SUZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Second Annual ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum 2010, held June 23-24 in Suzhou, China, generated a very successful round of meetings, according to co-organizers ChinaBio^® LLC and EBD Group. This year’s Partnering Forum was host to 337 companies from 23 countries. At least 654 one-to-one meetings were held between the 558 attendees.

The event was hosted by BioBay life science park, said to be the fastest growing life science park in China. BioBay also provided the venue: the Cold Spring Harbor Asia Conference Center, located next to BioBay in Suzhou Industrial Park.

ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum was created to bring early-stage China companies seeking partnerships together with more well-established pharma and biotech companies from Europe, the U.S. and elsewhere. The event was attended by representatives from life science companies, venture capital, academia and service organizations from China and around the world that were seeking new technologies or co-development opportunities.

“With over 200 attendees from outside China, the ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum is now one of the most international conferences focused on life science in China,” explained Greg Scott, CEO and founder of ChinaBio^® LLC. “Our second Partnering Forum in China built upon the success of the first, bringing more people from a wider variety of countries and companies.”

“We were very pleased by the high level of participation in the conference,” added Carola Schropp, CEO and founder of EBD Group. “With over 2,000 meeting requests resulting in 654 one-to-one meetings, it’s apparent that our Chinese participants are quickly learning to take advantage of our partneringONE^® system.”

Partnering has become a significant component of China’s explosive biopharma industry. The number of partnering deals grew by 41% in 2009, with co-development deals the fastest growing segment, according to data from ChinaBio Consulting. The rapid increase has been driven by China’s robust pipeline of over 2,000 novel molecules, nearly 200 of which are in clinical development.

A total of 36 biotech companies and entrepreneurs presented their products, technologies and corporate strategies. Big pharma, along with other companies seeking technologies and partners, discussed their areas of research and product development.

The Third Annual ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum, already in planning, will be held in Beijing next year. More information about both this year’s and next year’s events are available at www.ebdgroup.com/cbpf.

About ChinaBio^® LLC

Since its founding in January, 2007, ChinaBio^® LLC has rapidly launched a number of successful initiatives connecting China biotech with the world. With offices in Shanghai, Silicon Valley and San Diego, ChinaBio’s activities include:

• Conferences: Organizer of the premier life science investment and partnering conferences in China, ChinaBio has helped early stage China companies raise over $350 million US to date.
• Consulting: Assists global life science companies, entrepreneurs and investors understand the China life science market, create a China strategy, and identify novel technologies and strategic partners.
• Information: In-depth market intelligence and databases on novel technology development, clinical trials, and investment and partnering activity in China.
• ChinaBio^® Today: Publishing online and email newsletters focusing exclusively on China’s life science industry.

More information is available at www.chinabiollc.com.

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global life science industry. Since 1993, biotech, pharma and medical device companies have leveraged EBD Group’s partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships essential to their success.

EBD Group’s conferences are run with the support of leading corporations and international trade associations and include:

• BIO-Europe and BIO-Europe Spring^®, the world's largest stand-alone life science partnering conferences, supported by the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
• BioPharm America™, EBD Group’s North American partnering event
• EuroMedtech™, EBD Group’s new partnering event for the innovative medical technology industry
• BioEquity Europe, the investor conference co-organized with BioCentury Publications and BIO
• ChinaBio^® Partnering Forum, the first dedicated biotech/pharma partnering conference in China co-produced with ChinaBio LLC.

EBD Group’s sophisticated web-based partnering service, partneringONE^®, is used as the partnering engine at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group’s consultants provide hands-on assistance for firms seeking to in- or out-license products and technologies.

EBD Group has offices in the USA and Europe.

For more information please visit www.ebdgroup.com.

ChinaBio^® LLC
Tom Wu
USA: +1 858 926 4566
China: +86 21 5137 0751
twu@chinabiollc.com
or
EBD Group
Constantine Theodoropulos
USA: +1 617 292 7319
ctheodoropulos@ebdgroup.com