MONTREAL, Feb. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10th annual Crossroad of Biotechnology held at the NRC’s Biotechnology Research Institute (BRI-NRC) on February 9-10 was a complete success. This BRI initiative, for which this year’s theme was Biomanufacturing: innovative bioprocessing technologies and strategies, brought together more than 135 organizations, including approximately 100 private companies from 10 countries. The participants appreciated the quality of the 2005 program, which included speakers who specialize in biomanufacturing from Canada, the United States, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland.
“We’re very proud of this 10th edition of the Crossroad of Biotechnology, particularly since this year marked a major turning point in the organization of this event. Not only did we choose a very specialized theme this year, addressing an industry that is rapidly changing, but we also shifted the event, which was generally held in September, to February. Despite these changes, the symposium was an outstanding success, according to all of our participants,” said Dr. Michel Desrochers, Director General of the BRI-NRC.
The symposium, which was chaired by Dr. J. Mark Lievonen, President of Sanofi Pasteur Ltd., provided an opportunity to highlight various trends in the biomanufacturing industry:
- An increase in productivity is expected in the biomanufacturing sector. In fact, new compounds should be produced at lower cost since, despite the existence of several high-revenue therapeutic firms (more than $1 billion/year), the revenues of most will be in the vicinity of $100- $200 million. - Considering the large number of therapeutic products in the pipeline, the industry is heading toward a production capacity deficit. New biomanufacturing plants are being built to overcome this shortage and the increase in the production capacity for cellular systems should increase from 1g/L to 5g/L in a sustained manner. - New processes should be more robust and possibly based on solid experimental testing on a small or micro scale, which will serve to improve product characteristics in order to respond to increasing requirements on the part of regulatory agencies. New tools such as high- speed screening, online analytical tools and the optimization of multifactor processes on a micro scale should be implemented.
On another note, the dinner organized for the event at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on February 9, provided an ideal opportunity to demonstrate that Montreal is one of the most dynamic biopharmaceutical clusters in North America. In his opening address, Borough of Saint-Laurent Mayor Mr. Alan DeSousa, who is also a member of the City of Montreal’s executive committee and responsible for economic development and sustainable development, disclosed during his opening speech the strategy for anchoring a veritable biomanufacturing pole around the BRI. Mr. DeSousa also stated that the Metro Montreal is now home to 540 firms operating in the life sciences field, for a total of 37,000 jobs.
“The 2005 international symposium, which brought hundreds of stakeholders from the biopharmaceutical sector together, is a perfect fit with this strategy for developing a technological pole in Montreal,” Dr. Desrochers concluded.
About the Crossroad of Biotechnology
An annual event, the Crossroad of Biotechnology has now established itself as a key meeting to bring together business and science within Montreal, one of the most dynamic biopharmaceutical clusters in North America. This unique event bridges the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries at the crossroad of the European and North American markets.
Ever since its first edition in 1995, the event has followed the steadfast evolution of expertise within the Montreal life sciences cluster as well as enhanced day-to-day events that stemmed from it.
Initiated by the NRC’s Biotechnology Research Institute, the Crossroad of Biotechnology offers valuable opportunities for networking and is an absolute must for members of the life sciences community including leaders from biopharmaceutical multinationals, key movers in the biotech areas, R&D managers as well as executives from financial institutions and venture capital firms.
BIOQUEBEC
CONTACT: Sylvie Robitaille, (514) 843-2354, Cell.: (514) 220-4979;Celine Vaillancourt, (514) 733-8411, ext. 207, Cell.: (514) 264-9341
