CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 4 and 5, 2004, The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MBC) will hold its sixth annual biotechnology investment conference, MASS Opportunities, (http://www.massopps.com/), New England’s largest industry investor forum. The conference, attended by the financial community, including venture capitalists, portfolio managers and analysts, as well as biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry executives, will feature presentations by over 70 companies. This year’s MASS Opportunities conference will also highlight recent advances in science, critical policy issues, and the economic outlook for the biotechnology industry.
The roster of speakers includes leaders from industry, finance and academia. Keynote addresses will be delivered by Joseph Newhouse, Ph.D., John D. MacArthur Professor of Health Policy at Harvard University, and Burt Edelman, M.D., Executive Vice President of Research at Biogen Idec. Newly appointed MBC President Thomas Finneran will also provide his initial perspective on the industry. The panel and roundtable participants include: Jonathan Fleming, Managing General Director of Oxford Bioscience Partners; Raymond Hill, Ph.D., Executive Director, Licensing and External Research, Europe, Merck & Company; Clive R. Wood, Ph.D., Senior Vice President, Discovery Research, and Chief Scientific Officer, Dyax Corporation; Ansbert Gadicke, MD, Founding General Partner, MPM Capital; Genevieve Poulin, Investment Director, Life Sciences, Quebec Solidarity Fund; Michael Cima, Professor, MIT.
“The biotechnology industry in Massachusetts is in the midst of a very dynamic and exciting period, with more companies moving products to market, more companies locating and expanding their operations here and an influx of multinational pharmaceutical company research facilities into the region,” said, MBC President Thomas Finneran. “These companies are taking advantage of the state’s world class science and increasingly business-friendly environment. “The financial and biotech industries must continue to work together to sustain the incredible growth we are experiencing here in Massachusetts, all in an effort to develop groundbreaking medicines for people who desperately need them.”
Roundtable discussions include the following: Where the Next Innovations are Coming From, a review of promising biomedical innovations on the horizon, where these discoveries are coming from and who will develop them, and Financial Market Update, a discussion among leading venture capitalists and bankers about the state of the financial markets for biotechnology. This year will also feature sessions on Corporate Collaboration and Trends in Life Sciences VC Deal terms, and Ernst &Young will present Resurgence: The Americas Perspective Global Biotechnology Report 2004 and Nixon Peabody LLP will present Resurgence: The Local Perspective.
Among the public companies presenting at this year’s MASS Opportunities conference are: Acambis PLC; Acusphere, Inc.; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; ArQule, Inc.; ART Advanced Research; AVANT Immunotheraputics, Inc.; Curis, Inc.; Dyax Corporation; Ecopia BioSciences, Inc.; EPIX Pharmaceuticals; GTC Biotherapeutics, Inc.; Hybridon, Inc.; Idenix Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; ImmunoGen, Inc.; MacroChem Corporation; Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Pro- Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Oncolytics Biotech Inc.; Oscient Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; OXiGENE, Inc.; Repligen Corporation; Sepracor, Inc.; Serono, Inc.; Sirna Therapeutics, Inc.; Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; V.I. Technologies, Inc.
Private companies presenting include Acceleron Pharma, Inc.; ActivBiotics, Inc.; Aderis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Archemix Corporation; Biocortech; Biomethodes; Bionaut Pharmaceuticals, Inc BioTrove, Inc.; BioVex; Ceremedix; Cetek Corporation; Coley Pharmaceutical Group; CombinatoRx, Inc.; Compound Therapeutics, Inc.; Dynogen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Enanta Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Genomic Vision; Genstruct, Inc.; Gwathemy, Inc.; Hybrigenics SA, Innodia, Inc.; Inotek Pharmaceuticals Corp.; Kard Scientific; Metabolix Inc.; Merrimack Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Microbia, Inc.; MicroCHIP Inc.; Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals; New World Laboratories; Organogenesis, Inc.; Oxxon Therapeutics; Inc.; Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc., RiboNovix, Inc.; Signet Laboratories, Inc.; Sirtris Pharmaceuticals; Therion Biologics Corporation; TolerRx, Inc.; U.S. Genomics, Inc.; Wolfe Laboratories, Inc.; Xanthus Life Sciences and Zelos Therapeutics, Inc.
The MASS Opportunities Conference will take place on Thursday, November 4, and Friday, November 5, at the Hilton Logan Airport Hotel. Registration begins at 7 a.m. To register for this conference or for more information, visit http://www.massopps.com/, or contact the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council at (617) 577-8198.
About the MBC
The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MBC), founded in 1985, is a not- for-profit organization that provides services and support for the Massachusetts biotechnology industry. The MBC is committed to advancing the development of critical new science, technology and medicines that benefit people worldwide. Representing over 400 companies, academic institutions and service organizations involved in biotechnology and healthcare, the MBC works with public leaders to advance policy and promote education, while providing member programs and services.
Contacts: Vicki Greene Fran DeVellis Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Feinstein Kean Healthcare (617) 577-8198 (617) 577-8110 http://www.massbio.org/http://www.fkhealth.com/
Massachusetts Biotechnology Council
CONTACT: Vicki Greene of Massachusetts Biotechnology Council,+1-617- 577-8198, http://www.massbio.org/; or Fran DeVellis of Feinstein KeanHealthcare, +1-617-577-8110, http://www.fkhealth.com/
Web site: http://www.massbio.org/
