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CBI’s West Coast Compliance Congress is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd through Thursday, October 24th in San Francisco, and a review of the pre-conference agenda reveals a compelling mix of panel presentations and master classes focused on the most pressing challenges facing life sciences compliance professionals. Here are the sessions we have noted as most intriguing.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019: Pre-Conference
Attendees face an interesting choice right from the start of the conference with two Pre-Conference Summits scheduled simultaneously for 1:30 – 5:00 on Tuesday. Both are focused on topics critically important considering recent industry settlements.
During Summit A, Patient Assistance and Support Programs – Ensuring Patient Centricity Through Compliant Frameworks, summit leaders, Terra Buckley of Celgene, Daryl Kreml of Sage Therapeutics, and Kari Loeser of Relypsa will delve into the risks associated with assistance programs, hub services, nurse educator programs, and reimbursement services. It’s a comprehensive look at the topic by an impressive group of panelists. Don’t miss it.
In fact, the only valid reason to miss Summit A may be to take in Summit B: Third-Party Risks and Oversight – Innovative Models Driving Compliance. The increasing trend toward outsourcing services in the life sciences industry has led to the need for even greater diligence around the selection and management of third-party vendors. According to the agenda, representatives from Advanced Bionics, Merck, and Varian Medical Systems will “share best practices, uncover red flags and set a tactical plan for enhancing oversight.”
Wednesday, October 23, 2019: Day 1
After opening remarks by Erik Atkinsson of Cytokinetics, Day 1 begins with a session intriguingly titled, Trailblazer Talk. Averi Price of Radius Health, Sharon Delshad of Nalpropion Pharmaceuticals, and Daryl Kreml of Sage Therapeutics will focus on “adapting and evolving compliance programs in support of innovation.” I expect it to be an enlightening program from three highly-regarded industry veterans.
When attending any compliance conference, I make a note not to miss the sessions featuring government prosecutors and regulators. The Current and Former Prosecutor Panel is no exception as former prosecutors Tiffany Mosely of Loeb & Loeb, LLP and Joes Verla Jr. of Bass, Berry & Sims will join Adam Reeves from the United States Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of California to discuss trends for next year and beyond. Hearing from the government side always offers important lessons and insights.
Later, on Day 1, the “New Guidance” session subtitled, Walk Through the Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs – Foundational Understanding and Future Impact, is compelling based solely on the use of “evaluation” in the title. If this is indeed a step-by-step review of what makes a successful compliance program, the time invested should be more than worthwhile. I wouldn’t miss it.
The afternoon of Day 1 includes two sets of simultaneous “master classes,” beginning at 1:30 with the Transparency and Aggregate Spend session and Data Privacy and Cybersecurity session. At 2:15, it’s a choice between Promotional Compliance in one session and Non-Promotional Activities in the other. I understand the need to schedule simultaneous sessions to pack as much content as possible into the conference, but it makes for difficult choices. If you are attending with coworkers, I suggest a divide and note-sharing approach to maximize the opportunity.
Day 1 ends with a networking wine and cheese reception, which may be your best opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders. This makes for a great exchange of tips, suggestions, best practices, and business cards.
Thursday, October 24, 2019: Day 2
Day 2 opens with two concurrent master classes at 8:30 and two more at 9:30. The HCP Engagement and Contracting – Mitigate Compliance Risk and Improve Operational Efficiency session stands out as one I would not miss considering the current regulatory focus in that area.
Speaking of HCP contracts and current regulatory focus, the in-conference workshop at 10:45, Strengthen Speaker Program Compliance Through Innovative Initiatives and Best Practices is certainly worthy of an asterisk in your agenda. And if speaker programs are high on your list of risk areas, we now offer a Compliance FoundationsImage may be NSFW.
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eLearning module titled, Managing Speaker Program Risk. The 30-minute module covers topics like program planning, speaker compensation, attendee management, and speaker responsibilities, to list just a few. And it’s easily customized with your specific policies and contact information. Let me know if you’d like to a content outline.
Before the conference closes with an Exclusive Benchmarking Think-Tank, Greg Moss of Kadmon Holdings, Sunita Ramamurthy from Loxo Oncology, and L. Kathleen Durousseau of Rigel Pharmaceuticals will cover Governance Best Practices and Working with the Board. We often hear about the importance of “tone from the top” at compliance conferences and any discussion centered on ideas for working with the board to establish the proper tone is worthwhile. It’s a strong topic for the end of the conference.
Thanks for reading this preview of the 10th Annual Life Sciences West Coast Compliance Congress. As always, I welcome your comments, feedback, and stories from the conference. If you are attending the conference, please say hello to my colleague from PharmaCertify, Dan O’Connor, who will be there as well.
Sean Murphy
Marketing and Product Manager
PharmaCertify by NXLevel Solutions