Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) InvestorForum Business Roundtables To Highlight Financing, Investing, Research Trends
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. 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
Biotechnology Industry OrganizationCONTACT: Kim Coghill, +1-202-962-9232, or Jeff Joseph, +1-202-962-9230,both of BIO
Web site: http://www.bio.org/