Biotech’s Outstanding Performers to Receive James D. Watson Helix Awards

NEW YORK (February 14, 2006) – The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today announced this year’s winners of the prestigious James D. Watson Helix Award for Biotechnology Industry Leadership. BIO along with Helix co-sponsors, the State University of New York at Stony Brook and its Center for Biotechnology, made the announcement at the eighth annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference at the Waldorf=Astoria. The winners are:

• Large Capitalization: Genentech Inc., of South San Francisco, Calif.
• Emerging Company/Mid-Capitalization: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc., of Cambridge, Mass.
• International: Novo Nordisk Inc., of Princeton, N.J.

Winners will receive their awards in Chicago at the BIO 2006 Annual Convention April 9-12.

“These companies have been selected and recognized as industry leaders by being nominated by their peers. Each firm is devoting its resources to developing cutting-edge science that will lead to breakthrough, life saving therapies. I congratulate them for their success and commitment to saving and improving patient lives,” said Jim Greenwood, BIO’s president and CEO.

Richard Catalano, partner with KPMG LLP, who tabulated the results, said, “We had a record number of nominations for this year’s Helix Awards. The five-member judging panel had an extremely difficult time choosing among the many outstanding submissions.”

The James D. Watson Helix Award, the bioscience industry’s only award for outstanding corporate achievement, was created to celebrate the importance, the excellence and the creative character of the industry. The award recognizes biotechnology companies that have distinguished themselves by setting a singular standard of corporate leadership as reflected in performance in three distinct areas: scientific innovation, company growth and corporate citizenship.

The James D. Watson Helix Award was founded by the State University of New York at Stony Brook and its Center for Biotechnology.

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.