Las Vegas may have been buzzing (literally) with all of the latest and greatest technology at CES this past week, but those of us interested in the health care industry know to save our energy for the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference (JPM). The company describes the premier event as “the largest and most informative healthcare investment symposium in the industry which connects global industry leaders, emerging fast-growth companies, innovative technology creators and members of the investment community.” The yearly event returns after a two-year hiatus and takes place in San Francisco next week (Jan. 9-12). It is a health care investor’s playground. Unlike typical conferences, JPM takes place across multiple hotels in San Francisco’s Union Square. Companies present updates and new product releases, but it is also a chance for deals to be made and for private meetings with investors. And the parties, at least before Covid, were elaborate and everyone wanted to get on all the guest lists. 

Unfortunately I am not attending this year, but I have attended in the past so I know what to look out for. The conference does not make the agenda publicly available, but that is often because the conference brings together industry leaders, investors, and dealmakers into the same city at the same time and gives them the opportunity to do business. As investors who are unable to attend, we should be watching and listening to our favorite health care companies this coming week to see if they are participating in the conference. More importantly we should be looking for company updates post conference to see if any collaborations or acquisitions were made as a result of this meeting.

Publicly traded companies like Premier (NASDAQ: PINC), Invitae (NYSE: NVTA), Nuvalent (NASDAQ: NUVL), and Kodiak Sciences (NASDAQ: KOD) are scheduled to present as are privately held companies like Ascidian Therapeutics. All will give some update on their companies as a way to entice, attract, or reassure (depending on the company) investors. Although I will not be attending in person, I will be listening and reading updates from the companies and press that are there to stay abreast of what is happening in the industry and will do my best to share the news with you. If you are even remotely interested in the health care industry, JPM is a great place to start and I invite you to join me in the excitement. 

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