BIO Announces Keynotes And Workshops At BIO Mid-America VentureForum, USA

Main Category: Pharma Industry / Biotech Industry
Also Included In: Conferences
Article Date: 29 Aug 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announces that Michael J. Barber, chief technology officer for GE Healthcare will provide a keynote address at the BIO Mid-America VentureForum. The conference will be held Sept. 24-26 in Milwaukee, Wis. at the Hyatt Regency Milwaukee.

Barber will discuss GE's Early Health strategy to use technology and bio-science to transform healthcare through earlier diagnosis, information, intervention and ongoing monitoring of disease and disease indicators.

"The BIO Mid-America VentureForum is an ideal venue for sharing what we have learned through shifting our focus from 'late disease' to 'early health,' which represents billions of dollars in investment potential globally," said Barber. "We want to share this strategy with others as an example of how we are re-directing our efforts to focus on detecting disease earlier, when it can often be treated more effectively for potentially less cost and better quality of life."

The conference also will feature plenary sessions on commercial opportunities in the business of stem cells and Trends in Third Party Payer Policy and the Impact on Novel Drugs and Devices.

Baird, a financial services firm based in Milwaukee, will play a central role in this year's event as the sole investment bank sponsor. Earlier this year, Baird served as the financial advisor to Hygenic, an Akron, Ohio based manufacturer of products used in the therapy, rehabilitation and professional wellness markets during its sale to Cortec Group Fund IV, L.P. Hygenic was a portfolio company of Baird Capital Partners (BCP), the U.S. based buyout fund of Baird Private Equity. In addition, Baird Venture Partners (BVP), the venture capital fund of Baird Private Equity, has invested in several biotech and life science companies in the Midwest. Recently, BVP exited its investment in Madison, Wis.-based NimbleGen Systems, Inc., through its sale to Roche.

Pete Shagory, a partner with BVP, will moderate the Private Equity and Healthcare workshop at the BIO Mid-America VentureForum.

"The Midwest has a robust and growing biotechnology and life sciences market," said Shagory. "We believe that it's the combination of cutting-edge technologies, seasoned management and sophisticated investor capital that creates the most exciting new business opportunities. In just the past five years, we can see a marked increase in the successful convergence of people, technology and capital in the Midwest and we believe that Baird is playing an important role in this convergence."

The conference is the only national event in the Midwest focused on the life sciences sector.

Partners for the 2007 conference include BioOhio, Colorado Bioscience Association, Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization, Indiana Health Industry Forum, Iowa Biotechnology Association, LifeScience Alley, MichBio, Missouri Biotechnology Association, and the Wisconsin Biotechnology and Medical Device Association.

For more information on sponsorships, presentations or registration, visit http://bma.bio.org.

Advance media registration is now available through September 20, 2007. To register in advance, please visit http://www.bio.org/news/pressreg. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media. Reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials.

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. BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry.

http://www.bio.org

About the BIO Mid-America VentureForum

BIO Mid-America will feature presentations from up to 60 promising seed, early- and late-stage private biotech product and platform companies from the Midwest as well as presentations from leading North American venture capital firms in the life sciences field. Workshops and plenary sessions will be offered on trends in the biotech industry, with a special focus on key success factors for early-stage companies, research and development, market trends, and financing. In addition, there will be formal and informal networking opportunities with industry CEOs and venture capital leaders.

http://bma.bio.org

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