Media invitation - The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal presents a
Strategic Forum on the future of the biopharmaceutical industry

A priority sector for Quebec

MONTREAL, April 14 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, is pleased to invite media representatives to the Strategic Forum on the Quebec biopharmaceutical industry, on Friday, April 16, 2010, at 7 a.m.

The biopharmaceutical industry is a major economic focal point for Montréal. This very high value added sector's activities have a powerful economic impact on the city. Despite the challenges it has faced in recent years, this industry offers many very promising business opportunities. The Forum will bring together experts in the field and influential business people to reflect on this priority sector for Quebec.

The speakers :

    
    The Quebec-Ontario biopharma corridor
    Michel Audet, former Minister of Economic Development and former Finance
    Minister

    Giving new momentum to venture capital
    Jacques Bernier, Manager, Teralys Capital Fund

    Drug discovery in the university milieu: A new model of partnership with
    the biopharmaceutical industry
    Michel Bouvier, Principal Researcher and Deputy Director, Institute for
    Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal

    A portrait of the general state of the life sciences sector
    Daniel Denis, Partner, SECOR

    Innovative partnerships in biopharmaceutical research
    Max Fehlmann, President and CEO, Québec Consortium for Drug Discovery

    The optimum use of medication
    Yola Moride, Associate Professor, Université de Montréal

    Clinical research: A world of opportunities to seize in an industry
    without borders
    Janice E. Parente, President and Managing Director, ethica Clinical
    Research

    International competition, global issues
    Michelle Savoie, General Manager, Montréal InVivo

    The fundamental role of university research
    Vassilios Papadopoulos, Director of the Research Institute and Associate
    Executive Director for Research, McGill University Health Centre

    Are our biotechs condemned to be victims of financial strangulation?
    Yves Rosconi, President and CEO, Theratechnologies, and Chairman of the
    Board, BioQuébec

    Access to Quebec: How to do better
    Russell Williams, President, Canada's Research-Based Pharmaceutical
    Companies (Rx&D)

    Morning program: www.btmm.qc.ca/biopharmaceutical_programme

    Date:   Friday, April 16, 2010

    Time:   From 7 a.m. to noon

    Where:  Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
            Grand Salon
            900 René-Lévesque Blvd. West
            Montréal
    

The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its primary mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montréal and to provide individuals, merchants, and businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is Quebec's leading private economic development organization.

For further information: RSVP: Sylvie Paquette, Coordinator, Media relations, [phone], ext. 4015, [email protected]