Web Cast of BIO/Gates Foundation Global Health Forum Available

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 10, 2002) - A Web cast of selected sessions from the Partnering for Global Health Forum, co-hosted by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is available at www.kaisernetwork.org, a free service of the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The forum, which was held Dec. 3-5 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, brought together industry leaders, potential funders and international health experts to discuss how biotechnology can be used to address diseases of the developing world.

Web cast sessions:
· Morning Plenary (12/4/02)
Carl B. Feldbaum, president of BIO; David Heymann, M.D., executive director of communicable diseases for the World Health Organization; and Laurie Garrett, Newsday.

· Panel: What Policy Changes are Needed? The Importance of Incentives (12/4/02)

· Lunch Plenary (12/4/02)
Patty Stonesifer, co-chair and president of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and Elias Zerhouni, M.D.,
director of the National Institutes of Health.

· Morning Plenary (12/5/02)
Richard G.A. Feachem, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Med), executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

· Panel: What Is Needed to Stimulate Investments in R&D? (12/5/02)

· Lunch Plenary (12/5/02)
Alan P. Larson, Undersecretary of State for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs; and Richard Klausner, M.D., executive director of global health for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

· Panel: The Role of Intellectual Property Rights in Global Health R&D (12/5/02)

BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

# # #