Carlsbad, USA, Zurich, Switzerland, and Milan, Italy, February 18, 2009: The third annual BIO-Europe Spring® partnering event is just five weeks away, taking place on March 16–18, 2009, at the Milano Convention Centre (MIC), Milan, Italy. Despite the turbulent economy, the event has seen a steady stream of registrations since BIO-Europe in November of last year. To date there are 1,180 delegates registered from 761 companies in 40 countries, an increase of 8% over the 2008 event. The organizers of BIO-Europe Spring expect at least 1,450 decision makers to attend.

Vincent Mutel, CEO of Addex Pharmaceuticals Ltd., and speaker on the CEO/CFO Roundtable Discussion at BIO-Europe Spring 2009, described the draw: "BIO-Europe Spring is one of the most efficient venues where we can continue our dialogue with multiple potential partners in a short space of time. Since access to investment capital is severely limited, we felt it was especially important to attend this year.”

Noah Beerman, EVP and CBO of Indevus, explained his reasons for attending, “The BIO-Europe Spring conference provides an effective venue to meet with companies from around the world, ranging from small biotech companies to big pharma. Given the importance of managing time and resources in today’s complex environment, we have consistently found BIO-Europe Spring to offer excellent one-to-one meetings, and other networking opportunities with a wide range of potential partners.”

Topping the rising registrations is the strong interest in sponsoring the annual partnering conference. “Many pharmaceutical companies sponsor because they see BIO-Europe Spring as a great way to fill their pipelines with innovative biotechnology” explained Katharina Schropp, Conference Director of BIO-Europe Spring.

Among the many sponsoring companies is first year sponsor Sanofi-Aventis, who explained their reasons for supporting the conference. “By expanding our partnering activities we will be able to offer more innovative solutions with the aim of improving patients' lives. From top management through dedicated teams we are committed to partnering. With the resources and experience of Sanofi-Aventis, partnerships can be tailored with creativity and flexibility to ensure that external breakthrough discoveries become successful innovative products.”

Rob Wills, VP of Alliance Management Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals, a BIO-Europe Spring sponsor, described similar motivations for underwriting the event: “R&D is undergoing a transformation, driven by the dynamic nature of today’s landscape, and creating opportunities across the globe. In this era of open innovation, where collaboration and partnering are key, we value venues like this one to forge new partnerships that may result in innovative medicines to help patients meet unmet medical needs.”

Sanofi-Aventis and Johnson & Johnson will be among many pharmaceutical companies sponsoring BIO-Europe Spring this year; Merck Serono, Bayer Schering Pharma, Abbott, Baxter, Pfizer, Roche, AstraZeneca, Amgen/Amgen Dompe, Novartis, Almirall, Elan, Crucell, UCB, Lonza, Eurand and Merck & Co., as well as many other sponsors will also be in attendance, ready to partner.

Conference Links:

http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes
http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes/ws_panels.htm

Notes to Editors:
Entry to BIO-Europe Spring 2009 is free to the media, including full access to the partnering system, sessions, press conferences and workshops. Visit the BIO-Europe Spring conference website at http://www.ebdgroup.com/bes/press_reg.htm for detailed information on this year's conference and online registration. When you register online, please indicate in the comment field that you are requesting a complimentary press registration. Please fax a copy of your press pass to complete your complimentary media registration to fax number +49 89 23 88 756 55.

About BIO-Europe Spring 2009
The BIO-Europe Spring® event brings together international decision makers from all sectors of the biotechnology industry, and features the successful combination of one-to-one meetings, company presentations, panel discussions and a lively exhibition.

Positioned as the springtime counterpart to EBD Group’s flagship conference, BIO-Europe, the BIO-Europe Spring event continues the tradition of providing life science companies with high caliber partnering opportunities. The event enables delegates to identify, meet and network with companies across the life science value chain from large biotech and pharma companies to financiers and innovative start-ups.

About EBD Group
EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success.

EBD Group’s conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include:

• BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring®, the world's largest stand-alone life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
• BioPharm America™, EBD Group’s North American partnering event
• EuroMedtech™, EBD Group’s new partnering event for the innovative medical technology industry
• BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO

EBD Group’s sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE™, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants provide hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies. EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.

For more information please visit www.ebdgroup.com.

Contact:
Constantine Theodoropulos
EBD Group
+1 617 292 7319
ctheodoropulos@ebdgroup.com

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