ACCELERATING INNOVATION AND PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT
As regional pharmaceutical companies in Latin America become stronger, new opportunities for partnership and collaborative alliances in drug discovery process are available. Discuss how to go about igniting pipeline innovation.

1. How can we as innovators work with our governments to drive innovation and pipeline growth in Latin America?
2. How can pharmaceutical executives increase R&D initiatives in academic institutions?
3. How can the Latin America region work towards an integrative environment that can offer appropriate conditions to boost research and innovation?

STRATEGIC PARTNERING TO DRIVE INNOVATION
Companies are seeking out innovative partnerships to accelerate the transition of basic science into clinically viable drug candidates, as pressure builds to cut development times, boost the output of new medicines and offset pending patent expiries on blockbuster drugs. Externalizing drug development can more than triple the volume of new molecular entities (NMEs) going into Phase I clinical trials, according to a finding by the US-based Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development (CSDD). This discussion will focus on describing the landscape of innovative biotechs and top academic institutions in Latin America and how these partnerships can be leveraged to boost the pipelines of pharma and biotech companies.

1. What new strategic partnerships and collaborative initiatives can the industry make with academic institutions and non-profit organizations to improve R&D?
2. How do you innovate with your CRO partner?
3. What risk-sharing agreements currently exist in Latin America? Is risk-sharing an effective way to innovate?

IMPROVING LATIN AMERICA'S COMPETITIVE POSITION IN THE GLOBAL MARKETPLACE
Latin America offers a number of advantages as a location for clinical trials—a large population, highly qualified medical personnel, a tradition of Western medicine, and well-established regulations for clinical trials in most countries. The ready access to these resources can help pharmaceutical companies reduce trial delays and speed up development times. At the same time, those companies face significant cultural, medical, regulatory, and logistical challenges inherent to conducting trials in Latin America. This discussion centers around identifying the components that are making this region less competitive than some other markets, and brainstorming how to make Latin America a more attractive destination for clinical research.

1. What factors are driving the push to develop drugs in global markets? What makes a region/country attractive to run clinical trials?
2. Which other main regions/countries are the main competitors to Latin America?
3. How can the industry work together to bring more clinical trials into Latin America?