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Pharmaceutical Executive: What is the role of science and research at a conference like JP Morgan Healthcare?
Jeff Liter: As a company, we generally lead with science in the approaches that we take. For us, we ask if we can demonstrate that the science has clinical outcomes. Going into JP Morgan this year, we have nine patients under our belt.

Last year, we only had two, so our numbers are starting to get more statistically significant. At JP Morgan, it’s about showing what clinical evidence you have of your science and how much can you pander about to various meetings.

PE: What struggles are impacting the industry ahead of the conference?
Liter: The one downer for the whole biotech market is the uncertainty of NIH funding, especially for companies and research institutions that really rely on that for early development.

PE: Where you do see excitement ahead of the conference?
Liter: There’s a fair amount of industrial enthusiasm that pharma is going to step up and buy additional assets. The feel for US biotech companies is how to compete with China, who is iterating faster than the US.