Contact: Matt Schutte, Director of Corporate Communications | 614-675-3686
Ohio to play active role at BIO 2006

The state of Ohio will play an important role as a regional host at BIO 2006, the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s annual international conference. BIO 2006 will take place April 9-12th at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

“We are excited to hold this meeting in the Midwest for the first time,” stated BIO President Jim Greenwood. “This is an opportunity to spotlight the region to the rest of the country and to the more than 60 other nations which will be represented at BIO 2006.”

The Midwest location also motivated Ohio to participate as a major sponsor at the BIO Convention for the first time. Ohio joins several other Midwest states as co-sponsors of the Welcoming Reception to be held on the evening of Sunday, April 9th.

More than 150 Ohioans have registered for the conference and will participate in a variety of roles. Ohio academics, biotech executives and experts will participate in several of the nearly 200 sessions that will take place during BIO 2006. Ohio speakers will participate in sessions on devices and diagnostics, finance, nanotechnology, public and investor relations, and obesity.

Ohio Governor Bob Taft will be among the 12 confirmed governors at BIO 2006. Governor Taft will be a featured speaker at the Public Officials Reception on April 9th, and he will mingle with guests at the “Ohio Night at BIO” reception on April 10th. He is also expected to visit the “Bio in Ohio” booth in the exhibit hall.

The Ohio exhibit hall presence is coordinated by Omeris, Ohio’s bioscience membership and development organization, with partnership support from the Ohio Department of Development, the Columbus Chamber, Team NEO, and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. Other exhibitors with headquarters or significant operations in Ohio include Cardinal Health, Eurand USA, Meridian Bioscience, Ricerca Biosciences, CAS - Chemical Abstracts Service, AMRESCO, Teradata, Boehringer Ingelheim, Patheon, and Oakwood Laboratories.

“The BIO annual event has proven to be an excellent venue for meeting with companies and entrepreneurs, especially those from overseas, interested in expanding or relocating in Ohio,” said Dr. Tony Dennis, President and CEO of Omeris. “Last year we had private meetings with more than 40 companies from the U.S., Germany, Italy, and Taiwan and will do so again this year. Overall, this is a very effective way to keep up with global industry changes and opportunities to build Ohio‘s growing bioscience industry.”

Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals and Ventaira Pharmaceuticals were selected to participate in the Business Forum. They are among a select group of companies chosen from hundreds of applicants to make business development-focused presentations to potential investors and other biotech and pharmaceutical companies interested in sharing technology through partnering and licensing arrangements.

Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals, Ventaira Pharmaceuticals and NanoBioMagnetics will take advantage of BIO’s sophisticated partnering software which matches participating companies with other companies interested in partnering or licensing and with investors. More than 10,000 meetings will be arranged during BIO 2006.

For more information on BIO 2006, please visit www.bio.org/events/2006/. Media registration is complimentary for credential members of the news media. Reporters and editors working full-time for print or broadcast news organizations may register onsite with valid media credentials. Freelance journalists and online publications may not register onsite.

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.

Omeris is a non-profit organization supported by the Thomas Edison Program of the Ohio Department of Development. Its mission is to accelerate bioscience discovery, innovation and commercialization of global value, driving economic growth, and improving quality of life in Ohio. Omeris is headquartered in Columbus, with regional business development affiliates in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Athens.