WASHINGTON, Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Finance and biotechnology industry
experts will meet to discuss investing and funding trends that life science
firms face in a constantly changing marketplace at the BIO InvestorForum
2006, Oct. 18-19, at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco. Hosted by the
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and its sponsors, the BIO
InvestorForum will spotlight a series of timely business roundtables
covering an array of topics from deal making to picking biotechnology
winners to bringing non-profit disease advocacy groups into the funding
fold.
The BIO InvestorForum attracts institutional investors, hedge fund
managers, venture and private equity investors, in addition to research
analysts and bankers representing leading financial institutions in the
sector. BIO InvestorForum offers a second-to-none opportunity to meet with
industry leaders for updates on research and financing trends. The 2006
forum will include attendees from more than 250 biotechnology companies.
Panel members, moderators and guest experts were hand-selected by BIO
and its conference advisory committee based on their stellar reputations
and exemplary experience.
The business roundtable series opens at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 18,
with the session, "Picking the Next Biotech Winner, What to Look for and
How to Select Characteristics that are Most Likely to be Successful." The
panel will focus on year-end and 2007 investment catalysts, industry
trends, investment opportunities and criteria that drive investors to agree
with companies on the infamous "Why buy now?" decision.
"BIO has assembled a strong panel of biotechnology industry investment
veterans and insiders to share their experiences and ideas about 2006
investment trends, events and ways to evaluate investments in individual
biotech companies," said Paul Stewart, panel moderator and partner with
Foley & Lardner LLP.
Panelists include Evan McCulloch, vice president, analyst and portfolio
manager, Franklin Advisers Inc.; Selena Chaisson, MD, director of
healthcare investments, Bailard Inc.; Bryan Roberts, managing general
partner, Venrock Associates; and Camille Samuels, managing director,
Versant Venture Management LLC.
And while investment in the biotechnology industry has steadily grown
during the last 25 years, new and exciting sources of funding continue to
emerge as science advances and more breakthrough therapies reach patients.
For example, there is a growing movement among non-profit patient groups to
fund research and offer due diligence programs for venture capitalists.
Considering the growth in venture philanthropy, for the first time the
BIO InvestorForum will include a thought-provoking panel, "How Non-Profits
Can Fund Biotech Companies and Evaluate the Science for VCs," 9:30 a.m.,
Wednesday, Oct. 18. Dennis Purcell, senior managing director with Aisling
Capital, will moderate.
Purcell's panel will consider the latest strategies for non-profits to
work directly with industry and investors to expedite funding for new drug
discovery and development. "The industry has been examining the interface
of the non-profit and for-profit sectors in an attempt to accelerate the
timeliness for drug approvals for devastating illnesses. While venture
philanthropy can benefit promising research, we must work with non-profits
to ensure that the process of investing is appropriate and reaches the most
interesting science," Purcell said.
Purcell will lead a discussion among panelists Diana Wetmore, vice
president for alliance management, of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Therapeutics Inc.; Howard Fillit, MD, president and CEO, of the Institute
for the Study of Aging; Steven Young, executive director, Multiple Myeloma
Research Consortium; Timothy Coetzee, Ph.D., associate vice president for
Research Initiatives and Outreach, National Multiple Sclerosis Society; and
Gregg Britt, senior vice president biopharmaceutical research and
development, Prostate Cancer Foundation.
On the deal-making side, mergers and acquisitions have long served as
the lifeblood of the biotechnology industry and a critical bellwether for
the equity markets. As such, a panel titled, "Is M&A and Licensing Good for
the Biotech Industry?" will look at whether biotechs should consider early
exit strategies provided by eager companies, or first strike a deal
elsewhere to provide more runway for maturity of products and technology.
"As larger companies are eager today to find growth opportunities,
biotechnology companies find themselves in a very active and attractive
deal environment, both in terms of collaborations and M&A transactions,"
said panelist Andrew Weisenfeld, managing director, Biotech Investment
Banking, Banc of America. "This makes for some very interesting
decision-making scenarios for management teams and investors through year
end and in 2007."
Along with Weisenfeld, panelists are Ralph E. "Chris" Christoffersen,
Ph.D., general partner, Morganthaler Ventures; and David Kabakoff,
president, Strategy Advisors LLC. Charles F. Hyong, partner, Latham &
Watkins LLP, will moderate the panel, which begins at 8:30 a.m., Thursday,
Oct. 19.
Advance media registration for BIO InvestorForum 2006 is now available
online. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news
media. To register, please visit
http://investorforum.bio.org/opencms/bif/2006/Registration/media.jsp. Only
reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news
organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials.
Media registration for freelance writers and online publications is
closed.
The BIO InvestorForum host sponsor is Rodman & Renshaw; co-hosts are
Bank of America and Jefferies; supporting host sponsors are RBC Capital
Markets, CIBC World Markets, and Pacific Growth; and the sponsors are
Amgen, Aquilo Partners, BioWorld Today, BMO Capital Markets, Dorsey, Ernst
& Young, Foley & Lardner LLP, HellerEhrman LLP, Johnson & Johnson, Knight,
Latham & Watkins LLP, Merck, Pfizer, PR Newswire and VWR International.
About BIO
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic
institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across
the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the
research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and
environmental biotechnology products. http://www.bio.org
Upcoming Events
- BIO InvestorForum 2006
Oct. 17-19, 2006 San Francisco, CA
- BIO-Europe 2006 International Partnering Conference
Nov. 6-8, 2006 Dusseldorf, Germany
- Drug|Device Summit 2006
December 4-5, 2006 San Diego, CA
- BIO International Convention
May 6-9, 2007 Boston, MA
SOURCE Biotechnology Industry Organization
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Related links:
http://www.bio.org
CONTACT:
Kim Coghill, +1-202-962-9232, or Jeff Joseph,
+1-202-962-9230, both of BIO
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