2010 Partnering for Global Health Forum Announced
Washington, D.C. – April 14, 2010
The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and BIO Ventures for Global Health (BVGH) announce the Partnering for Global Health Forum, an international partnering conference beginning May 3 and co-located with the BIO International Convention in Chicago, Ill. The Partnering for Global Health Forum will connect people and ideas to save lives in the developing world and focus on market-based solutions that will help speed the development of drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for the world's poorest people. The Forum will take place at the McCormick Place Lakeside Center.
Dr. Nils Daulaire, Director of the Health and Human Services Office of Global Health Affairs will deliver a keynote address. Dr. Daulaire served for over a decade as President and CEO of the Global Health Council where he coordinated extensively with international leaders, governments, and United Nations organizations to improve public health in the world's poorest communities.
The conference will be attended by many other high-level executives and government representatives, including Dr. Mamphela Ramphele, chair of the South African Technology Innovation Agency. Dr. Ramphele was a student activist and leader in the movement against the apartheid government, and recently served as one of the four managing directors of the World Bank. She will be joined by Mr. Shrikumar Suryanarayan,CEO, Translational Health Biosciences Cluster, Government of India, and Mr. Hongjian Ma, Deputy Director, National Center for Biotechnology Development, Government of China to discuss the role of emerging markets in spurring global health R&D.
The Forum features four panels that, in addition to covering emerging markets, will explore translational medicine for neglected diseases, compelling business models for global health product development, and the value of various R&D incentives for biotech CEOs.
"The Partnering for Global Health Forum enables participants to network and engage in one-on-one meetings with leaders from the global health, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic, government and donor communities," said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO. "Leaders share ideas on how best to develop solutions that can serve the health needs of people in developing nations."
Panelists will include biotechnology and pharmaceutical executives such as Mark Feinberg, Vice President of Medical Affairs, Merck; Jim Geraghty, Executive Vice President, Genzyme Corporation; George Scangos, CEO, Exelixis; Lisa Conte, CEO Napo Pharmaceuticals; Yves Ribiell, CEO, Scynexis; and John Thomson, Senior Vice President of Strategic R&D Alliances, Vertex Pharmaceuticals. These executives will be joined by representatives from the global health and product development partnership community, including David Cook, COO, International AIDS Vaccine Initiative; Jean-Pierre Paccaud, Vice President of Business Development, Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative; Margaret Anderson, Executive Director, Faster Cures; and Hannah Kettler, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
"This meeting is an excellent opportunity to find out more about commercially viable ways for companies to work in global health," said Melinda Moree, CEO of BIO Ventures for Global Health. "We have moved from talking about what is not possible, to showcasing many examples of partnerships between players in the public and private sectors that are advancing the development of new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics for people in developing and emerging economies. Speakers on the panels are those active in global health and represent actual experience rather than just theory."
In addition to panel discussions, the Partnering for Global Health Forum offers companies the ability to meet one-on-one with global health, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, academic, government and donor leaders; gain insights from companies developing breakthrough technologies and products that will save lives in the developing world; and connect with major public and private funders supporting global health R&D.
All organizations taking part in the Partnering for Global Health Forum are eligible to participate in the partnering program of the BIO Business Forum at the BIO International Convention on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday (May 4-6).
For the most up-to-date information, please continue to check the Web site at http://pgh.bio.org.
To register, please visit http://pgh.bio.org/opencms/PGH/2010/register/index.jsp.
About BIO Ventures for Global Health
BIO Ventures for Global Health is a non-profit organization whose mission is to save lives by accelerating the development of novel biotechnology-based drugs, vaccines, and diagnostics to address the unmet medical needs of the developing world. The organization spurs biotech industry involvement in global health product development by increasing biotech and global health partnerships, designing and advocating for compelling market-based incentives, and synthesizing and disseminating critical information and quantitative analysis. For more information, please visit www.bvgh.org.
About BIO
BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. For more information, please visit www.bio.org.
For additional information, contact:
Molly Polen, Director of Communications, BIO Ventures for Global Health 202-470-6232