BIO Announces Selection of Leading Early-Stage Biotechnology Companies to Present at 2nd Annual Bio® National Venture Conference

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today announced the first 37 companies to present at the second annual Bio® National Venture Conference. A total of 50 presenting companies will be selected and posted on the conference website on a rolling basis. To view the newly published list, please visit: http://bnvc.bio.org/BioVenture/2009/PresentingCompanies.html.

Investors attending the event represent leading venture capital (VC) and private equity firms and include many of the foremost private and early-stage investors in the biotechnology industry.

“In the wake of the current economic situation, it is increasingly important that we continue to showcase up-and-coming biotech -companies and innovation in this industry,” said Alan Eisenberg, Executive Vice President, Emerging Companies & Business Development at BIO. “From targeted cancer therapeutics to the mediation of inflammatory and metabolic diseases, these companies have been selected for their remarkable technologies and leadership, and their potential to improve the lives of patients and the quality of medicine. Now is the ideal time for the VC community to support investment in the biotech pipeline.”

Selected companies represent the breadth of innovation in the U.S. biotechnology industry and were rigorously screened from an initial pool of 450. Additional companies were nominated by an expert Advisory Committee comprised of esteemed members of the VC investment community. Serving on the committee are the following individuals:

• Fred Craves, PhD, Bay City Capital
• James Healy, MD, PhD, Sofinnova Ventures
• Stephen Hoffman, MD, PhD, Skyline Ventures
• Ronald W. Lennox, D. Phil, CHL Medical Partners
• Scott Rocklage, PhD, 5AM Ventures
• David Schnell, MD, Prospect Venture Partners
• Michael Wasserman, PhD, H.I.G. Ventures

The second annual Bio® National Venture Conference, co-hosted by the National Venture Capital Association, will bring together an elite group of venture capital investors with fledgling, high quality biotechnology companies and larger company business development executives for a one and half day event. In addition to company presentations, these investors and executives will participate in One-on-One meetings using the BIO Partnering System. This conference also offers four panels featuring clinical and scientific thought leaders and industry and financial experts active in the sector.

For a complete roster of the attending venture capital firms or to view the latest program, please visit http://bnvc.bio.org. Advance media registration is now available at http://bnvc.bio.org/opencms/BioVenture/2009/Media/index.jsp.

The following companies will present at the Second Annual Bio® National Venture Conference:
Accera Inc.
Acucela Inc.
Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.
Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Ascent Therapeutics
Axial Biotech Inc.
BioRelix Inc.
Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Catena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Cellumen Inc.
Centrose Pharma
Cequent Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Cognosci, Inc.
Critical Biologics Corporation
Cynvec
DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc.
Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Inc.
EnzymeRx
Forma Therapeutics
GliaMed, Inc.
Great Basin Scientific
Helixis Inc.
HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Kinex Pharmaceuticals
Mirna Therapeutics Inc.
Mithridion, Inc
NeurAxon Inc.
OcuCure Therapeutics, Inc.
Oncolix, Inc.
ParinGenix Inc.
Phase Bioscience Inc.
Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc.
VitreoRetinal Technologies Inc.
Vivaldi Biosciences Inc.

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 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.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO-Europe Spring
March 16-18, 2009
Milan, Italy

BIO IP Counsels' Committee Conference
March 25–27, 2009
Phoenix, AZ

BIO National Venture Conference
March 31–April 1,2009
Boston, MA

BIO Windhover 2009
April 13-15, 2009
New York, New York

BIO-LES Business Development Basics Course
May 15–17, 2009
Atlanta, GA

BIO-LES Advanced Business Development Course
May 15–17, 2009
Atlanta, GA

BIO Executive Presentation Workshop
May 17, 2009
Atlanta, GA

2009 BIO International Convention
May 18-21, 2009
Atlanta, Ga.

BioEquity Europe
June 9-10, 2009
Munich, Germany

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
July 19-22, 2009
Montreal, Quebec, Canada