BIO announces companies to present at national conference.

Press Release Summary:



BIO has announced the first 37 of 50 companies to present at 2nd annual Bio® National Venture Conference, which were screened from initial pool of 450. Additional companies were nominated by expert Advisory Committee comprised of members of VC investment community. Cohosted by National Venture Capital Association, conference will allow investors and executives to participate in One-on-One meetings using BIO Partnering System and will also include 4 separate panels.



Original Press Release:



BIO Announces Selection of Leading Early-Stage Biotechnology Companies to Present at 2nd Annual Bio® National Venture Conference



WASHINGTON, D.C. (Monday, March 09, 2009) - The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today announced the first 37 companies to present at the second annual Bio® National Venture Conference. A total of 50 presenting companies will be selected and posted on the conference website on a rolling basis. To view the newly published list, please visit:

http://bnvc.bio.org/BioVenture/2009/PresentingCompanies.html

Investors attending the event represent leading venture capital (VC) and private equity firms and include many of the foremost private and early-stage investors in the biotechnology industry.

"In the wake of the current economic situation, it is increasingly important that we continue to showcase up-and-coming biotech companies and innovation in this industry," said Alan Eisenberg, Executive Vice President, Emerging Companies & Business Development at BIO. "From targeted cancer therapeutics to the mediation of inflammatory and metabolic diseases, these companies have been selected for their remarkable technologies and leadership, and their potential to improve the lives of patients and the quality of medicine. Now is the ideal time for the VC community to support investment in the biotech pipeline."

Selected companies represent the breadth of innovation in the U.S. biotechnology industry and were rigorously screened from an initial pool of 450. Additional companies were nominated by an expert Advisory Committee comprised of esteemed members of the VC investment community. Serving on the committee are the following individuals:

Fred Craves, PhD, Bay City Capital

James Healy, MD, PhD, Sofinnova Ventures

Stephen Hoffman, MD, PhD, Skyline Ventures

Ronald W. Lennox, D. Phil, CHL Medical Partners

Scott Rocklage, PhD, 5AM Ventures

David Schnell, MD, Prospect Venture Partners

Michael Wasserman, PhD, H.I.G. Ventures

The second annual Bio® National Venture Conference, co-hosted by the National Venture Capital Association, will bring together an elite group of venture capital investors with fledgling, high quality biotechnology companies and larger company business development executives for a one and half day event. In addition to company presentations, these investors and executives will participate in One-on-One meetings using the BIO Partnering System. This conference also offers four panels featuring clinical and scientific thought leaders and industry and financial experts active in the sector.

For a complete roster of the attending venture capital firms or to view the latest program, please visit bnvc.bio.org/. Advance media registration is now available at bnvc.bio.org/opencms/BioVenture/2009/Media/index.jsp

The following companies will present at the Second Annual Bio® National Venture Conference:

Accera Inc.

Acucela Inc.

Akebia Therapeutics, Inc.

Anthera Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Arisaph Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Ascent Therapeutics

Axial Biotech Inc.

BioRelix Inc.

Calistoga Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Catena Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Cellumen Inc.

Centrose Pharma

Cequent Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Cognosci, Inc.

Critical Biologics Corporation

Cynvec

DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc.

Dicerna Pharmaceuticals Inc.

EnzymeRx

Forma Therapeutics

GliaMed, Inc.

Great Basin Scientific

Helixis Inc.

HemaQuest Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Kinex Pharmaceuticals

Mirna Therapeutics Inc.

Mithridion, Inc

NeurAxon Inc.

OcuCure Therapeutics, Inc.

Oncolix, Inc.

ParinGenix Inc.

Phase Bioscience Inc.

Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Topaz Pharmaceuticals Inc.

VitreoRetinal Technologies Inc.

Vivaldi Biosciences Inc.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO-Europe Spring

March 16-18, 2009

Milan, Italy

BIO IP Counsels' Committee Conference

March 25-27, 2009

Phoenix, AZ

BIO National Venture Conference

March 31-April 1,2009

Boston, MA

BIO Windhover 2009

April 13-15, 2009

New York, NY

BIO-LES Business Development Basics Course

May 15-17, 2009

Atlanta, GA

BIO-LES Advanced Business Development Course

May 15-17, 2009

Atlanta, GA

BIO Executive Presentation Workshop

May 17, 2009

Atlanta, GA

BIO Human Resources Conference

May 17-19, 2009

Atlanta, GA

2009 BIO International Convention

May 18-21, 2009

Atlanta, Ga.

BioEquity Europe

June 9-10, 2009

Munich, Germany

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing

July 19-22, 2009

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

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