San Francisco at Leading Edge of Global Neurotechnology Industry, Says New Report

SAN FRANCISCO--(Business Wire)--
According to a new study conducted by NeuroInsights and sponsored by the
Neurotechnology Industry Organization (NIO), the San Francisco Bay Area leads
the world in neurotechnology - drugs, medical devices, biologics, cell-based
therapeutics, and diagnostics for the treatment of brain and nervous system
illnesses such as Alzheimer`s disease, depression, obesity, stroke, epilepsy and
chronic pain.

The San Francisco Bay Area beat out other technology centers including Boston,
New York/New Jersey, Greater London, San Diego and Los Angeles/Irvine, according
to the study, "Neurotech Clusters 2010: Mapping the Business of Neuroscience."
The rankings are based on three broad factors: number of neuroscience-focused
companies, availability of local risk capital and social infrastructure
(universities, hospitals, research institutes). The San Francisco Bay Area
ranked first in number of companies and risk capital, while Boston ranked first
in social infrastructure.

"This report confirms that San Francisco is on the global forefront of
neurotechnology," said San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom. "The strength and
concentration of San Francisco neurotech businesses is further evidence that the
City is on the leading edge of groundbreaking research to improve human health."

"The City of San Francisco resides at the nexus of the world's leading
neurotechnology cluster," says Zack Lynch, Executive Director of the
Neurotechnology Industry Organization. "With the continued growth of the Mission
Bay complex the city is poised to extend its leadership in supporting
organizations who are focused on developing treatments and cures for the nearly
2 billion people worldwide who suffer from neurological disease and mental
illness."

Among the ninety-four companies involved in neuroscience in the San Francisco
Bay Area, San Francisco is home to thirteen neurotech companies including
Adynxx, BrainsOnline, Carmot Therapeutics, Emotiv Systems, Eos Neuroscience,
Lumos Labs, Medivation, Merck Research Laboratories, Neurox Pharmaceuticals,
Photoswitch Biosciences, Posit Science, Simprota, Synarc, and Xalud Therapeutics
as well as being the headquarters of the Neurotechnology Industry Organization.

Further supporting San Francisco`s leadership are top tier academic research
centers including UCSF`s W.M. Keck Foundation Center for Integrative
Neuroscience, Sloan-Swartz Center for Theoretical Neurobiology, Conte Center for
Neuroscience Research, Wheeler Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, and the
Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease. University of California, San
Francisco Medical Center was ranked 18th for psychiatry, 10th for ophthalmology,
4th for neurology and neurosurgery.

NIO
Zack Lynch
Executive Director
415-341-0193 (Press)
zack@neurotechindustry.org
or
San Francisco Mayor's Office of Communications
Joe Arellano
Chief Deputy Communications Director/Sub-Director de Prensa
Main: 415-554-6131 (Press)
Joe.Arellano@sfgov.org

Copyright Business Wire 2009