Contact: Matt Schutte, Director of Corporate Communications | 614-675-3686, x6
Ohio's bioscience industry to convene in November
BioOhio Annual Conference will focus on medical devices and diagnostics

Ohio’s growing bioscience community will converge on Dublin, Ohio, Nov. 12-13, for the 2007 BioOhio Annual Conference. This year’s event will focus on medical devices and diagnostics, two bioscience industry sectors experiencing dramatic growth in Ohio.

According to AdvaMed (the Advanced Medical Technology Association), the medical device market in the U.S. was approximately $86 billion in 2006, with a 10% annual growth rate expected for 2007. The global market approaches $220 billion. In a recently released AdvaMed report on the overall medical technology industry, including devices and diagnostics, Ohio ranked tenth in employment with 12,820 jobs.

BioOhio spokesperson Matt Schutte said a combination of factors and assets explains Ohio’s prominence in medical devices and diagnostics. “First, the market for these products is growing along with the aging of baby boomers,” he said. “This burgeoning patient demand spurs innovation among Ohio’s world-class medical research institutions. The market opportunity has captured the attention of Ohio’s engineering and manufacturing sectors, which has led to company and job growth.”

An opening reception with a bioscience student poster session, exhibitor booths, and device and diagnostics product showcase will occur on Nov. 12. The Nov. 13 agenda will feature several Ohio-based medical technology industry experts as well as four out-of-state featured speakers.

Dr. Ron Yustein, Clinical Deputy Director of the FDA’s Office of Device Evaluation in Rockville, Maryland, will provide updates on FDA initiatives and regulatory changes that impact medical devices and diagnostics. From Washington, D.C., AdvaMed Senior Executive Vice President Amy Jensen Cunniffe will discuss issues impacting advanced medical technology industry growth, convergence with other bioscience sectors, and the industry’s “value chain,” from research through outsourcing to manufacturing. New York-based Jeff Krauss of Psilos Group will head up a panel session on venture capital trends. And Gary Miller, co-founder of Exactech, a publicly-traded medical device company in Florida, will participate in a panel of device and diagnostic company leaders.

For a complete agenda and registration information, visit www.bioohio.com.

The 2007 BioOhio Annual Conference will double as a celebration of the organization’s 20th anniversary. BioOhio was founded as Edison Biotechnology Center in 1987. It remains one of seven non-profit, state-funded Edison Technology Centers located throughout Ohio.

The 2007 BioOhio Annual Conference is made possible, in part, with support from valuable sponsors, including the Ohio Department of Development, Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP, and AccuNet, among others.

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Members of the media wishing to attend should contact Matt Schutte at BioOhio, 614-675-3686; E-mail mschutte@bioohio.com.