WASHINGTON, Jan. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The business, science, and regulatory aspects of stem cell research and regenerative medicine will be a focal point at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s BIO 2006 Annual International Convention April 9-12 at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Eight panel sessions will cover the issue at the largest biotech conference in the world.
“Public support for stem cell research continues to be strong in the U.S.,” said BIO president Jim Greenwood. BIO has aggressively supported legislation that would expand stem cell research in the U.S.
“Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 810, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, by a wide bipartisan margin. This legislation would increase the number of stem cell lines eligible for federal funding while creating a framework to ensure that this research is performed ethically. Ideally, American scientists would have the ability and the resources to conduct embryonic stem cell under the guidance of the National Institutes of Health (NIH),” Greenwood urged.
Sessions on Monday and Tuesday of the meeting will focus on the promise of this technology, as well as the various business, marketing and regulatory opportunities it brings to the field. Sessions will include:
Monday, April 10, 2006
Emerging Opportunities in Embryonic Stem Cell Medicine
9:15 - 10:45 AM
This session will consider the opportunities the production of disease specific stem cells provide as a tool to improve understanding and treatments for serious diseases. The panel will focus on products of stem cell research that will become available for clinical application in the short-term.
Stem Cell and Cell Therapy: From Inception to Market Launch: Companies Discuss Their Development and Commercialization Models
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
This session will first present an overview of cell sources and types being researched today to address unmet clinical needs. Panel members will then compare the leading strategies and business models for developing and commercializing adult cell therapies.
Stem Cell Research: The State of the Science and Policy
2:00 - 3:30 PM
Several states have developed their own stem cell research programs which have been slow in getting started. This panel will discuss the state of the science, as well as the status of state and federal policies governing research.
Stem Cell Research in Europe: How Do Industry and Academia Collaborate?
4:00 - 5:30 PM
This session will feature leading speakers from the EC health research funding program, research institutes and companies, who will present their initiatives and discuss requirements for supporting stem cell research.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Advances and Adversity: Harnessing Stem Cells for Drug Discovery
9:15 - 10:45 AM
This program will highlight early successes and ongoing challenges in creating disease-specific cellular models as more effective screening platforms, focused on neuronal and neuromuscular indications.
New Developments in California’s Stem Cell Gold Rush
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Stem cell experts from the field of academia, private and public companies, and from the CA Stem Cell Independent Citizens Oversight Committee will discuss progress made in developing the grants program, initiating funding and in research and development in the stem cell field in California as well as how California’s work in this field is supplemented by that of other states and countries.
Sizing Up Stem Cells: Science and Business
2:00 - 3:30 PM
This panel will explore the science, economics and emerging technologies associated with stem cell research. What business models will succeed? Will firms built on these technologies realize the anticipated extraordinary results?
Organ-and Stem Cell-Regeneration Technologies
4:00 - 5:30 PM
Organ-regeneration technologies promote regeneration of damaged, diseased or aged tissues. Progress in this area of regenerative medicine holds great promise for many therapeutic interventions; however, it depends on progress in stem cell biology and requires development of expertise and technology in the isolation, culture and manipulation of cells with the capacity to differentiate into various cell types.
Advance media registration for BIO 2006 is now available online. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media. To register, please visit www.bio.org/events/2006/reg/. Only reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials. All freelancers and online publications must register in advance by Friday, March 31, 2006. An up-to- date program and session listing may be found online at http://www.bio.org/events/2006.
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.
Biotechnology Industry Organization
CONTACT: Erin Reese of Biotechnology Industry Organization,+1-202-962-9200
