National Cancer Institute Director Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., to Give Keynote Address at BIO VentureForum East

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 12, 2005) -- Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., Director of the National Cancer Institute, will give the keynote address at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) VentureForum East at a luncheon from 12 – 1:30pm on Tuesday, May 10th, in the Windsor Ballroom of the InterContinetal Hotel-Buckhead in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Dr. von Eschenbach was appointed the 12th Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) in January 2002.  A cancer survivor, he was President-elect of the American Cancer Society when he was appointed to head the NCI.  In testimony before a Senate subcommittee last year, Dr. von Eschenbach set the ambitious goal of eliminating suffering and death from cancer by 2015: “Scientific advances and major discoveries from areas such as genomics, nanotechnology, proteomics, immunology, and bioinformatics allow us to envision a not too distant future when a patient’s genetic, lifestyle, and environmental risk for cancer can be combined with effective prevention and early intervention strategies especially for those at high risk.”

BIO VentureForum East, the largest annual East Coast regional investor conference for venture stage biotechnology and healthcare firms, will be held May 9-11th.  It will feature plenary sessions and workshops on financing and partnering trends in the biotechnology industry, networking receptions, and presentations by up to 120 biotech companies selected by an advisory board of equity capital leaders. 

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

For more information about BIO VentureForum East or to register online, please visit http://bvf-east.bio.org/  Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media.  Advance registration is required for freelance journalists and web publications and is available online until May 2nd.  Reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials. 

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