for a week of inspiring keynotes, educational panels, and partnering meetings that are so important to bringing innovation to life.
More than 18,500 people have registered for the event, and 60,000 partnering meetings have been scheduled—and it’s only Monday!
We caught up with BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley at the San Diego Convention Center on Sunday to get a preview of what’s to come and why it matters:
What we’re watching at BIO 2024
Bio.News is on the ground at the San Diego Convention Center to bring you all the news and highlights. Here are a few things on our radar:
- Monday, June 3 begins with a symposium on partnering with the U.S. government to develop medical countermeasures, featuring officials from the White House, Department of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), and more. BIO members bluebird bio and Vertex (among others) will discuss gene therapy breakthroughs. We’ll also get the patient’s perspective on policy issues including Alternative Funding Programs (AFPs) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
- Tuesday, June 4 brings Viola Davis and Brooke Baldwin to the main stage to discuss the convergence of entrepreneurship and innovation. Former Members of Congress Kathleen Rice and Greg Walden will join BIO Board member Fritz Bittenbender of Genentech for a conversation on biopharma’s public image in the election year, and Amgen’s CEO Robert A. Bradway will be in conversation with BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley. We’ll also get a look at BIO’s new report on DEI in the industry.
- Wednesday, June 5 puts a spotlight on national security. U.S. Navy Four-Star Admiral (Ret.) William H. McRaven will headline the main stage, while the afternoon will feature representatives of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology. A fireside chat with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf will close the day.
- Thursday, June 6 is a half day, but you don’t want to miss it. We’ll be watching a conversation on achieving the WHO’s cervical cancer elimination targets, and learning about opportunities with ARPA-H.
