Leading HHS Official to Address BIO CEO and Investor Conference
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 2, 2006) – Alex M Azar II, deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will deliver the keynote address at BIO’s CEO and Investor Conference Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2006, at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City. Azar’s speech is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.
As deputy secretary and chief operating officer of the largest civilian department in the federal government, Azar oversees all department programs and operations including Medicare, Medicaid, the regulation of food and drugs, welfare, public health, medical research, child and family services, disease prevention, Indian health, mental health services and many other activities.
The deputy secretary will speak on the importance of innovation in promoting health.
More than 2,000 companies, institutional investors, money managers and analysts are expected to attend the BIO CEO and Investor Conference. In its eighth year, the conference is aimed at fueling continued industry growth and investments, and educating new investors on biotechnology’s value, risks and rewards. Complimentary registration is open to qualified investors and members of the media at www.bio.org.
“The biotechnology industry has now reached a level of maturity capable of leading to the development of important therapies on a very consistent basis,” said Morrie Ruffin, BIO’s executive vice president of capital formation and business development. “Last year, biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies raised more than $20 billion, making 2005 one of the top fundraising years since 2000, when the industry raised a record $38 billion following the completion of the draft sequence of the human genome.
“On the regulatory side, in 2005 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved seven recombinant biologics, as well as a number of first-in-class products and several “orphan drugs” – or products that treat a rare disease affecting fewer than 200,000 Americans. To view a list of therapies approved in 2005 as compiled by BIO, visit http://www.bio.org/speeches/pubs/er/approveddrugs.asp?year=2005.
“BIO and its sponsors are extremely pleased this year to have attracted Alex Azar to deliver the keynote. HHS, through the FDA, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the National Institutes of Health, maintains a key role in setting regulations which impact our member companies,” Ruffin concluded.
Azar leads a number of initiatives at HHS including the fight against human trafficking, implementation of the President’s Management Agenda, the drive to combat bio-terrorism, public health emergency preparedness and the development and approval of all HHS regulations.
Working closely with HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt, Azar played an integral role in the government’s response to Hurricane Katrina and in its strategic planning for a potential influenza pandemic.
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.
###