KALAMAZOO, MI--(Marketwire - October 27, 2009) -

TO:    All News Media Outlets -- Media Advisory

WHAT:  MichBio's Expo & Conference

WHEN:  Conference Sessions: November 3-4,
       Exhibit Hall Hours: Nov. 3, 5-7 p.m., Nov. 4, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

WHERE: Radisson Plaza Hotel, Kalamazoo

MichBio, the association for Michigan's bioscience industry, will host its 5th Annual Expo & Conference in Kalamazoo next week. The Expo is the largest single gathering of biosciences professionals in the state attracting more than 500 participants and 60 exhibitors last year. Seventy percent of attendees are executives in biosciences companies, research institutions and universities, with another 25 percent representing service providers and other related industries.

Highlights of the two-day conference include:

Day One

--  MichBio High School Career Day hosted by Western Michigan University
--  Tours, including Pfizer Animal Health, Stryker Instruments, Stryker
    Medical, Kalexsyn, Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, Michigan High
    Throughput Screening Center, Borgess Research Institute, Eurofins AvTech
    Laboratories, and Genemarkers.
--  International Spotlight: Israel's Innovative BioMed
--  3rd Annual Emerging Biosciences Showcase featuring two informative VC
    panel discussions and presentations by 16 companies.
--  Business Partnering meetings: GE Healthcare · Johnson & Johnson ·
    Medtronic · Merck · Stryker · Takeda · Terumo · Teva Pharmaceutical
    Industries
--  Legislative Town Hall, a Community Conversation to gain input and
    ideas from bioscience industry stakeholders and share them with the state's
    business and political decision-makers.
--  Welcome Reception/Exhibit Hall Opening, with welcome by Ron Kitchens,
    CEO, Southwest Michigan First, and entertainment by a WMU student jazz
    trio, plus a visit by WMU's mascot, Buster Bronco.
--  Bio CEO Dinner Forum with panel discussion, "Charting a Course in
    Uncertain Times."
    

Day Two

--  Emerging Technologies Poster Session
--  Welcome by Dr. John M. Dunn, WMU President and CEO, and Hot Bio-
    Innovations Update
--  Expo College Student Program
--  Morning Track Sessions & Afternoon Workshops in R&D, Medical Affairs &
    Markets, Emerging Business and Manufacturing
--  Keynote Address by Dr. Robert Fischell, Chairman and Founder, Svelte
    Medical Systems  "Innovator of the Year" and "Good to Great" Awards
--  Closing Reception
    

Exhibitors

Aragen Bioscience, Inc., a contract research service provider offering custom and routine solutions for the biotech and pharma industry. www.aragenbio.com

Ash Stevens, a premier, full-service contract research/cGMP manufacturing organization that develops, registers and commercially manufactures Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) for clients in the life sciences industry. www.ashstevens.com

Biotechnology Business Consultants provides a broad range of business development services to early stage life science and technology companies. www.bioconsultants.com

Business Review, the source for Michigan business news: local, regional and statewide. Business Review forums and events, the most widely used website in Michigan, and the highest-caliber weekly business reporting in the region put us above the competition. www.mbusinessreview.com

Calibrate, Inc., the original on-site pipette calibration and repair service. Calibrate, Inc. provides calibration, repair and documentation services for all makes and models of pipettes, bottle-top dispensers, and controllers. www.pipetpeople.com

CAS provides databases, including CA/Caplus(SM) and CAS Registry(SM), the world's largest substance database, accessible through services including STN®, STN® AnaVist™, and SciFinder®. ScienceIP® provides searches conducted by CAS subject experts. www.cas.org

Divtech Equipment Co. represents quality instruments in a variety of technologies, including Microfluidics and their high pressure fluid processors, Particle Sizing Systems for their instruments capable of measuring particles, and others. www.divtechequipment.com

Doeren Mayhew's services include: accounting and audit, corporate finance and strategic services, international tax and consulting, IT assurance and security, litigation support and forensic services, payroll services, and tax consulting (including specialized expertise in R&D Tax Credits). www.doeren.com

Drug and Laboratory Disposal is a licensed treatment, storage and disposal facility. DLD offers complete identification, packaging, labeling, manifesting, transportation and disposal of all hazardous and non-hazardous wastes. www.dld-inc.com

Dykema is a Midwest based law firm with national capabilities and 11 offices located in California, Illinois, Michigan, Texas and Washington, D.C. It has developed a specialized biotechnology and life sciences practice composed of attorneys and other professionals from all of our major practice groups. www.dykema.com

e-Zassi.com is the medical device industry's first integrated online business network, decision support software suite and technology marketplace. www.e-zassi.com

Fullscope is one of the largest North American resellers of Process Industries for Microsoft Dynamics AX, a robust ERP system designed specifically to help address the operational, quality and FDA regulation challenges faced by mid-to-large life sciences, pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers. www.fullscope.com/lifescienceserp

Grand River Aseptic Pharmaceutical Packaging is a parenteral contract manufacturer, providing vial filling, finishing, and lyophilization manufacturing of materials, for large, small, and virtual pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies entering into Phase I, II, and III clinical trials. www.grandriverapp.com

Grand Valley State University (GVSU)/West Michigan Science & Technology Initiative (WMSTI) GVSU offers three innovative Professional Science Masters (M.S. in Medical and Bioinformatics, M.S. in Cell & Molecular Biotechnology, and M.S. in Biostatistics) degree programs designed to prepare professionals to work outside academia. www.gvsu.edu/psm

WMSTI brings together the product development tools, resources and community assets an inventor, entrepreneur or small business needs to turn their ideas into a commercial reality. www.wmsti.org

Hylant Life Science Practice Group provides customized insurance products with top insurers for Michigan's life science industry. www.hylant.com. Chubb provides cost-effective risk management and insurance protection tailored to the unique requirements of life sciences companies. www.chubb.com. Monitor Liability Managers provides Director and Officer liability and employment practices liability coverage and is the managing general underwriter for Admiral Insurance and Carolina Casualty Insurance companies. www.monitorliability.com

Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace. www.intertek.com

Jasper Clinical R & D is a contract research organization with 50 plus beds for phase I-IV studies. It provides resource-effective and scientifically sound input into lead assessment, exploratory development, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic data modeling and analyses and clinical pharmacology project planning. www.jasperclinic.com

Kalexsyn, Inc. is a medicinal chemistry contract research organization incorporated in 2003. Kalexsyn occupies a 20,000 square foot, custom-built, state-of-the-art laboratory building in Kalamazoo that includes excellent on-site instrumentation and a semi-preparative chemistry suite. www.kalexsyn.com

KAR Bioanalytical, Inc., develops highly sensitive and robust LC-MS/MS methods to measure the levels of small molecule and protein therapeutics in all types of body fluids and tissues from a variety of species. Various levels of development and qualification are available, from early discovery to GLP validation for IND-enabling and clinical studies. www.karbio.com

Landaal Packaging Systems provides an earth friendly alternative to polystyrene shipping coolers. The Landaal Green-Cell shipping cooler takes 70% less energy to produce, emits 80% less greenhouse gas and can be easily disposed of without concern. www.landaal.com

Marketwire is the only fully integrated North America-based global newswire. It offers innovative products and services -- including Social Media Releases, Search Engine Optimization, newsroom workflow solutions, and more -- that help communication professionals maximize their effectiveness while ensuring accuracy and best practices. www.marketwire.com

Michigan High Throughput Screening Center supports drug discovery research for academic institutions, and biotech and pharmaceutical companies. It enables projects by providing services in assay development and miniaturization and high throughput screening. Collaborators bring targets to us and we implement screens. mhtsc.kvcc.edu

Miller Canfield was the first law firm in Michigan to expand internationally by opening offices in Canada, Mexico, Poland and China. With a global presence, clients and connections around the world, the firm is both where you are -- and where you need to be need to be to meet your goals. www.millercanfield.com

MPI Research focuses on providing comprehensive preclinical and early clinical development research to pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, animal health, and chemical companies. www.mpiresearch.com

Oxford Biomedical Research manufactures reagents for pharmaceutical and academic biomedical research, specializing in Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Antioxidant Mechanisms, and offering an extensive line of biomarker assay kits including Isoprostane, Lipid Peroxidation, Total Antioxidant Power and Glutathione. www.oxfordbiomed.com

Penn Pharma is a leading provider of fully integrated and cost effective pharmaceutical development and custom manufacturing services to the international healthcare industry, whose services support a fast and effective route from clinic to market. www.pennpharm.com

Performance Validation's primary service is focused on the development and execution of testing documentation to provide evidence of the qualification of facilities, utilities, production equipment, process equipment, packaging equipment, computerized systems, laboratory systems, and overall operations. www.perfval.com

Pfizer is the world's largest research-based biomedical and pharmaceutical company. In 2007, Pfizer earned $48.4 billion in revenues and invested $8.1 billion in research and development. www.pfizer.com

PharmOptima's consulting and laboratory services include in vivo ADME; bioanalytical assays, pharmacokinetic studies, PK/PD analyses, brain uptake, ocular PK, GLP sample analysis; in vitro ADME; microsomal and cellular metabolic profiling, isozyme characterization, p450 inhibition, protein binding, and proof of concept testing to confirm drug delivery, efficacy, and tolerance. www.pharmoptima.com

Plas-Labs manufactures isolation and containment equipment for laboratory and life science research, and has equipped researchers worldwide with glove boxes, anaerobic chambers, nitrogen dry boxes, hypoxia chambers, desiccators, analytical balance chambers and animal research and animal care equipment. www.plas-labs.com

Plex Systems is an on-demand ERP service for the life sciences industry delivering robust traceability, quality management, supplier visibility and production tracking to help meet regulations. www.plex.com

Prima Communications serves life science, manufacturing, and related industries, improving processes with deliverables including lean documentation, graphic SOPs, validation packages, training, and complete project support. www.primacommunications.com

ProPharma Group is a national company serving the validation, compliance and technical services needs of clients in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. www.propharmagroup.com

Quality Air Service Inc. is a sales & service company that specializes in providing air filtration products, laboratory fume hood control systems, exhaust systems, & pressurization controls for critical airflow certifications & validations including bio-safety cabinets, clean air stations & fume hoods. www.qairservice.com

Safis Solutions is a regulatory compliance consulting company serving pharmaceutical, medical device, diagnostic, and biotech companies globally. Areas of expertise include regulatory approval, quality systems, auditing, validation and IT services. www.safis-solutions.com

Science Direct is part of Elsevier, a world-leading publisher of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. Elsevier publishes more than 2,000 peer-reviewed journals and 10,000 ebooks, plus innovative electronic products, bibliographic databases, and online reference works. www.elsevier.com

SMG Promotional Products: Full-service promotional products. www.smgusa.com

Staubli Corporation is a world-wide supplier of connectors for applications in all industrial sectors, R&D, laboratories and universities, for an easy connection to all plumbing services such as circuits of gas, air, vacuum, nitrogen, etc. www.staubli.com

The Right Place, Inc. is West Michigan's leading economic development organization with resources ranging from tax incentives and business networking to supply chain connections and site selection assistance. www.rightplace.org

Trialon Corporation assists companies with their technical staffing needs. Trialon provides people throughout North America in many technical fields including Automotive, Aerospace, Biotechnology, Consumer Product, Pharmaceutical, Oil & Gas, and Telematic Industries. www.trialon.com

Velesco Pharmaceutical Services provides analytical method development/validation, drug formulation, stability testing, consulting services, and GMP clinical materials to pharmaceutical companies. www.velescopharma.com

VWR is a leader in the global research laboratory industry with worldwide sales of $3.0 billion. VWR offers more than 1,000,000 products, from more than 5,000 manufacturers, to over 250,000 customers globally. www.vwr.com

W. Soule & Company has 64 years of fabrication, construction, and maintenance experience with an extensive pharmaceutical background. Its expertise includes: high purity piping, utility infrastructure and piping, ASME vessel fabrication and repair, clean room construction, and specialty lab gases and equipment installation. www.wsoule.com

WDP/MOL-SON provides product design, injection mold design, injection mold building, manufacturing and high speed automated assembly for the close tolerance injection molding industry. www.mol-son.com and www.westerndp.com

Western Michigan University Business Technology and Research Park (BTR) and the WMU Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center (BRCC). BTR is home to more than 30 high-tech companies as well as the Southwest Michigan Innovation Center, an incubator that has launched more than two dozen life science start-ups. The BRCC is a commercially focused, science-driven, translational research center dedicated to growing the life science business sector in Michigan. www.wmich.edu

Emerging Company Exhibitors:

AI Medical, a medical device company that has developed the Video RIFL (Rigid and Flexing Laryngoscope), which improves the medical outcomes of the intubation procedure when compared to current state-of-the-art intubation equipment.

Bauer Biomedical has developed the Bauer Method for the earlier accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer from the gene expression patterns of a small sample of peripheral vein blood.

Bio-Nano Power, LLC, is a bio-nanotechnology company focused on commercializing bio-nano power cell products that generate power from biological energy sources. BNP is developing products to generate electricity from glycerol.

Biotectix, a leading innovator in the development of conducting polymer-based biomaterials that improve performance and safety of implantable medical devices, enable new capabilities on existing devices, and are the catalyst for the next generation of medical devices.

CytoPherx is a clinical stage medical device company whose principal technology consists of medical devices utilizing commercially available dialyzer cartridges in specific configurations along with a widely used regional anticoagulant to treat several large unmet medical and economic needs.

DataSpeaks, Inc. is a software and information services company founded to capitalize on the intellectual property and know-how of its founder who has post-doctoral training in mental health statistics, medical school faculty experience, and pharmaceutical industry experience.

In the Groove has as its first product a knee orthosis/brace that allowed the founder to walk without a total knee replacement, which was recommended following failed arthroscopy. It is designed to do a modified physical therapy exercise when worn during weight-bearing activity.

Life Magnetics has developed a low cost, simple technology that will revolutionize bacterial drug susceptibility and identification testing. This proprietary system can provide clinical results in hours instead of days, dramatically impacting patient outcome and lowering healthcare costs.

Poly BioInformatics was founded to develop innovative products, based on advanced computational algorithms and software tools, for building and sharing databases of small molecules built from the information that is currently buried in thousands of published scientific research articles and patents.

SciTech Development was founded in 2001 as a spin off from the Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) and Wayne State University to leverage KCI's applied research in oncology drug development and specifically to solve a delivery problem with a promising anticancer agent, fenretinide, under clinical study at KCI

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Contact: Jayne Berkaw Director, Marketing/Communications 734-527-9147 Email Contact