Former HHS Secretary Thompson to Headline BIO/Burrill Personalized Medicine Event

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 27, 2005) – Tommy Thompson, former secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will deliver a keynote address Tuesday, Oct 18, 2005 in San Francisco at a personalized medicine meeting sponsored by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and Burrill & Company.

In the foreseeable future, medicine prescribed based on an individual’s genetic make-up could provide a patient with more effective therapies that carry fewer side effects. For this reason, BIO and Burrill have created a unique one-day conference that not only embraces the current state of personalized medicine, but also the business, finance, regulatory and reimbursement issues linked with this rapidly evolving field.

Before Thompson takes the stage, G. Steven Burrill, CEO of San Francisco-based Burrill & Company, will deliver the opening address with his talk focusing on whether society is ready for the personalized medicine revolution.

Thompson will be introduced at 8:45 a.m. by Jim Greenwood, BIO’s president and CEO. Thompson’s presentation is titled, “The Crisis in Health Care.”

The conference precedes the BIO InvestorForum Oct. 19-20, 2005. Both events take place at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. For more information about both events, visit BIO’s website at www.bio.org.

Media must register separately for “Personalized Medicine – A Transformation in Health Care,” and the BIO InvestorForum. Media interested in the personalized medicine event should register at http://www.burrillandco.com/bio/personalizedmedicine. To register for the BIO InvestorForum, visit BIO’s website.

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.

                   Founded in 1994, Burrill & Company is a San Francisco-based global leader in life sciences with principal activities in Venture Capital, Merchant Banking and Media. The company was a logical extension of G. Steven Burrill’s over-37-year involvement in the growth and prosperity of the biotechnology industry. Mr. Burrill’s respected reputation has positioned the firm as a prominent and preeminent venture capital firm and an industry “icon” in the life sciences arena. The company’s over 50 person scientific and business team, supported its nearly 40-person Advisory Boards, the strategic and financial network of its limited partners, and the close relationships developed with numerous life science companies and managements, provide Burrill with unparalleled access and insight.

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