Geeta Vemuri, PhD, MBA is a healthcare executive with unique experience in both Fund management and big pharma. Dr. Vemuri is the Founder of Agent Capital (2017), a Healthcare Venture Fund with focus on therapeutics investments in the areas of Oncology, Immunology and Rare Diseases. Current investors in the fund include, a strategic investor, family offices of former Pharma executives and institutional investors. Dr. Vemuri’s fund responsibilities include, firm management and portfolio management including deal negotiation, active company management through board role.

Prior to Founding Agent Capital, Dr. Vemuri was Managing Partner of Baxter/Baxalta Ventures from 2012-2016, with over $300M under management where she set strategy and executed on all aspects of management of the capital and was investment committee member. Prior to this, she was Partner at Quaker Partners with focus on therapeutics and diagnostic investments. She started her business career at Salomon Smith Barney as Associate Specialty Pharma Analyst. She is a Kauffman Fellow Mentor (since 2018). Under her leadership, Baxter ventures was named as a top 6 Corporate healthcare VC Groups by Silicon Valley Bank (2015). She has a PhD in biochemistry from the Indian Institute of Sciences and an MBA in Finance from Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Agent Capital’s current portfolio investments include – Aptinyx (APTX), Carisma Therapeutics, DragonFly Tx, DiCe Molecule, Entrada Therapeutics, Freenome, ImCheck Tx, Orchard Therapeutics (ORTX), Orbus Therapeutics, Pliant Therapeutics (PLTX), Precision BioSciences (DTIL) and SkyHawk Therapeutics.

Some of her Baxter/Baxalta portfolio investments include – Covagen (acq by J&J), Gadeta (acq by Gilead), Naurex (acq by Allergan), Ocular Therapeutics (OCTX), Opsona Therapeutics, Precision BioSciences (DTIL), SyntImmune (acq by Alexion), True North (acq by Biovertiv/Sanofi).

The potential for co-circulation of influenza and COVID19 disease creates a challenging situation for the upcoming Fall and Winter seasons in the US. It is very difficult to predict what might happen in the coming months. The effects of influenza, COVID-19, and other respiratory diseases could culminate in increased disease and an overwhelming burden on healthcare systems. Efforts to mitigate disease, such as influenza vaccination, offer another layer of personal protection.

To better prepare for the upcoming flu seasons States need to address specific questions:

• Are states ready for how the coronavirus may impact the flu season?
• How can we safeguard flu vaccination and thereby minimize the impact of flue on the other respiratory diseases we confront?
• How can antivirals be used in the upcoming flu epidemic?

This discussion will explore learnings from the current Southern Hemisphere winter, where responses to both influenza and coronavirus are occurring simultaneously, offer insights as to how governments, providers and public health stakeholders in the Northern Hemisphere can prepare for the upcoming season.

Rosalind Franklin University

Brain disease comes in many different forms and goes by many different names. It affects the lives of 1 in 6 people in the U.S. and costs over a trillion dollar in annual treatment.

The purpose of this two-day conference is to showcase Rosalind Franklin University’s research into brain disease through its Brain Science Institute and Center for Genetic Diseases. Additionally, participation by disease-based foundations, venture capital, and biopharma companies (large and early stage) involved in brain disease will complement RFU’s research activities.