ChinaBio® Accelerator and the EBD Group will host the ChinaBio® Partnering Forum in Shanghai on June 23-24, 2009. This will be the first life science partnering conference to be held in China. The event will bring together developers of early stage technology in greater China with global pharma and biotech companies to explore licensing and collaboration opportunities.

The event will assemble over 400 attendees from around the world. Companies, universities, institutes and organizations from throughout China will have the opportunity to present their stories to companies seeking partnership deals. On the other side, most of the major pharma and biotech companies from the US and Europe are expected to attend, as well as many of China’s own biopharma and biotech companies, contract research organizations (CROs), venture capitalists, and others interested in licensing or commercializing novel technologies.

Partnering has become a major source of funding for early to mid-stage life science companies in China. VC investment in biotech and life science companies may have fallen from its highest levels, but big pharma and biotech continue to fund novel, early stage technologies. Pfizer (NYSE: PFE), Roche (NSDQ: RHHBY), Merck (NYSE: MRK) and others have established licensing and partnering offices in Shanghai specifically to seek out these opportunities. Pfizer and Lilly (NYSE: LLY) also recently invested in HD Biosciences (see story).

There is also a robust pipeline of technologies available in China. According to data developed by ChinaBio® Research, over 1,800 novel molecules have been patented in China, 84 are in clinical trials, and 27 new products have launched in just the last five years. Plus the number of partnering deals with China life science companies, universities and institutes increased 37% in 2008, and the number of M&A deals nearly doubled.

These factors make it a good time to launch a partnering event in China. “We are very excited to be collaborating with EBD Group, whose expertise in facilitating partnerships is unparalleled,” said Greg Scott, President and Founder of ChinaBio® LLC. “Combining EBD Group’s successful partnering platform and their international biotech and pharma network with ChinaBio’s deep network and understanding of China’s biotech and pharma industry, will enable the ChinaBio Partnering Forum to establish itself as the premier partnering event in China,” he added.

“China is becoming a priority for international bio-pharmaceutical companies. As a current and future source of discovery breakthroughs and medical innovations, China life science firms and universities must be engaged,” said Carola Schropp, President of EBD Group. “The ChinaBio Partnering Forum is a unique event designed to facilitate partnerships between Chinese biotechs and service providers and the international bio-pharma value chain.”

The two-day forum will offer a variety of venues for partnership opportunities including: 1. One-on-one meetings: all attendees will be able to request one-on-one meetings with companies seeking partnerships using EBD’s well respected partneringONE™ online system; 2. Technology presentations: entrepreneurs and researchers will present their technologies to attendees in 15 minute sessions; 3. Company presentations: big pharma, CROs and other companies seeking technologies will present their areas of interest and approach to partnership; and 4. Exhibits and poster sessions: companies and scientists will be available at exhibit booths and poster sessions displaying information on their technologies and services.

The ChinaBio® Partnering Forum will be the second major event for ChinaBio® this year. The first event, the ChinaBio® Investor Forum 2009 – Hong Kong, will be held this week on March 19-20 in the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park (www.CBIF2009-HK.com). EBD is also organizing the BIO-Europe Spring partnering conference in Milan, Italy, this week, which is said to be breaking attendance records (www.ebdgroup.com/bes).

A discounted early bird registration rate for the ChinaBio® Partnering Forum is available until May 15. Companies and researchers may apply to present until April 30.

More information about the ChinaBio® Partnering Forum 2009, including registration, sponsorship and presentation information, is available in English at www.ebdgroup.com/cbpf, and in Chinese at www.CBPF2009.com.