BIO-Europe Spring 2009 in Milan Sets New Record for Partnering Productivity

Partnering intensity jumps 21 percent to 7,104 one-to-one meetings
MILAN & ZURICH--(Business Wire)--
Close to 1,550 leaders from the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry
gathered last week for the 3rd annual BIO-Europe Spring partnering conference,
which saw an impressive 7,104 one-to-one partnering meetings between industry
dealmakers. BIO-Europe Spring, in only its third year has become the second
largest dedicated partnering event in the biotechnology industry in Europe. More
complete coverage of the event can be found at www.partneringnews.com.

The conference drew over 955 companies from 44 countries around the world.
Delegates engaged in partnering meetings featuring 1,500 licensing
opportunities. In addition, there were 16 workshops and panel sessions, and 150
focused presentations by biotech companies seeking financing, licensing
opportunities or partners for advancing their product development.

Where the first day of BIO-Europe Spring was dedicated to panel discussions and
workshops on hot topics like personalized medicine, current market conditions,
or regulatory updates, the second and third days of the conference were divided
into timeslots of 30 minutes during which participants got down to the main
business of organized one-to-one partnering, supported by EBD Group's
partneringONE software.

While participation at this year`s event was up 15 percent over BIO-Europe
Spring 2008 in Madrid, the level of partnering activity between life science
executives was up by an astounding 21 percent in Milan. This spike in meetings
indicates a superb quality of licensing opportunities, and partnerships
providing a vital route to securing corporate funding.

The success of BIO-Europe Spring 2009 sets the stage for the remainder of EBD
Group's 2009 program: EuroMedtech (Duesseldorf, June 3-4); BioEquity Europe
(June 9-10); ChinaBio® Partnering Forum (June 23-24); BioPharm America
(September 16-18); and, BIO-Europe (November 2-4).

The 4th annual BIO-Europe Spring event will take place in Barcelona, Spain,
March 8-10, 2010.

About BIO-Europe Spring 2009

The BIO-Europe Spring® event brings together international decision makers from
all sectors of the biotechnology industry, and features the successful
combination of one-to-one meetings, company presentations, panel discussions and
a lively exhibition.

Positioned as the springtime counterpart to EBD Group`s flagship conference,
BIO-Europe, the BIO-Europe Spring event continues the tradition of providing
life science companies with high caliber partnering opportunities. The event
enables delegates to identify, meet and network with companies across the life
science value chain from large biotech and pharma companies to financiers and
innovative start-ups.

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry.
Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD
Group`s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business
opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success.

EBD Group`s conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and
international trade associations and include:

* BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring®, the world's largest stand-alone life
science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry
Organization (BIO)
* BioPharm America, EBD Group`s North American partnering event
* EuroMedtech, EBD Group`s new partnering event for the innovative medical
technology industry
* BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury
Publications and BIO
* ChinaBio Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering
conference in China

EBD Group`s sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE, is used
as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world.
Outside of the conference format, EBD Group`s consultants provide hands-on
assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies.

EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.

For more information please visit www.ebdgroup.com.

EBD Group
Constantine Theodoropulos, +1 617-292-7319
ctheodoropulos@ebdgroup.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009