The 2007 BIO International Convention, produced by the
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), drew a record 22,366
attendees, a nearly 15 percent increase from the previous year, with
representatives from 48 states and one-third of attendees from outside
the United States.
"The 2007 BIO International Convention was a phenomenal success.
With nearly 30 percent of our attendees coming from outside of the
United States and pavilions from 39 countries or geographic regions,
it truly was the global event for biotechnology," said BIO President
and CEO Jim Greenwood. "I want to thank Governor Deval Patrick of
Massachusetts and Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston, among many others,
for welcoming the event to Boston and providing an ideal backdrop as
one of the leading global biotech hubs."
Event highlights included keynote addresses from Michael J. Fox,
founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, and
Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan. Fox, who appeared before a packed
room, urged the biotechnology industry to continue to innovate and
accelerate the translation of basic science into improved therapies
for patients. Queen Noor discussed the opportunities presented by
biotechnology to address global health and poverty issues.
Today's final keynote session was entitled, "A Hopeful Future:
Gaining the Edge with Biotechnology." Greenwood moderated a panel
featuring Robert S. Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), Craig C. Mello, Ph.D., of the University of
Massachusetts Medical School, author Virginia Postrel and Dr. Phillip
A. Sharp of MIT. The panelists discussed their visions of the
biotechnology industry over the next 10 to 20 years, agreeing that
within that time drug discovery will become faster and less expensive
than it is today. Clinical testing prior to commercialization,
however, likely will remain expensive.
Sharp advised that the United States has no monopoly on biotech.
"There is science in Europe, Asia and elsewhere. I see us as having
increasing competition ... biotech is something we have to keep
competing at," he said.
Mello and Postrel agreed that the cost of not treating disease has
to be examined, perhaps as closely as the costs of treatment are
examined today. Drug development costs, they said, should be viewed
relative to the economic benefit of a healthy society.
The full Convention program included four full days with more than
200 breakout sessions covering 20 educational tracks on the most
pressing issues in biotechnology including global health, biofuels,
stem cell research, vaccines, investment strategies, white
biotechnology and dozens more.
In addition, many dignitaries and public officials attended the
Convention, including Senator Pat Roberts (KS), Gov. Deval Patrick
(MA), Gov. Anibal Acevedo-Vila (PR), Gov. Matt Blunt (MO), Gov. Jim
Doyle (WI), Gov. Ernie Fletcher (KY), Gov. Mitch Daniels (IN), and
Gov. Donald Carcieri (RI). International dignitaries included The Hon.
Dato' Sri Mahd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, the Deputy Prime Minister of
Malaysia, among many others.
The BIO Exhibition featured the largest gathering of biotech
exhibitors in history, with more than 1,900 companies and 60 domestic,
country and regional pavilions representing every aspect of the
biotechnology industry.
The BIO Business Forum also set records for attendance and
partnering meetings. More than 6,000 attendees representing 1,503
companies participated in the Forum and held 12,103 partnering
meetings.
The 2007 BIO International Convention is the world's largest event
for the biotechnology industry. The Convention ran Sunday, May 6
through Wednesday, May 9 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition
Center in Boston, Mass.
The 2008 BIO International Convention will be held June 17-20 at
the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. The day pattern
will change to Tuesday - Friday.
About BIO
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.
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Upcoming BIO Events
-- BIO VentureForum-East 2007
June 18-20, 2007
Montreal, Canada
-- BIO Mid-America VentureForum 2007
Sept. 24-26, 2007
Milwaukee, WI
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