Biotech News - BIO 2006 Program to Highlight All Aspects of Industry

BIO 2006 Program to Highlight All Aspects of Industry

BIO 2006 will draw 18,000 life science professionals from around the world to network and learn about the future of the industry through an expansive exhibit hall and a series of thought-provoking, educational programs. Sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), the 14th annual international convention will take place April 9-12 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center.

The BIO 2006 sessions will feature luminaries from the spheres of
science, finance, business, law, and government policy. The program
includes popular general overviews on the state of the industry as
well as expert panels focused on the Health, Food and Agriculture,
and Industrial and Environmental sectors. BIO 2006 packs a year's
worth of professional development into four days.

Among the highlights:

* "Bioethanol: From Fueling Cars to Driving the Biorefining
Revolution."
This session will provide an overview of state of the art grain-
based
and cellulosic biomass ethanol technologies. Other topics
include a
discussion on biobased material production in integrated
biorefineries.

* "Who's Going to Pay for It?" Who is going to pay for the
revolutionary
medical devices and diagnostics you're working so hard to
develop?
Questions such as, how will payer reform (inpatient/outpatient)
affect
the financial success of your device or diagnostic? What will be
the
impact of personalized medicine on payer decisions? At what
point do you
need to start planning for insurance coverage for your device or
diagnostic? And, who and how do you lobby for appropriate
reimbursement?
A panel of experts including payer, company and financial
representatives will explore these and other questions.

* "Taking a Public Company Private: Going Private/Going Dark."
Since the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act was adopted in 2002, annual compliance costs
for
public companies in the U.S. have risen dramatically. This
session will
address the process of taking a public company private by
comparing and
contrasting the two most frequently applied methods, commonly
called
"going private" and "going dark."

* "The 2006 Finnegan Henderson Symposium on the Future of
Biotechnology
Patent Law." Sweeping changes in the patent laws and rules appear
imminent in Congress and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office,
which
could significantly alter the requirements for obtaining and
enforcing
biotech patents. The courts are increasingly tackling legal
issues that
will affect biotechnology patents. Industry experts will discuss
the
impact of pending legislation, pending patent office rule
changes and
the state of the law as expressed by the courts on the future of
biotech
intellectual property.

* "FDA Town Hall." Senior FDA leaders will discuss current hot
topics in
each of the centers for review of drugs and biologics, CDER and
CBER.
Attendees will hear the latest on key organizational and policy
initiatives, as well as FDA's views on critical issues such as
drug
safety and progress on important initiatives including
the "Critical
Path," and PDUFA performance goals.

* "What's in Store for the Future: The Next Generation of Biotech
Benefits." Researchers from the University of Maryland will
unveil the
results of a new study analyzing the nutritional and health
benefits
that could come from enhanced nutrient profiles of certain
foods. This
session will also include experts on public health and healthcare
economics.

For more information on the BIO 2006 Annual International
Convention, visit BIO's website at http://www.bio.org/events/2006/.

Advance media registration for BIO 2006 is now available online.
Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news
media. To register, please visit
http://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.

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.

Source: Biotechnology Industry Organization

CONTACT: Kim Coghill of Biotechnology Industry Organization,
+1-202-962-9200

Web site: http://www.bio.org/