Notwithstanding the pressures of the downward dive of the global economy, the biotech companies from around the globe are all set to gather at Hyderabad, the biotech hub of India, to explore global business tie-ups.
At a time when the drug majors like Pfizer is eying acquisition of companies with biotech edge to retain their place in the industry in this troubled economic times, this gathering of bio players is expected to witness more sensible and trendsetting business deals.
The platform for this upcoming mega gathering of bio players is the Bio Asia 2009, the sixth edition of Asia's biggest biotech event. This popular bio event is being organised jointly by the Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA), Government of Andhra Pradesh and University of Hyderabad in an attempt to revive the spirits of this fast emerging industry.
The curtains for Bio Asia 2009, a three-day bio event, would go up at the International Convention Centre in Hyderabad on February two. This year's event assumes special significance, as the industry is attracting increased attention from the pharma industry for its long term survival, thanks to the blockbuster drugs that are expected to go off patent in the near future leaving the drug majors grappling for survival.
In recent years, an explosion of advances in biotechnology products and related services has transformed the quality of healthcare across the globe. And the pharma players are in a rat race to take advantage of these developments either by acquiring or by entering into collaborations, partnerships and alliances with the competent bio players.
In this wake, Bio Asia 2009 is expected to offer a best platform to explore all aspects of biobusiness, including collaboration, technology transfer, investments, and marketing and related activities of biotech and biopharma industry through its acclaimed business-to-business (B2B) meetings.
"The B2B meetings will provide a platform to bring together willing partners to create synergy. This unique business forum would also offer an opportunity for biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies and investors to explore collaborations with Asian countries, particularly India. Also, this business podium would promote discussion on all aspects of biobusiness like collaboration, technology transfer, investments, marketing and related activities of biotech and biopharma industry globally," said the organisers.
This year, the event is expected to attract a wide range of entrepreneurs, including senior executives of leading biotech companies, business development teams from large to mid cap pharma companies and eminent scientists from research and development institutions and universities, apart from investors to explore global business tie-ups.
Following its tradition, the 2009 edition of Bio Asia would feature conference sessions, B2B meetings, international trade show and CEO conclave. Also, as usual, the event would witness the conferring of Genome valley Excellence Award and Bio Asia Innovation Award for Young Scientist to the winners.
The conference sessions at Bio Asia 2009 is learnt to provide an interdisciplinary forum for discussing new approaches in the field of biotechnology, integrating innovative developments with engineering applications and converting technologies into industrial products.
"Those who engage the conference sessions are expected to throw light on the emerging technologies in industrial biotech and biopharmaceutical sectors such as oncology and monodonal antibodies, vaccines, stem cell therapy and nanotechnology for early therapy and diagnosis. Besides, the sessions would also focus on key areas like collaborations, partnerships, licensing, manpower challenges and service sectors such as contract research organisations, contract manufacturing organisations and contract research and manufacturing services," said the organisers of the event.