Boston Biotech R&D Conference to Showcase Next-Generation Newsmakers and Massachusetts as Leader in Biotech Discovery

Oct. 27 Event Kicks Off With Keynote by Investor and New England Patriots President Jonathan Kraft

Boston, MA (Vocus) October 1, 2009

The Boston biotechnology industry will get an early look at biotech's future value-drivers and newsmakers at the 2009 Boston Biotech R&D Conference on October 27, 2009 at Harvard Medical School.

At the one-day event, recently funded companies will present their science and platforms for the first time to a limited audience of 100 venture capitalists and pharmaceutical executives. The second annual conference will open with a keynote address by Jonathan Kraft, president of the New England Patriots, and president and chief executive officer of The Kraft Group, a group of privately held companies in professional sports, manufacturing and real estate investment.

"This will be an important gathering of the brightest minds in Boston's biotech research and development to shine a spotlight on their novel science and technology platforms," said Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., chief executive officer of Sirtris, a GSK company and senior vice president of the Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery (CEEDD), GSK. "Thanks to the success of last year's inaugural R&D Conference, we received interest from biotech companies from across the country to participate in this year's conference, which reinforces Massachusetts' standing in the industry on a global scale."

Westphal founded the Boston Biotech Conference series four years ago, which includes the annual Boston Biotech Business Development Conference in April and Boston Biotech CEO Conference in June. In its second year, the R&D Conference is designed to showcase the next generation of leading biotech and pharmaceutical companies from the Boston area.

According to conference sponsor MassBio, the state continues to be a leader in the nation's biotech industry. With the number of Massachusetts residents working in the biotech industry at an all time high, companies in the state account for 6.4 percent of drugs in the pipeline globally, and next to California, Massachusetts is the best funded state for biotech venture capital investment.
"The Boston Biotech Conference series is one of the highlights of the year for our industry, as it offers an early look at the regional R&D success stories we are likely to read about in the upcoming year," said President & CEO of MassBio Robert K. Coughlin. "It's gatherings like these that help to spur the innovation and investment, which makes Massachusetts' biotechnology industry a global leader."

ABOUT THE BOSTON BIOTECH R&D CONFERENCE
The 2009 Boston Biotech R&D Conference will highlight up-and-coming biotech companies in the Boston area. The agenda features several luminaries in medicine and research, as well as executives of the next generation of leading biotech and pharma companies from the Boston area. Jonathan Kraft president and chief executive officer of The Kraft Group and president of the New England Patriots, will provide the keynote address. The conference is being organized by Christoph Westphal, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of Sirtris, a GSK company and Senior Vice President of the Center of Excellence for External Drug Discovery (CEEDD), GSK and Michelle Dipp, M.D., Ph.D., Vice President, Head of U.S. CEEDD, GSK. The conference is sponsored by Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Clinquest, MassBio, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, Merriman Curhan Ford & Co. and Pure Communications, Inc. For more information or to register for the conference, visit http://www.bostonbiotechconference.com.

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