SABPA's 24th San Diego Biopharma Conference Recap
Where Breakthroughs Begin: SABPA’s 24th San Diego BioPharma Conference
Science and collaboration move forward | September 26, 2026 | Del Mar, California
What makes a successful biopharma conference?
It may be the moment a discovery sparks a new approach to treating patients, a candid conversation sharpens the next experiment, or two people meet and begin imagining what they could build together. That spirit of scientific exchange and connection filled SABPA’s 24th San Diego BioPharma Conference.
A full audience joins the scientific presentations. Photo: SABPA Photos
Opening the Conference
Yi Liu, BioPharma Conference Committee Chair and President of SABPA’s San Diego Chapter, opened the meeting and welcomed attendees to a full day of scientific discussion, industry perspectives, and networking.
Yi Liu delivers the opening remarks. Photo: SABPA Photos
Yinghong Gao, Chair of the SABPA BioPharma Committee, chaired the morning session, with Yi Liu serving as co-chair. Xin Jiang, CEO of Stealth Biotech, chaired the afternoon session, with David Wallace, Senior Director of Intellectual Property at Biosplice Therapeutics, serving as co-chair.
Conference speakers and participants together on stage. Photo: SABPA Photos
A highlight of the opening program was the presentation of the 2026 SABPA BioPharma Achievement Award to Paul Negulescu, Senior Vice President of Research at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, recognizing his contributions to biopharmaceutical research and drug discovery.
Paul Negulescu receives the 2026 SABPA BioPharma Achievement Award. From Left to right: Yi Liu, Jin Shang, Paul Negulescu, and Yinghong Gao. Photo: SABPA Photos
Scientific Insights Across the Drug Discovery Landscape
The scientific program brought together leaders working across pain, neuroscience, cardiovascular disease, RNA therapeutics, oncology, and translational research.
Paul Negulescu traced the decades-long development of suzetrigine, a selective NaV1.8 inhibitor and nonopioid treatment for acute pain. His presentation illustrated what sustained research can achieve through improved assays, studies in human sensory neurons, and the continuous refinement of promising early compounds. Dimitri E. Grigoriadis, Distinguished Scholar at Neurocrine Biosciences, connected decades of corticotropin-releasing factor research with the development of therapeutic approaches for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Ardem Patapoutian, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine and Professor and Presidential Endowed Chair in Neurobiology at Scripps Research, explored how PIEZO ion channels enable the body to sense touch, pressure, and other mechanical forces. Adam Mullick, Vice President of Cardiovascular and Renal Drug Discovery at Ionis Pharmaceuticals, discussed the opportunities for RNA therapeutics in heart failure, along with one of the field’s central challenges: achieving effective delivery to cardiac muscle.
Top left: Paul Negulescu, Senior Vice President, Research, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Top right: Dimitri E. Grigoriadis, Distinguished Scholar, Neurocrine Biosciences
Bottom left: Ardem Patapoutian, 2021 Nobel Laureate; Professor and Presidential Endowed Chair, Scripps Research
Bottom right: Adam Mullick, Vice President, Cardiovascular and Renal Drug Discovery, Ionis Pharmaceuticals
Photos: SABPA Photos
The afternoon program continued with perspectives from oncology, translational research, and global business development. Jeff Settleman, CSO for the Oncology Research Unit and La Jolla Site Head at Pfizer, presented emerging strategies in oncology research. Mark Merchant, Vice President of Translational Research at Revolution Medicines, discussed mutant RAS biology, therapeutic development, and mechanisms of treatment resistance. Fan Zhang, Vice President of Business Development, Search and Evaluation at Bristol Myers Squibb, shared perspectives on the evolution of China’s biotechnology ecosystem and the growing importance of global partnerships.
Left: Jeff Settleman, CSO, Oncology Research Unit and La Jolla Site Head, Pfizer
Middle: Mark Merchant, Vice President, Translational Research, Revolution Medicines
Right: Fan Zhang, Vice President, Business Development, Search and Evaluation, Bristol Myers Squibb
Photos: SABPA Photos
The conference also featured a panel discussion moderated by David Choi, Executive Director at J.P. Morgan. Panelists Brendan Eckelman, CEO of SciThera; Jeremy Caldwell, Managing Director at Red Tree Venture Capital; Kim Kamdar, Managing Partner at Medical Excellence Capital; Qing Dong, Co-Founder and CEO of ArcThera; and Yipeng Zhao, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Embark Ventures, discussed what it takes to translate promising science into durable biotechnology companies. Their conversation centered on several recurring themes: building strong teams, developing differentiated products, designing decisive experiments, and deploying capital with discipline.
Panelists discuss the path from science to company building. Photo: SABPA Photos
The company-building panel and moderator. From Left: David Choi, Qing Dong, Yipeng Zhao, Jeremy Caldwell, Kim Kamdar, and Brendan Eckelman. Photo: SABPA Photos
Learning and exchange throughout the day
Scientific learning continued beyond the main stage through five Lunch & Learn sessions examining ADC development, peptides and oligonucleotides, humanized models, CRO partnerships, and manufacturing.
SABPA thanks WuXi AppTec, Asymchem/AsymBio, GemPharmatech, InnoStar Bio, and PharmaBlock for leading these discussions and sharing their expertise with attendees.
From Presentations to Conversations
The day concluded with interactive roundtable discussions that brought speakers, industry experts, and attendees into smaller-group conversations.
Topics included small-molecule innovation, translational challenges, RNA therapeutics, AI in biopharma, startup and business development trends, emerging therapeutic modalities, and career development.
Roundtable discussions bring participants together for smaller-group conversations. Photo: SABPA Photos
The roundtable format created space for participants to move beyond formal presentations, ask practical questions, exchange perspectives, and connect with others working on similar challenges across the biopharma ecosystem.
Carrying the Conversation Forward
A successful conference does not end when the final session closes.
Attendees connect in the vendor exhibition area throughout the conference. Photo: SABPA Photos
Its impact continues in the questions participants take back to their laboratories, the experiments they design differently, the decisions they reconsider, and the collaborations that begin with a conversation.
Jian Liu, Executive Vice President of SABPA’s San Diego Chapter and Head of Business Development at InnoStar, delivered the closing remarks, bringing a full day of scientific exchange and community connection to a close.
Jian Liu delivers the closing remarks. Photo: SABPA Photos
SABPA extends its sincere thanks to all of the speakers, sponsors, organizers, volunteers, table leads, and attendees who contributed their time, expertise, and energy to the 24th San Diego BioPharma Conference.
The conversations started in Del Mar will continue well beyond the conference—and may help shape the next experiment, partnership, company, or therapy.
