An Eye on J.P. Morgan 2016: Pharm Exec's Top Tweets

Just because you weren't able to make the trip this week, doesn’t mean you can’t stay current on the news coming out of the Westin St. Francis Hotel, or the gossip circulating across the street at San Francisco’s Union Square, weather permitting. We’re keeping an eye on the one of the healthcare industry’s biggest weeks on Twitter with regular updates here.

Thursday Jan 14^th

So much of JPM was about tech making inroads and the problems/holdups that still exist in healthcare. Here are a few tweets as the week winds to a close.

#jpm16 probably the first year that digital health was hotter/better than biotech.

- Brian Neman (@bneman) January 14, 2016

@danmunro@pjmachado we just bought a fax 4 our startup just to plug in to healthcare even though we're paperless! #wintertech#jpm16

- DavisLiuMD (@davisliumd) January 14, 2016

And a discussion on Google, Apple and Uber, though I must admit, I would like to hear more from this conversation because negativity towards Uber in healthcare really doesn’t make sense to me. At minimum, transportation of people, i.e. doctors, nurses, patients, could be improved in healthcare. But besides the potential of cheaper house calls and ambulance rides, Uber, at least as much as the other two tech giants, struggles every day to overcome established, antiquated systems of unions, lobbies, politicians, etc. Maybe theirs is more of a story of politics than tech, but it certainly illustrates that a relatively simple step forward in technology can face friction, both attitudes and power structures - even when the brick and mortar is clearly inferior and crumbling.

Comments from a very good panel at #jpm16 - Why Apple and Google are good for healthcare +Uber is not #digitalhealthhttps://t.co/jQ6sDcJLy2

- Skip Fleshman (@SkipFleshman) January 14, 2016

Couldn't disagree more. Uber is good for healthcare. Transportation is a major barrier for patients. @SkipFleshman@WTBunting

- Travis Moore (@tmoore634RN) January 14, 2016

Wednesday the 13^th

An interesting viewpoint from president of Astellas Pharma US, Jim Robinson (one of PE’s 2015 Emerging Pharma Leaders) to put a bow on JPM16. Emphasis added...

-The big question is how to ensure we have the resources to follow through in an era in which innovation costs to pursue and bring products to market are growing while limits on payment and access are being put into place.

-If we, as an industry, are going to remain relevant, sustainable and dynamic, we must continue this dialogue. Just as important, we must include all stakeholders in the dialogue around how to achieve value on all our behalf.

Despite the disinterest, there are still some pretty interesting presentations at JPM this afternoon.

Pretty interesting afternoon at #jpm16 with $ZIOP$JUNO$CEMP and $ESPR presenting

- Dan Smithey (@dan_smithey) January 13, 2016

Certainly, a company that has watched its valuation tumble for the last few months generated interest; a poster child for the sector’s performance still sees massive opportunity.

$ESPR Intolerant Statin Opportunity $14B WW, #jpm16

- Dan Smithey (@dan_smithey) January 13, 2016

For an update on the stock market and the general sentiment:

@bradloncar@adamfeuerstein It has to be worse than, say, rat farts.

- William Gerber (@WilliamGerber1) January 13, 2016

The lack of news about drug development and deals means that much more attention is being given to rather embarrassing behavior at #JPM16.

Haha, @Jezebel picked up our "delightful story" on cocktail waitresses at #jpm16https://t.co/Pdb5XSdzjp

- Caroline Chen (@CarolineYLChen) January 13, 2016

more…

Wore black to a #jpm16 event and a man gave me his empty drink glass instead of a business card. https://t.co/KleiHrBREK from @business

- Emily Richmond (@emilayamei) January 13, 2016

Tuesday the 12^th, afternoon

The tweet of the day, judging by retweets, might have come from Andy Slavitt, (@ASlavitt) Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on the subject of meaningful use.

In 2016, MU as it has existed-- with MACRA-- will now be effectively over and replaced with something better #jpm16

- Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) January 12, 2016

Wow - @ASlavitt says that #meaningfuluse is basically dead https://t.co/ACU4Znyd8S#healthIT#jpm16

- Lisa Bari (@lisabari) January 12, 2016

A further blending of biopharma and tech is a clear theme for the conference.

The overlaps between health-technology today and enterprise technology five years ago are striking. #jpm16

- Christina Farr (@chrissyfarr) January 12, 2016

Digital protestors, they’ve hijacked #JPM16!

#jpm16 healthcare conference: a bunch of bankers get together to maximize profit & make healthcare in America completely unaffordable!

- #OccupyLA (@OccupyLA) January 12, 2016

Has anyone seen Martin? 

.@MartinShkreli is like the Voldort of #jpm16#bts16: "He who shall not be named."

- Jon Gardner (@ByJonGardner) January 12, 2016

The markets seem slightly more favorable as Tuesday continued, but general pessimism from Monday, and the preceding week reigns. - smelly stocks and streets?

Anyone else feel the streets around SF's Union Sq r particularly urine-rich & dirty this year? Smells r pungent. As r many stocks. #jpm16

- Bruce Booth (@LifeSciVC) January 12, 2016

There were some big names present. J&J’s leadership was excited - talking #innovation, #ebola, etc.

Facing #Ebola, we saw something that would normally happen in 5-6 years happen in 10 months. #JNJ CEO Gorsky #jpm16pic.twitter.com/h3YqHZvXCV

- Johnson & Johnson (@JNJNews) January 12, 2016

And Pfizer had some interesting things to say about its plans in CAR-T.

$PFE CEO says chose allogeneic CAR-T prog partly because Pfizer's manufacturing abilities overcome major hurdle for tech $CLLS#jpm16

- Amy Reeves (@IBD_Areeves) January 12, 2016

Dolsten on Cellectis: "could take whole CART business to whole new level from more of a procedure...to a more powerful therapy." #jpm16

- Lisa Jarvis (@lisamjarvis) January 12, 2016

Tuesday the 12^th, Morning wake up call

As biotech fanatics wake up to their news streams, the unhappy “Red Monday” that signaled the worst JPM start since 2001 looks to have turned to green, for now.

Healthcare looked "bad, sad, unhappy" at #jpm16 Monday https://t.co/CzptfoGxQY What will today bring? @ArmstrongDrew@ZTracer

- John Lauerman (@LauermanJohn) January 12, 2016

PE’s Editorial Advisory Board member Les Funtleyder of E Squared Asset Management lamented that what had been a “weak mood” coming into the conference is now even more evident. “Negative sentiment is becoming tangible news,” he told Bloomberg. As the board looks green this morning, we’ll see if things pick up today and for the rest of the week.

Here’s more on the pricing conversation from @RebeccaDRobbins for @statnews - protestors and all.

With pharma execs in the hot seat over drug pricing, $GILD took center stage. My story from #jpm16 in San Francisco: https://t.co/dryMdsNfmA

- Rebecca Robbins (@RebeccaDRobbins) January 12, 2016

Midday Monday the 11^th, midday

How big of an issue is drug pricing? Sounds like Gilead’s John Milligan thinks drug pricing will become less of an issue after the election.

John Milligan of $GILD: Drug pricing "more of a campaign issue than an actual issue" #jpm16

- Ron Leuty (@rleuty_biotech) January 11, 2016

@MaxNisen sees a common thread. Others may not echo Milligan’s sentiments so bluntly, but there is an undercurrent to other presenters who view pricing as something on which politicians talk tough...

To be fair, what most have said or implied today, if rather more baldly than most. https://t.co/mOEg0midiP

- Max Nisen (@MaxNisen) January 11, 2016

But how likely is real action on pricing?

ICYMI: $NVS@Novartis CEO Jimenez tells @megtirrell drug industry needs to rethink pricing. @SquawkStreet#jpm16https://t.co/JCgwHaO0uc

- jodi gralnick (@jodigralnick) January 11, 2016

A slow, quiet start to the week… Stock values are falling, and the news cycle has barely topped a murmur.

A Lack of News and Buzz at #jpm16 Sinks Biotech Stocks -> https://t.co/YoqrlS6kME My epitaph for the biotech sector on Jan. 11, 2016.

- Adam Feuerstein (@adamfeuerstein) January 11, 2016

The main story, as expected, Shire and Baxalta figured out the tax issue holding up their tie up.

#jpm16 starts off with a bang! Shire/Baxalta - https://t.co/Tr7EpbYMaOpic.twitter.com/wo57bPiz73

- john capodanno (@John_Capodanno) January 11, 2016

PE’s March 2015 cover company, 23andme is managing to garner some excitement.

Andy Page of @23andMe decides packed house allows him to skip intro on whether there's interest in consumer genetics #jpm16

- Ron Leuty (@rleuty_biotech) January 11, 2016

Want to know what's hot @23andMe room packed and overflowing #jpm16#genomicspic.twitter.com/8RFMnAS2ny

- Nick van Terheyden (@drnic1) January 11, 2016

Update - Fri Jan 8^th, 6pm

Monday’s front page is a big one if you can get it. As Ron Leuty (@rleuty_biotech) writes, there is substantial competition to start JP Morgan off as the topic of discussion over Monday morning's coffee.

Why the #biotech news crush before #jpm16? https://t.co/5ZRgTgXcHipic.twitter.com/YgHMur8kEO

- Ron Leuty (@rleuty_biotech) January 7, 2016

There is consensus that Shire’s CEO Flemming Ornskov is gunning for the top of the fold with the ~$32.5 billion acquisition of Baxalta.

Baxalta, Shire to announce merger deal as soon as Monday, Reuters

- Douglas Kass (@DougKass) January 7, 2016

Sounds like Flemming wants to get the $BXLT deal done before #jpm16 just like he wanted the $NPSP deal done before last year.

- Brad Loncar (@bradloncar) December 22, 2015

. @bradloncar At this point, who cares? Announcing $SHPGY takeout of $BXLT Monday will be a shrug, “we knew already” event for #jpm16

- Adam Feuerstein (@adamfeuerstein) January 7, 2016

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Friday January 8: Going in, what are the biggest stories? As in years past, leading up to the conference, some investors like @bradloncar are calling for a democratization of the conference - to “level the playing field for small investors” by making whole presentations publically available, rather than just their scripted portions. The public shaming had some success in the past. We’ll see about this year.

Why private biotech investor @bradloncar wants to ‘free the webcast’ at next week's JP Morgan conference #jpm16https://t.co/HrwPZ4QUW6

- Don Seiffert (@BosBizDon) January 4, 2016

A new name for the event that has grown out of the conference, and certainly out of the confines of the fire hazard that is the Westin St. Francis?

Should the HC industry rename the annual exodus to San Francisco given that #jpm16 is far beyond JP Morgan the bank?

- Daphne Zohar (@daphnezohar) January 6, 2016

@DennisJPurcell Yes! does anyone actually go to "JPM"? Or do we just all hang out in Union Square?

- Steven Dickman (@cbtadvisors) January 6, 2016

A call for fewer catchphrases

Can we ban the words "innovative" and "unmet need" at #jpm16, so companies have to explain what they do w/o handwaving?

- Caroline Chen (@CarolineYLChen) January 6, 2016