Recent Approvals; M&A Activity Create Early Buzz for 14th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference
Recent mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity and several key approvals have set the stage for the 14th Annual BIO CEO & Investor Conference to be held February 13-14 in New York City. The mood leading up to the conference is optimistic and there is strong interest in the sector based on the flurry of positive news for biotech this quarter.
“This conference couldn’t come at a better time – 2012 is off to a good start for the biotech sector and the outlook could be promising,” said Alan Eisenberg, Executive Vice President of Emerging Companies and Business Development at BIO. “The BIO CEO & Investor Conference will help investors identify the latest trends and provide biotech innovators an opportunity to secure the funding necessary to bring their technologies to market.”
Based on preliminary findings from BIO, investors believe this is a good time to invest in biotech and that the indices will perform well in 2012. BIO will release the full investor perception survey results and compare with Lazard’s own findings during the Opening Plenary Session on Monday, February 13. A panel discussion among senior buy-side analysts and portfolio managers will follow discussing what’s ahead in 2012 for the biopharma industry.
In addition to plenary sessions and panel discussions, the conference features presentations from more than 130 leading biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies of which 20 percent are international. Some of the highlights this year include presentations from: Acorda Therapeutics, Inc., Alkermes plc, ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc, Exelixis, Inc., Human Genome Sciences, Idenix Pharmaceuticals, ImmunoGen, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Novozymes A/S, NPS Pharmaceuticals, PDL BioPharma, Rigel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Spectrum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. The average marketing cap for presenting companies is $1.84B. In addition, several patient advocacy groups will be presenting (check out these recent podcasts with two of the groups: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Researchand the ALS Therapy Development Institute).
This year’s conference also will feature three Fireside Chats with industry leaders such as Dr. Moncef Slaoui, Chairman of Research and Development at GlaxoSmithKline; Dr. Mikael Dolsten, President of Worldwide Research and Development at Pfizer; and Dr. John Milligan, President and COO of Gilead Sciences.
In addition, three Business Roundtables will address biotech drug launches, unique business models and licensing, four Therapeutic Workshops focusing on topics such as oncology, companion diagnostics, neurological and cardiovascular diseases and three plenary sessions discussing the year ahead in biotech, deal making and the FDA.
BIO’s One-on-One Partnering system provides the opportunity to arrange meetings between investors, companies and industry executives. More than 250 companies are expected to participate and based upon activity in BIO’s One-on-One Partnering system, we expect at 20% increase in scheduled meetings over 2011.
The BIO CEO & Investor Conference is the largest independent investor conference focused solely on publicly-traded biotechnology companies. Investors attend to network with top biotech executives, evaluate fresh investment opportunities, attend candid panel discussions and get an overview of the industry and key issues affecting investments.
BIO is pleased to recognize the leadership provided by the BIO CEO & Investor Conference sponsors. The bank sponsors include: BMO Capital Markets, Lazard, Leerink Swann, Stifel NicolausWeisel,Rodman & Renshaw, LLC and Roth Capital Partners.
To learn more about the BIO CEO & Investor Conference, including program information, please visit here. Registration is complimentary for qualified investors and credential members of the media.