BIO Events & Activities

BIOtech Now visited with Jerry Pommer, Director of Animal Regulatory Compliance and Quality Assurance for Hematech, Inc. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The biotech industry thrives on harnessing the power of the human genome to learn how to better understand cell processes, and in so doing, prevent and treat disease. Epigenetics is one area of biotech that studies alterations in cells not attributable to changes in DNA sequence.

Simply stated, epigenetics is the study of cells that change over time based on environmental or aging factors. Not surprisingly, epigenetics has changed the way researchers think about heredity and may hold clues to better understand complex cell processes.

BIOtech Now talks to Dave Edwards, BIO’s Director for Animal Biotechnology, regarding the upcoming Livestock Biotech Summit, which will be held September 28-30 in Sioux Falls, SD.

The Orphan Drug Act (ODA) of 1983 helped lead to the development of new drugs and biologics for rare and frequently untreated diseases for more than 25 million Americans living with one of the 7,000 recognized rare diseases.

May is hepatitis awareness month. More than 5 million people in the U.S. are living with chronic hepatitis B or hepatitis C. But these two diseases receive limited attention in the general public and the health care system. Hepatitis C, for example, affects up to 3.9 million people, yet 75% are unaware they are infected. It's estimated that costs related to HCV infection will rise from $30 billion in 2009 to more than $85 billion in 2024.

Integrated Project Management Company is a provider of professional project management and consulting services to the life sciences and other industries.  This podcast addresses how to maximize development dollars through a project management approach.

Peter Soelkner, Managing Director of Vetter Pharma International, discusses why his company chose Chicago as the site of their first North American facility. Soelkner also discusses his expectations for the upcoming BIO International Convention and the opportunity to offer attendees site visits while they are in Chicago for the event. For more information on Vetter, please visit www.vetter-pharma.com/.

Dr. Allan Jarvis, vice president of corporate development at sanofi pasteur, discusses the vaccine track that they are sponsoring at this year's BIO International Convention, the type of partnerships that they're currently seeking, how important the Convention is to their partnering efforts, among other things. For more information on sanofi pasteur, please visit www.sanofipasteur.com.

Ben Keeton of the Kentucky BioAlliance discusses the biotechnology industry in Kentucky, current initiatives and activities undertaken by the Kentucky BioAlliance and expectations for the upcoming 2010 BIO International Convention.

Doug Getter of the Iowa Biotechnology Association discusses current initiatives and activities at the association, the growing biotech industry in Iowa, and expectations for the upcoming 2010 BIO International Convention. IBA was formed in 1994 to advance opportunities in Iowa for the improvement of the human environmental and economic well-being through the development and application of value-added technologies in the life sciences.