BIOTECHNICA AMERICA - New platform for the life science industries in North America

A new life science event in America is about to make headlines. Next year will see an alliance between BIOTECHNICA (Europe's leading trade fair for biotechnology), INTERPHEX (the leading international exhibition and conference for the pharmaceutical industry in the USA), and Pharma MedDevice (an event addressing the special needs of the combination products market and innovations in drug delivery technology and healthcare).

According to Stephan Kühne, Board Member of Deutsche Messe AG, "the convergence of these three important events will create a major central meeting place in America for exhibitors from across the globe and from every area of importance to the biotech and pharmaceutical industries".

All three events will take place at the same time from 26 to 28 March 2008 in the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia. He added: "Potentially, this move will lead to the establishment of the most important communication platform for the life sciences industry in the whole of North America".

The involvement of BIOTECHNICA AMERICA with INTERPHEX - a show which was set up back in 1980 - marks a significant step towards the creation of a central platform supported by a comprehensive conference program. This will bring global expertise from the fields of pharmaceuticals and biotechnology together, will facilitate the exchange of information and promote the establishment of research partnerships and networks for strategic alliances.

IMS HEALTH, the world's leading provider of information and services for the pharmaceutical and health industries, has reported that by the end of 2007 more than 20 billion US dollars will have been invested through strategic partnerships in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries. According to IMS HEALTH, the US market for bio-manufacturing is currently estimated to be worth 50 billion dollars.

As Kühne explains, "INTERPHEX and PharmaMedDevice are highly professional partners, and the interplay between the events will create vital synergies of benefit to all the BIOTECHNICA target groups".

Last year, INTERPHEX attracted 1,948 visitors from the biotechnological and bio-pharmaceutical industries alone, including representatives from top-name companies such as Amgen, Baxter, Bayer, Genentech, Merck, Novartis, Pfizer, Sanofi Pasteur, Schering-Plough, Unigene and Wyeth. The full line-up of events in March 2008 is expected to attract more than 1,000 exhibitors and 10,000 visitors.

Philadelphia is known as the most important location for the pharmaceutical industry in America. The city ranks third as a focus for the American life sciences sector (Source: Philadelphia Visitors and Convention Bureau). There are about 1,415 biotech companies operating in the US at present, including 329 on the stock market.

A single ticket will secure admission to BIOTECHNICA AMERICA, INTERPHEX and PharmaMedDevice. The shows can be visited on Wednesday, 26 March and Thursday, 27 March from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday, 28 March, 2008, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.

- Katharina Siebert, Deutsche Messe -