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Thriving Ohio bioscience industry participates in BIO Mid-America VentureForum
BIO Mid-America VentureForum unites bioscience companies and investors for partnering and financing opportunities

BioOhio, together with the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), announces presenting companies and involvement planned for the BIO Mid-America VentureForum, Sept. 24-26, 2007 in Milwaukee, Wis.

“Ohio’s bioscience industry is growing everyday, and we are proud to participate in this conference to facilitate and encourage partnering and financing opportunities to bioscience companies in the Midwest,” said Anthony J. Dennis, Ph.D., president and CEO of BioOhio.

Several Ohio companies will be presenting their business plans in an effort to attract partnering and financing opportunities, including Akebia Therapeutics (Cincinnati), AxioMed Spine Corporation (Cleveland), and Ventaira Pharmaceuticals (Columbus).

Akebia Therapeutics is a venture-backed start-up pharmaceutical company with a focus on treatments for ischemia and improvement of vascular disease. AxioMed Spine Corporation was formed in 2001 to develop products for restoring native function to patients with degenerative spine disease. Ventaira is an emerging specialty pharmaceutical company developing novel pulmonary drug delivery products in the outpatient setting.

The only venture conference in the Midwest showcasing biotech, biofuels and medical device venture stage product and platform companies, the BIO Mid-America VentureForum will bring together life science investors, CEOs, and business development executives. The conference will include company presentations, panel discussions, and for the first time, a partnering forum.

“This event helps to fulfill BIO’s mission of supporting and growing the industry by creating opportunities for companies to connect through partnerships that will ultimately deliver the promise of biotech,” said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO.

Bioscience is a key sector for developing early-stage companies in Ohio, according to the report, “Growing the Nation’s Bioscience Sector: State Bioscience Initiatives 2006,” released by Battelle and BIO.

The report indicates that research projects and investments to create a supportive business climate for bioscience companies has lead to economic benefits in the state of Ohio. According to current BioOhio research, there are more than 40,000 workers in the bioscience workforce in Ohio.

For more information on BIO Mid-America and to register, visit http://bma.bio.org. Advance media registration is now available through September 20, 2007. To register in advance, please visit www.bio.org/news/pressreg. Registration is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media. Reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials.

About BioOhio
BioOhio, founded in 1987 as Edison BioTechnology Center and formerly Omeris, is a non-profit organization designed to build and accelerate bioscience industry, research, and education in Ohio. As Ohio's bioscience membership and development organization, we are focused on networking the distributed and outstanding bioscience assets of Ohio to accelerate growth of a globally competitive bioscience industry. Headquartered in Columbus, BioOhio is supported by the Thomas Edison Program of the Ohio Department of Development and member contributions. BioOhio regional business development affiliates are located in Athens (Edison Biotechnology Institute), Cincinnati (BIO/START), Cleveland (BioEnterprise), and Columbus (TechColumbus).

About BIO
www.bio.org
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.

About BIO Mid-America VentureForum
http://bma.bio.org
BIO Mid-America will feature presentations from up to 60 promising seed, early- and late-stage private biotech product and platform companies from the Midwest as well as presentations from leading North American venture capital firms in the life sciences field. Workshops and plenary sessions will be offered on trends in the biotech industry, with a special focus on key success factors for early-stage companies, research and development, market trends, and financing. In addition, there will be formal and informal networking opportunities with industry CEOs and venture capital leaders.