Therapeutic Workshops to Highlight Opportunities in Biotech at 9th Annual BIO Investor Forum

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BIO today announced the preliminary set of speakers who will be featured on the Therapeutic Workshops during the 9^th Annual BIO Investor Forum – a national meeting focused on investment trends and opportunities in the life-sciences with a focus on public and venture-stage growth companies. Hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the 9^th annual event will take place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, Calif. on October 5-6.

“Each year, our unique therapeutic workshops are widely recognized for featuring leading physicians, analysts, and company officers for provocative discussions in areas with upcoming milestones”

“Each year, our unique therapeutic workshops are widely recognized for featuring leading physicians, analysts, and company officers for provocative discussions in areas with upcoming milestones,” said Alan Eisenberg, executive vice president of the Emerging Companies and Business Development Section at BIO. “These panels are but one reason why the BIO Investor Forum is an essential event for investors interested in learning about upcoming events that will drive the market as well as the new opportunities in biotech.”

Once again, BIO is collaborating with MedPanel, a healthcare market research firm, to identify key opinion leaders based on knowledge and expertise in their respective fields and affiliations with academic institutions and medical foundations. Therapeutic Workshops will feature senior-level industry executives and scientific officers from public and private biotechnology companies that represent innovative investment opportunities in the biotech industry.

Therapeutic Workshops include:

HIV-Virologic Suppression Accomplished. What’s Next in the World of Antiretrovirals?
Tuesday, Oct. 5^th, 10:30am, Twin Peaks South

Scientific officers from companies that focus their R&D efforts on advancing antiretrovirals will convene to provide perspective on the emerging pipeline for antiretrovirals and the potential investment opportunity.

Panelists*

James Sapirstein, R.Ph., M.B.A., Tobira Therapeutics, Inc.
Carol L. Brosgart, M.D., Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Oakland Children’s Hospital
Kevin Young, Executive Vice President, Commercial Operations, Gilead Sciences, Inc.

*additional speakers to be determined

Epigenetics- Reversing the Bad, Restoring the Good
Tuesday, Oct. 5^th, 1:30pm, Twin Peaks South

The study of epigenetics is quickly becoming one of the most sought after research areas in genetics and developmental biology, sparking an interest in several early stage biotech companies and investors.

Panelists

Ellen Licking, Executive Editor, Windhover Information (moderator)
Mohammad Azab, M.D., M.Sc., M.B.A., Chief Medical Officer, SuperGen, Inc.
Joseph F. Costello, Ph.D., Professor & Epigenetics Division of the Cell Cycle and Signaling Program, University of California, San Francisco
Mark Goldsmith, M.D., Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Constellation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Robert Gould, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Epizyme, Inc.

Orphan Drugs- Rare Diseases Spurring Biotech’s Next Blockbusters?
Wednesday, Oct. 6^th, 12:00pm, Twin Peaks North

This panel will include companies specializing in the orphan disease market alongside clinical and regulatory experts will provide an in depth analysis of this market opportunity.

Panelists

Ed Mascioli, M.D., Vice President, Orphan and Genetic Diseases Unit, Pfizer, Inc.
Peter L. Saltonstall , President & Chief Executive Officer, National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)
Sanj K. Patel, President & Chief Executive Officer, Synageva BioPharma Corp.
Matthew R. Patterson, Chief Operation Officer, Amicus Therapeutics, Inc.

Next Generation Biologics- Evolved Mabs or Novel Scaffolds – who will be the winner in the next generation of protein therapeutics?
Tuesday, Oct. 5^th, 9:00am, Twin Peaks South

Over the past two decades, we have seen the emergence of numerous binding protein technologies, from the first chaemeric and humanized antibodies in the 1990s, to the more exotic scaffolds of the 2000s.

Panelists

David M. Mott, General Partner, New Enterprise Associates (moderator)
Joseph Amprey, III, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Business Officer, Zyngenia, Inc.
Bassil I. Dahiyat, Ph.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Xencor, Inc.
Frederick Jones, M.D., President & Chief Executive Officer, Anchor Therapeutics, Inc.

Hematology- Battling the Blood Cancers: An Update on Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma
Wednesday, Oct. 6^th, 9:00am, Twin Peaks South

Scientific officers from leading companies with late-state programs will provide their insights alongside key opinion leaders and clinicians on developments for treating these malignancies.

Panelists

Michael G. King, Jr., Managing Director, Equity Research, Wedbush Pacific Growth Life Sciences (moderator)
Joseph J. Buggy, M.D., Vice President, Research, Pharmacyclics, Inc.
Judy H. Chiao, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Development and Regulatory Affairs, Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Steven E. Coutré, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
Glenn C. Michelson, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Strategy, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Louis J. DeGennaro, Ph.D., Chief Mission Officer, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

The BIO Investor Forum will feature more than 140 private and emerging company presentations, including the new Discovery Track designed specifically for early-stage private company presentations. In addition to therapeutic workshops, the program will include business roundtables led by investors, analysts, and company officers, highlighting topics such as, the state of venture capital, current trends in M&A, and innovative financing models. A plenary session will focus on investor forecasts for 2011.

To learn more about the BIO Investor Forum, including registration and up-to-date workshop program information, please visit http://www.bio.org/investorforum. Advance media registration is now available online, registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the media.

BIO is pleased to recognize the leadership provided by the BIO Investor Forum sponsors, including Lead Bank Sponsor Wedbush PacGrow Life Sciences and Supporting Bank Sponsors BMO Capital Markets, Rodman & Renshaw LLC, and Roth.

About the 9^th Annual BIO Investor Forum

The BIO Investor Forum is a national investor conference featuring private and emerging public companies. The meeting attracts healthcare venture capital and public market investors and research analysts. In addition, the BIO Investor Forum draws business development executives from global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtech Now, an online portal and monthly newsletter chronicling “innovations transforming our world.” Subscribe to BIOtech Now.

About MedPanel

MedPanel is proud to be working with BIO to provide leading industry experts on these therapeutic workshops. As a fully committed and capable research partner, MedPanel works closely with BIO to identify objectives, recruit experts, elicit information, and synthesize results. Panel Intelligence’s domain expertise, global network of experts, and proven online methods can provide due diligence on one particular company, investigate a particular space, evaluate an IPO, or identify market trends and consumer preferences.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO India International Partnering Conference
September 21 - 22, 2010
Hyderabad, India

BIO’s Livestock Biotechnology Summit
September 28-30, 2010
Sioux Falls, SD

9th Annual BIO Investor Forum
October 5-6, 2010
San Francisco, CA

BIO Intellectual Property Counsels Committee Fall Conference and Committee Meeting
October 18-20, 2010
Boston, MA

Advanced Business Development Course
November 12-14, 2010
Munich, Germany

BIO-Europe International Partnering Conference
November 15-17, 2010
Munich, Germany

Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
December 11-14, 2010
Honolulu, HI