St. Sebastian's Hosts Firsts Biopharma/Life Sciences Industry Networking Event

On Tuesday, November 19, St. Sebastian’s hosted its first Biopharma/Life Sciences Industry Networking Event at the headquarters of Vertex Pharmaceuticals in the Seaport. In typical St. Sebastian’s fashion, attendees included alumni, parents, parents of alumni, sisters of alumni and even a prospective parent and current Arrow! Vertex Pharmaceuticals CFO, Charlie Wagner P’19, served as our keynote speaker. Mr. Wagner’s presentation was a fascinating overview of the dynamic and life-changing $120B biotech company that is Vertex. Wagner shared a deep dive into their Cystic Fibrosis drug, Trikafta, which has increased life expectancy for those who suffer from this disease by 20-30 years! Additionally, he highlighted the amazing progress they are making in pain management and sickle cell disease. Displaying an impressive mastery of the science, Wagner emphasized that his most important role is resource allocation across the Vertex enterprise including R&D, human capital and real estate, among others. A lively Q&A followed his presentation. Attendees, including biopharma professionals as well as adjacent industries including law, real estate, and consultants, had the opportunity to network before and after the presentation. Thank you to Vertex Pharmaceuticals for being such a warm and gracious host to St. Sebastian’s and to Mr. Wagner for his thought provoking and informative presentation!