Orange County Companies Participate In Bio-Pharmaceuticals Discussion
An Exploration of Innovations and Progress in Neurological Disorders and Neurodegenerative
Diseases
Wednesday, October 12th, 2005 – University Club, UC Irvine – 6:00
p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
IRVINE, Calif. – October 5, 2005 – Representatives
from Orange County pharmaceutical companies, venture capital firms and UC Irvine
will gather on Wednesday, October 12th to discuss significant developments
in neurological research taking place in and around the county. The conference
is being delivered by the Orange County Technology Action Network (OCTANe)
and the OCTANe@UCI initiative and will be held Wednesday, October 12
protection , 2005 at the University Club at UC Irvine, from 6:00 p.m.
to 8:30 p.m. The event is being sponsored by Latham & Watkins, a
global leader in the protection of intellectual property as well as corporate
finance, capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and
complex business litigation.
Attendees will participate in a dialogue with executives from Allergan,
Hamilton BioVentures, Latham & Watkins and the Brain Imaging Center
at UC Irvine, as well as other respected industry professionals. In the
last five years, Allergan has invested more than $750 million in its
technology pipeline, pursuing developments in the areas of the back-of-the-eye
and neurological/CNS. Researchers at UC Irvine are leveraging Positron
Emission Topography (PET) to observe the living brain and evaluate brain
function without fear of harming the individual. Hamilton BioVentures
is actively investing in entrepreneurial companies conducting neurological
research, such as Angstrom Pharmaceuticals and Ceregene in San Diego.
"The bio-pharmaceutical community is on the verge of making great
strides in the treatment of common brain disorders such as autism and
Parkinson’s disease,” said Dr. Gary W. Matkin, Dean of Continuing
Education at UC Irvine Extension. “Much of this exciting research
is happening right here in Orange County. Professionals at all levels
interested in this fast-growing field will benefit by the combined experience
of our panel.”
Panelists will include:
- Dr. Kerry Dance, Managing Director of Hamilton BioVentures
Dr. Dance has 25 years of executive experience as a leader in science.
He has previously served as CEO of Advanced Distillation Technology
as well as president of the S-Cubed Division of Maxwell Laboratories, Inc.,
and vice president of technology for Aerojet General Corporation.
- Dr.
Steven G. Potkin - Brain Imaging Center at UC Irvine.
Steven Potkin, MD, has been a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry
and Human Behavior at UCI for the past 15 years. Potkin’s
career has been devoted to understanding the causes of, and developing
new treatments for, schizophrenia and other neurological diseases.
- Dr. Larry Wheeler, Senior Vice President - Biomedical Sciences of
Allergan.
Dr. Wheeler has been with Allergan since 1982. He is presently
a member of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental
Therapeutics as well as the Association for Research in Vision
and Ophthalmology. He is widely published and holds 25 patents.
To register for the event, please email Cynthia Bemis at cynthia.bemis@octaneoc.org or
visit octane.uci.edu. The event
is free for OCTANe members and $30 for entrepreneurs, VC-backed companies
and University staff or students. For the general public, admission is
$50 with advance registration or $60 at the door.
About OCTANe
OCTANe is a non-profit corporation comprised of information and biomedical
technology business executives, venture capitalists, service providers,
private investors and leaders from UC Irvine as well as other universities,
all working together to drive innovation and accelerate the growth
of technology business in Orange County and surrounding regions.
About UC Irvine Extension
As the continuing education arm of the prestigious university, UC Irvine
Extension is dedicated to providing a transforming learning experience
for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs
to local, regional and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension
offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support
a diverse audience from a wide selection of academic programs to
numerous campus activities. UC Irvine Extension continues to provide
a university-level learning experience to all students. For more
information about UC Irvine Extension visit www.extension.uci.edu.
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