FDA Commissioner McClellan To Speak at BIO CEO Conference

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 28, 2003) – Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., will speak at the Biotechnology Industry Organization’s (BIO) fifth annual CEO & Investor Conference 2003, February 27 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Dr. McClellan will be the keynote speaker for the Thursday, luncheon plenary session.

“The policies, procedures and decisions of the FDA have a greater impact on the biotechnology industry than those of any other agency of the U.S. government,” said Carl B. Feldbaum, president of BIO. The CEOs, investors, and policy-makers who come together for this conference will be eager to hear Commissioner McClellan’s insights on current regulations and the extensive changes under way at the agency.

“The biotech community is particularly interested in learning more about the recent consolidation of certain drug and biologic review responsibilities within the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research and the approval goals outlined in the Prescription Drug User Fee Act,” added Feldbaum.

The BIO CEO & Investor Conference, February 25-27, will include seven investor sessions, eight CEO roundtables, and approximately 190 individual company presentations. More than 1,500 investors, analysts, company executives and journalists attended last year’s event.

For more information on the BIO CEO & Investor Conference, please visit www.bio.org. Press registration is now available and is complimentary for credentialed members of the news media. Press releases, conference updates and registration information are posted in the “Media” section of the conference Web site.

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.

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