Experts Deliver Free Public Biotechnology Lectures

MEDIA ADVISORY

15 January 2004

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS TO DELIVER FREE PUBLIC BIOTECHNOLOGY LECTURES

The public are invited to attend free lectures by New Zealand and international experts on biotechnology and bioentrepreneurship at The University of Auckland, beginning next week.

The public lectures are part of the "Commercialising Biotechnology for Financial Success" summer course, run by the University in conjunction with NZ Trade & Enterprise (NZTE).

The key objective of the course is to encourage the growth of biotechnology companies using research from New Zealand's biotechnology sector which has been identified as crucial to the country's economic future.

The course aims to provide all participants with a background on the international and local biotechnology sectors. In addition, it aims to provide people from a scientific background with a basic understanding of business principles, and to provide businesspeople with an understanding of the science that underpins emerging biobusiness ventures.

Each of the six evening sessions, spread over three weeks from January 20 to February 5, includes a free public lecture, half an hour of networking, and a tutorial for enrolled participants. The venue is the Old Government House Lecture Theatre, 3A Symonds Street, Auckland.

Titles for the public lectures include:

*The Rocky Landscape of Biotechnology (Tuesday 20 January 5-6pm)

*Running Rivers: Routes to Biotechnology Commercialisation (Thursday 22 January 5-6pm)

*Safety Gear: Crucial Considerations for the Commercial Climb (Tuesday 27 January 5-6pm)

*Recreating the Big Bang - How Do You Start a Biotechnology Company from Nothing? (Thursday 29 January 5-6pm)

*The Real World: Case Examples of Biotechnology Business Models (Tuesday 3 February 5-6pm)

*Staying on Top: Biotech Wars (Thursday 5 February 5-6pm)

Course facilitators include:

*Peter Lennox, GM Organisational Development NZTE and the former director of NZTE's Scottish counterpart, where he oversaw rapid growth in the Scottish biotech industry;

*Dr Aris Persidis, a successful US-based biotech practitioner;

*Professor Rod Dunbar, who specialises in novel immunotherapies for cancer;

*Bradford J Duft, a US intellectual property law and litigation attorney;

*Ted Greene, a US entrepreneur and the founder of a series of medical technology companies;

*Professor Garth Cooper, CEO of Protemix;

*Aki Von Roy, the former President of Bristol Myers Squibb Europe and the current CEO of NZ biotech startup, Proacta Therapeutics;

*Doug Wilson, the former head of research and regulatory affairs for Boehringer Ingelheim, the world's largest private pharmaceutical company;

*Adam Baker, COO, Celentis;

*John Villiger, CEO The Medicines Company;

*Peter Sullivan, Chairman, Virionyx Corporation.

Biographical details of most of the course lecturers and tutors, along with the course details, can be found at:

http://www.sbs.auckland.ac.nz/info/summerschool

Members of the public wanting to attend the free public lectures should contact:

Karen Jennings School of Biological Sciences 09 373 7599 ext. 87215 k.jennings@auckland.ac.nz

© Scoop Media