14th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference to Highlight 2012 Investment Outlook, New Business Models and Key Therapeutic Topics

WASHINGTON -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) announces plenary sessions, Business Roundtables and Therapeutic Workshops selected for the 14^th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference. Experts chosen to speak on these panels represent leading clinical practitioners, investment professionals, industry analysts and senior biotechnology executives. The conference, to be held February 13-14, 2012 in New York City, is the largest independent investor conference focused on established and publicly-traded biotechnology companies.

“Marked by several M&A transactions, development deals and FDA approvals, 2012 has already been an eventful year in biotech. This year’s program will delve into some of the therapeutic and business catalysts driving positive activity in the biopharma industry,” said Alan Eisenberg, Executive Vice President, Emerging Companies & Business Development at BIO. “The regulatory and financial challenges faced by our industry highlight the need for an independent forum where top industry executives and investment professionals can convene to discuss innovative deal structures and financing mechanisms.”

The BIO CEO & Investor Conference plenary sessions will cover the economic and business issues facing the biotech industry. The Business Roundtables will focus on biotech drug launches, unique business models and licensing and deal making. Therapeutic Workshops will address topics such as oncology, companion diagnostics, neurological and cardiovascular diseases.

Plenary sessions include:
Opening Plenary: Picks and Pans – The Buy-Side View for 2012
Monday, February 13^th, 12:00 pm - 12:55 pm

Moderator: Stephen Sands, Vice Chairman of US Investment Banking and Global Co-Head of Healthcare, Lazard
Panelists:

• Alexander J. Denner, PhD, (former) Managing Director, Icahn Associates
• Rajiv Kaul, Portfolio Manager, Fidelity Select Biotechnology Portfolio, Fidelity
• Greg Martinez, Portfolio Manager, Harbor Watch Capital Management LLC

Luncheon Plenary: Business Development: Value Drivers Under the Influence – How Licensing and Key Events Affect Valuation
Tuesday, February 14^th, 12:00 pm – 12:55 pm

Moderator: Ben Bonifant, Senior Vice President and Practice Area Leader, Campbell Alliance
Panelists:

• Rachel K. King, Chief Executive Officer, GlycoMimetics, Inc.
• Michael Margolis, RPh, Managing Director, Healthcare Investment Banking, ROTH Capital Partners
• Barbara Yanni, JD, LLM, CLP, Vice President and Chief Licensing Officer, Merck & Co

Closing Plenary: Inside the FDA
Tuesday, February 14^th, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Moderator: James C. Greenwood, President & CEO, Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
Panelists:

• Paul J. Hastings, President & CEO, OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Jonathan S. Leff, Managing Director, Healthcare, Warburg Pincus, LLC
• Richard Pops, Chairman & CEO, Alkermes plc
• Stephen P. Spielberg, MD, PhD, Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products & Tobacco, FDA

Business Roundtables include:
Business Roundtable: Corporate Strategy
Walking the Line – Finding a Happy Medium between Management and Shareholders
Monday, February 13^th, 9:00 am – 9:55 am

Moderator: Annette Grimaldi, Managing Director, BMO Capital Markets
Panelists:

• Tillman U. Gerngross PhD, Co-Founder & CEO, Adimab, Inc.
• Peter Kolchinsky, PhD, Portfolio Manager, RA Capital Management
• Steven Tregay, PhD, Founder, President & CEO, Forma Therapeutics
• Steve Worland, PhD, President & CEO (former), Anadys Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Business Roundtable: Finance
Healthy Alternatives: Non-Dilutive Financing Mechanisms that Sustain Companies
Monday, February 13^th, 3:00 pm – 3:55 pm

Moderator: Dean Colucci, President & General Counsel, MLV & Co
Panelists:

• Luke M. Beshar, CPA, Sr. Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, NPS Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• John R. Leone, Partner, Healthcare, Paul Capital
• Ivana Magovčević-Liebisch, PhD, JD. Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer
• Russell H. Plumb, MBA, President & Chief Executive Officer, Inhibitex Inc.

Business Roundtable: Corporate Development
Countdown to Launch – Getting it Right the First Time
Tuesday, February 14^th, 9:00 am – 9:55 am

Moderator: William Ho, Public Investment Director, New Leaf Venture Partners
Panelists:

• Pedro Lichtinger, President & CEO, Optimer Pharmaceuticals
• Timothy P. Walbert, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Horizon Pharma, Inc.

Therapeutic Workshops include:
Therapeutic Workshop: Oncology
Secrets of Oncology Success – Lessons and Trends in Phase II Clinical Trial Outcomes
Monday, February 13^th, 10:30 am – 11:25 am

Moderator: Michael G. King, Jr., Managing Director, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC
Panelists:

• Mohammad Azab, MD, M Sc, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Astex Pharmaceuticals Inc.
• Konstantin H. Dragnev, MD, Hematology/Oncology, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
• Michael M. Morrissey, PhD, President & Chief Executive Officer, Exelixis, Inc.
• Robert F. Ozols, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President, Fox Chase Cancer Center

Therapeutic Workshop: Neurology
Neurology: “Alz” Well That Ends Well – Settling the Beta – Amyloid Debate
Monday, February 13^th, 1:30 pm – 2:25 pm

Moderator: Joshua Schimmer, MD, Managing Director, Biotechnology, Leerink Swann, LLC
Panelists:

• Ted T. Ashburn, MD, PhD, Senior Director, Corporate Development, Genzyme Corp
• Michael Gold, MS, MD, Vice President, Clinical Development & Chief Medical Officer, Allon Therapeutics Inc.
• Marc L. Gordon, MD, Chief of Neurology, Associate Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine
• Hyoung-Gon Lee, PhD, Assistant Professor, Case Western University

Therapeutic Workshop: Diagnostics
Drugs Need Friends Too – Companion Diagnostics and Drug Development
Tuesday, February 14^th, 10:30 am – 11:25 am

Moderator: Steve Brozak, President, WBB Securities LLC
Panelists:

• Thomas Davis, MD, Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Celldex Therapeutics, Inc.
• Joanna C. Horobin, MD, President & CEO, Syndax Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Patrick J. Mahaffy, President and Chief Executive Officer, Clovis Oncology

Therapeutic Workshop: Cardiology
Shot to the Heart – The Race to Conquer Dyslipidemia / Hypercholesterolemia
Tuesday, February 14^th, 1:15 pm – 2:10 pm

Moderator: Michael J. Haas, Senior Writer, BioCentury Publications, Inc.
Panelists:

• Per Bengtsson, MD, PhD, President & CEO, Kara Bio AB
• Ram Y. Gordon, MD, Clinical Cardiologist, University of Pennsylvania
• Mark Sumeray, MD, MS, FRCS, Chief Medical Officer, Aegerion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

To learn more about the BIO CEO & Investor Conference, including registration and program information, please visit here. Registration is complimentary for qualified investors and credential members of the media.

The BIO CEO & Investor Conference is the largest independent investor conference focused solely on publicly-traded biotechnology companies. Investors attend to network with top biotechnology executives, evaluate fresh investment opportunities, attend candid panel discussions and get an overview of the industry and key issues affecting investments.

BIO is pleased to recognize the leadership provided by the BIO CEO & Investor Conference sponsors. The bank sponsors include: BMO Capital Market, Lazard, Leerink Swann, Stifel Nicolaus Weisel, Rodman & Renshaw, LLC and Roth Capital Partners.

Upcoming BIO Events

BIO Asia International Conference
January 31 – February 1, 2012
Osaka, Japan

BIO CEO & Investor Conference
February 13-14, 2012
New York, NY

BIO IP Counsels Committee Conference
April 16 – 18, 2012
Austin, TX

World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
April 29-May 2, 2012
Orlando, FL

2012 BIO International Convention
June 18-21, 2012
Boston, MA

BIO Business Forum
June 18 – 21, 2012
Boston, MA

About BIO

BIO represents more than 1,100 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. BIO produces BIOtechNOW, a multiblog platform and monthly newsletter that aims to create an online biotech community where the the industry can connect to discuss the latest news. Subscribe to BIOtechNOW.

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