Events
Social Media in Direct to Consumer Advertising Panel
Social media and related advertising have become one of the most important outlets for communicating with potential customers and driving revenues. While advertisements on television and other traditional media are still important for the largest brands, the consumer’s attention is most frequently on their phone, tablet or personal computer. Television, newspapers and radio have been replaced by streaming, online stores and podcasts.
This shift in behavior has opened up online advertising opportunities for all segments of the economy. All types of products and services are presented in this medium including health care products. While advertising health products is subject to many types of regulation, it remains an important way to connect and educate patients and consumers, who may not otherwise know there is something that can improve their condition.
The availability and ubiquity of advertising online and using social media to connect with consumers is in full swing. Some of the key players in the medium include Google, Tik-Tok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Reddit and LinkedIn among many others. These platforms enable advertisers to specifically target their audience and effectively use marketing dollars.
We have asked several small cap life sciences companies with a consumer-oriented product to share their strategies using social media to connect with consumers. We will explore how successful advertising can have an economic impact and impact valuation. In our panel we will discuss:
Best platforms to reach your audience
What to watch out for
How to find the right customer and understand your audience.
Targeting strategies
Cost efficiencies vs. other media
Effect on sales
Location: Real News studios with audience, 5420 LBJ Freeway, Ste 750, Dallas, TX 75240
Date and Time: September 21, 2023, Thursday evening, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Brian Markison
CEO, RVL Pharmaceuticals
Daniel S. Goldberger
CEO, electroCore
John Amos
CEO, Vivus
John Bencich
CEO, Achieve Life Sciences
John D. Vandermosten, CFA
Senior Life Sciences Analyst
Our Panelists
Brian Markison is Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of RVL Pharmaceuticals. He previously served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Osmotica Pharmaceuticals from 2016 to 2021. Mr. Markison is a healthcare industry veteran, with more than 30 years of operational, marketing, commercial development, and sales experience with international pharmaceutical companies.
He has served as an industry executive to Avista Capital Partners since September 2012. He previously served as the President, Chief Executive Officer and board member of Fougera Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a dermatology-focused specialty pharmaceutical company sold to Sandoz Ltd., the generics division of Novartis AG. Before leading Fougera, Mr. Markison was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which he joined as Chief Operating Officer in March 2004. He was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer later that year and elected Chairman in 2007.
Prior to joining King Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Mr. Markison held various senior leadership positions at Bristol-Myers Squibb. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Lantheus Holdings, Inc. and is on the board of directors of Cosette Pharmaceuticals. He is also a Director of the College of New Jersey. Mr. Markison holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Iona College.
Daniel S. Goldberger is Chief Executive Officer of electroCore, Inc. and is responsible for leading and guiding the overall vision and goals of the company. Prior to joining the company, Daniel served as Executive Chairman of Repro Med Systems, Inc. (RMS), a publicly traded developer of home and specialty infusion products, and previously served as the company’s Chairman and interim Chief Executive Officer. He has over 35 years of leadership and medical device experience, including; Director and Chief Executive Officer of Xtant Medical Holdings, Inc. and Director and Chief Executive Officer of Sound Surgical Technologies. Earlier in his career, Daniel held various positions at Glucon, Inc., OSI Systems, Ohmeda, Nellcor and Hewlett Packard.
Daniel earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University and attended the Stanford Directors College.
John Amos has served as Chief Executive Officer of Vivus and a director of the Company since April 2018. From May 2017 to April 2018, he served as the Executive Chairman of Willow Biopharma Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. He served as the Chief Executive Officer of ORIX Healthcare Capital LLC, a private equity and venture capital investment company, from October 2012 to April 2017. Mr. Amos served as the Operating Partner and Portfolio Company Board Member of BioVeda China Fund, a financial investment company, from February 2008 to October 2012. He served as the Chief Executive Officer and President ofthe Oncology Therapeutics Network (acquired by McKesson Corporation in November 2007), a physician services company, from June 2005 to November 2007 and was a special advisor to McKesson Corporation, a public healthcare services company, from November 2007 to May 2008. Mr. Amos served as the President of the Oncology Therapeutics Network of Bristol Myers Squibb, a publicly traded biopharmaceutical company, from June 2003 to May 2005. He held executive roles in finance and technology in McKesson Corporation from March 1995 to April 2003.
From 1991 to 2003, he served in the United States Air Force and the California Air National Guard in Tactical Fighter Operations. Mr. Amos has previously served on the board of directors of TD2, Navigating Cancer, CITIC Pharmaceuticals, Aesyntix Health, Prodigy Health, Apollo Health Street, Quinian Health, Oncology Therapeutics Network and Matawan Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Amos served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board at MD Anderson Cancer Center Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS) and was a health policy advisor to Governor Jeb Bush’s 2016 Presidential Campaign. He has been appointed as a Trustee of the Global Leadership Council of the University of California, Davis Foundation. Mr. Amos has been named to the Information Week Top 500 CIO’s twice, won the Frost and Sullivan Award for Corporate Innovation. He studied Economics at the University of California, Davis and has a B.S. in General Business from the University of the State of New York.
John Bencich is an experienced financial executive who has spent over 20 years guiding financial and corporate strategy in the life sciences and technology industries. Before his appointment to Chief Executive Officer in 2020, Mr. Bencich served as Achieve Life Sciences Chief Financial and Operating Officer. Prior to joining Achieve Life Sciences in 2017, John served as CFO of OncoGenex Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biotechnology company. Before joining OncoGenex in 2014, John served as CFO of Integrated Diagnostics and Allozyne, both private VC-backed companies. Earlier he served as the CFO and Treasurer of Trubion Pharmaceuticals, a publicly traded biotechnology company where he helped complete the successful sale of the company to Emergent BioSolutions. Prior to his role at Trubion, he led the global financial operations for Onyx Software Corporation, a publicly traded software company through its sale to Battery Ventures. John started his career at Ernst & Young LLP. He graduated from the University of San Diego with a BA in Accounting, earned his MBA from Seattle University and was a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Washington for 17 years.
Panel Moderator
John D. Vandermosten, CFA is a senior biotechnology research analyst for Zacks SCR where he covers a portfolio of small cap equities. He has 20 years of experience in a variety of investment management and research roles across all market cap ranges and throughout the capital structure. John’s research coverage includes companies in a variety of therapeutic areas including oncology, drug delivery, gene and cell therapy, neurodegenerative disease and hypertension among others. He publishes equity research, contributes to written and broadcast media as biotech expert and participates in life sciences events.
Formerly, John was a consultant with Coker Group, a national healthcare services firm providing financial services to health care organizations. At Coker Group he consulted with clients in a variety of strategic and financial areas, including asset valuations, due diligence and transactions. Prior to his role as sell-side analyst and consultant, John was a portfolio manager at Westwood Holdings Group and covered health care and other spaces as research analyst. John was also an equity analyst at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
John has an MBA from Texas A&M University, an MA from Tulane University and a BA from San Diego State University. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society of Dallas.