The Biotech Forum to Host a Half-Day Event Focused on New Regional Biotech Industry

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwire - February 27, 2008) - The Biotech Forum announced today that it will host a half-day conference on Thursday, March 27, 2008, entitled "The Perfect Storm: Forecasting An Emerging Regional Biotech Industry." This will be the latest event held by the Forum in Westlake Village, California, focused on providing business resources, education and networking opportunities to the region's biotechnology executives, entrepreneurs, investors, engineers, researchers and scientists. The conference will take place on March 27, at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel in Westlake Village, California, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. followed by a cocktail reception for networking among the attendees until 6:00 p.m. Attendance is by invitation only, and the event's registration fee is $195.00 per person. The registration fee is waived for the Forum members.

The Forum was established by Brent Reinke and John Dilts, the founders of the Gold Coast Business Forum and Maverick Angels, respectively. The two have joined forces to lend their sizable regional business networks to jump-start the movement toward a regional biotech "cluster." "We are seeking to bring together all of the necessary players for creating a thriving eco-system focused on new biotechnology and medical device ventures in the area," says Dilts, who launched Maverick Angels in 2005. Maverick Angels is an angel investor network based in Westlake Village, California, and focuses on investing in emerging-growth companies from around the country.

Following the announcement of layoffs by local pharmaceutical giant Amgen, a growing number of prospective biotechnology entrepreneurs are entering the market in the region along the "101 Corridor" located between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles counties. "The conference will bring together key players in the biotech business and investment community and highlight the unique opportunity which exists for our region to develop a biotech cluster," says Reinke, who founded the Gold Coast Business Forum in 1999 to support collaboration and networking among regional business leaders in the area.

The conference's half-day program at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel will include a luncheon presentation by Keynote Speaker Beth Seidenberg, a Partner at the venture capital industry titan, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, who focuses on investing in the life sciences sector. This will be followed by a series of panels focusing on the opportunity to create a biotech cluster in the region. Panelists will include venture capitalists from top-tiered venture funds including DFJ Frontier Ventures, Prospect Ventures and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Additional panelists will include local government representatives discussing their incubator initiatives as well as panelists representing UCLA, USC, Cal Tech and UCSB who will discuss their efforts to encourage the commercialization of biotechnology and life science innovations from their respective schools. The day will end with a cocktail reception designed to encourage attendees to network and gain valuable relationships and resources.

Gold Coast Business Forum and Maverick Angels are the event hosts. Merrill Lynch, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Musick Peeler & Garrett, CRESA Partners and SoCalTech.com have been named as the conference's selected corporate sponsors.

The conference is open to scientists, engineers, researchers, executives, investors and entrepreneurs in the biotechnology industry. Attendance is by invitation only, and registration is required for the event. Interested attendees can receive more information at the Forum's website: www.thebiotechforum.com. The Forum's prior events have been sold out; therefore early registration is encouraged.

About The Biotech Forum

The Biotech Forum is a membership organization created to provide practical business information and networking opportunities among executives, entrepreneurs, investors, engineers, researchers and scientists focused on the biotech, medical device and healthcare industries along the "101 Corridor." This area spans Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The Biotech Forum is the leading catalyst for fostering the growth of a new biotech cluster in the region for the benefit of Forum members as well as the larger community. For more information about membership in the Forum or attendance at the Forum events, go to www.thebiotechforum.com. For more information about the Forum's founder organizations, go to www.gcvf.org and www.maverickangels.com.

Media Note: For more information on how to RSVP and register for The Biotech Forum event on Thursday, March 27th, at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza Hotel, please contact Shelley Toy at shelley@thebiotechforum.com or visit www.thebiotechforum.com. Registration for this event is required, and the attendance fee is $195.00 per person. Attendance at the event is free to Members of The Biotech Forum. Go to www.thebiotechforum.com to learn more about how to become a Member of the Forum.

Contact Information: Company Contact: Shelley Toy The Biotech Forum (818) 706-7686