The Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MBC) today announced that Governor Mitt Romney will deliver the keynote address at the seventh annual biotechnology investment conference, MASS Opportunities (http://www.massopps.org ), New England's largest industry investor forum, scheduled for November 3, 2005 at the Hilton Logan Airport Hotel. The conference will feature presentations by more than 50 companies as well as panel discussions on research and development, corporate strategies, policy and regulatory issues, and market trends in the life-sciences industry.
"Today, Massachusetts is home to one of the largest, fastest-growing and most diverse life sciences communities in the world," said MBC President Thomas Finneran. "Governor Romney has been a solid supporter of the industry, taking concrete steps to stimulate further development. Earlier this year, the Governor kicked off healthcare reform and introduced a comprehensive economic stimulus package to spur investment and job growth. He championed legislation that would speed the development of biotechnology research facilities across the state. These are the kinds of initiatives that foster a business climate conducive to the growth of the life sciences community. Of course, the work is far from complete, and we look forward to hearing the Governor's thoughts on advancing our State's position as a center of innovation in the life sciences."
-- Metamorphosis: Becoming Pharma, Becoming Biotech -- This roundtable will feature CEOs and senior executives from biotechnology companies who have become product-driven pharmaceutical organizations. The roundtable will also include pharmaceutical companies that are trying to incorporate into their organizations the nimble, risk-taking, sensibility of biotechnology companies. The discussion will focus on the opportunities and challenges they face as each seeks to emulate the best attributes of the other.
-- Vaccine Technologies in the 21st Century -- Several recent announcements pushed vaccines back into the limelight of the life-sciences industry. In September, Novartis announced a bid for the shares of Chiron, and GSK agreed to acquire ID Biomedical. This news signaled an intensifying commercial interest in vaccine therapeutics and spawned speculation about this therapeutic category's prospects and pitfalls. This panel will discuss the dominant trends in this category, focusing on the latest vaccine technologies coming out of Canada and the U.S.
-- The Global Menace of HCV -- Hepatitis C virus poses a major global threat to public health. An estimated 170 million suffer from chronic HCV. A leading cause of liver transplantation, HCV causes an estimated 8,000-10,000 deaths per year in the U.S., and a recent study suggests it may be the reason that liver cancer is the only major cancer for which the death rate in the U.S. has increased in the past decade. The panelists will explore the current state of treatment and the prospects for new therapies.
-- Global Deal-Making: The Dating Game -- Collaborative transactions have long helped shape business strategies of life-science companies, bringing together small and large biotech firms with each other and with their big-pharma counterparts. Recently, some analysts have argued that deal-making in the industry has slowed after reaching peak levels in 2001. What is the future of the life-sciences dating game? The panelists will explore the global prospects for dealmaking in biotech, including development partnerships and M&A deals.
-- IPO Market: Are the Vital Signs Improving? Is the IPO market ready for new biotech entrants? And are the biotech companies eyeing public markets ready for the increasingly onerous compliance requirements? The panelists will review the current climate of the IPO market and dominant investor sentiments. What is getting investors excited? What is holding them back? Are investors especially interested in particular therapeutic areas right now? What are the latest trends in the valuation of developmental portfolios?
As President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics, Governor Romney erased a $379 million operating deficit, organized 23,000 volunteers, galvanized community spirit, oversaw an unprecedented security mobilization to ensure public safety and led one of the most successful Olympics in our country's history.
In 1984, Mr. Romney founded Bain Capital, one of the nation's most successful venture capital and investment companies. Bain Capital founded, acquired or invested in hundreds of companies including Staples, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Domino's, Sealy, Brookstone, and The Sports Authority.
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