This September WBR is host to pharma’s premier and exclusive global partnering event, BioBusiness Network 2006. Designed especially for pharma companies looking to in-license or partner and small biotechs requiring funding, out-licensing or partners, the event has something for everyone.

The full three-day schedule offers a mix of one-to-one partnering meetings, therapy and industry focus sessions, roundtable discussions and the opportunity to network with many senior level executives, directors and CEOs. Whether you are interested in pharmaceutical or biotechnology partnering, the event audience has a unique 50/50 pharma-biotech split including top-decision makers focused on business development and licensing.

As soon as you register for the BioBusiness event, you will be issued with a special password to access the state-of-the-art online partnering system. This allows you to plan your event schedule by allowing you to pre-arrange meetings with conference delegates. Over 80% of conference delegates are involved with business development and licensing and almost 10% are in alliance management.

Special focus sessions
Tailored to focus on the industry’s buzz areas in its well-researched program, BioBusiness 2006 is presenting a number of focus sessions that cover both geographical and therapy areas:

• Special focus on oncology - As most licensing deals are announced in oncology, the industry attracts interest from a range of delegates within this area. The oncology vaccines focus day on 19 September will provide you with an analysis into the recent oncology deals. Europe’s leading oncologists will also present information on some of the latest mechanisms of action, validated targets and unmet medical needs in this area.
• Special focus on China – China is hailed as an emerging biotechnology area offering many research and development opportunities, but how valuable are these opportunities? Does the industry in China still need to undergo further growth to be fully accepted as an area for investment and partnering? This session will give you an insight into some of China’s opportunities, with five leading Chinese biotechnology companies giving presentations and highlighting their licensing opportunities.
• Special focus on biomarkers – Biomarkers are increasingly becoming an integral part of many drug discovery programs, and have shown promising results in oncology. This special presentation will highlight exactly what opportunities are emerging around biomarkers.
• Special focus on biotech clinical trials – The focus on biotech clinical trials on 20 September will assist you in getting the clinical trial components of your potential biotechnology licensing deals right first time, allowing you to avoid the pitfalls that can often be associated with clinical trial organization.

High-level pharma speakers at this event include:

• Dr Roger Lloyd, Executive Director, Global Licensing, AstraZeneca
• Dr Steven Tregay, Head of Strategic Alliances, Technology, Novartis
• Jules Musing, VP, Global Licensing & Business Development, Johnson & Johnson
• Dr Judith Hills, VP, External Science Technology Europe, Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Doug Pon, Assistant VP, Vaccines Licensing, Wyeth
• Henry Rath, Director of Business Development, Europe, Amgen
• Dr Klaus Wilgenbus, Head of Corporate Division Licensing, Boehringer Ingelheim
• Margaret Beer, Director, Scientific Liaison, Merck
• Dr Vincenzo Libri, Head of Exploratory Medical Science, GlaxoSmithKline
• Dr Marc Herin, Manager, Global External R&D, Europe, Eli Lilly Christopher Seaton, Senior VP, Global Licensing & Business Development, Bayer
• Jonathan Freeman, Director, Business Development, Europe, Baxter
• Leslie Coney, Senior Director, Business Development, Biogen Idec
• William Watson, Head of Scientific Licensing, H. Lundbeck

New features
A new addition for this years event is a deals structures analysis presentation which will enable both big pharma and biotech companies to get the inside information on some of the biggest recent deals. The session will dissect some of the industry’s most talked about deals including the early stage Wyeth/Plexxikon deal and the platform technology Merck/BioXell deal.

Also new is a presentation designed to inform pharma and biotech companies of the currently unaddressed medical needs and to discuss what the best opportunities in certain therapy areas are in the next few years.

For smaller biotech companies there is an entire co-development focus day based around the reasons that fuel big pharma to collaborate with smaller biotech. The day will help up and coming biotech companies to gain inside information on big pharma companies partnering criteria, needs and timelines. Therefore, if you are a small biotech company or a big multinational you can’t afford to miss out on this unique partnering opportunity. To register for this event, visit the BioBusiness event website

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