Companies Researching Diseases of Developing Nations <br>To Present at Gates Foundation/BIO Global Health Forum

WASHINGTON, D.C. (November 21, 2002) – Today the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced the participation of 20 biotechnology companies who will present their technologies at the Partnering for Global Health Forum, Dec. 3-5, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington. The forum will bring together industry leaders, potential funders and international health experts to discuss how biotechnology can be used to find treatments and cures for diseases in the developing world. These diseases include HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Each of the presenting biotechnology companies are researching and developing technologies and products to address these neglected diseases. The companies will present developments important to improving global health to an audience comprised of government procurement officials, private foundations, public-private partnership organizations, and investors.

Below is a list of presenting companies. Please visit www.bio.org for complete information.

·Advanced Life Sciences, Inc.
·AlphaVax, Inc.
·AVANT Immunotherapeutics, Inc.
·Cambria Biosciences LLC
·Cellestis Ltd.
·Corixa Corporation
·Divergence, Inc.
·HandyLab, Inc.
·Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals
·Iguazu Biosciences
·Institute for OneWorld Health
·Immtech International, Inc.
·Iomai Corporation
·Maxygen, Inc.
·Mojave Therapeutics, Inc.
·OmniViral Therapeutics, LLC
·Sequella, Inc.
·VaxGen, Inc.
·ViroLogic, Inc.
·Zentaris AG

Confirmed speakers for the forum include Dr. Elias Zerhouni, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Dr. David L. Heymann, executive director of communicable diseases for the World Health Organization (WHO); Carl B. Feldbaum, president of BIO; Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Richard G.A. Feachem, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; Laurie Garrett, winner of the Pulitzer, Polk and Peabody Prize and author of The Coming Plague; and Dr. Richard Klausner, executive director of Global Health for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Complimentary press registration is available for credentialed members of the news media. Advance press registration has been extended until Dec. 2, please visit www.bio.org to register. Onsite media registration begins Wednesday, Dec. 4 at 7:00 a.m.

BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

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