TAMPA, Fla.--( BUSINESS WIRE)--With Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn providing the official proclamation that Oct. 23-29 is “Bioscience Week” in Tampa Bay and Gov. Rick Scott announcing via video that it was “Bioscience Week” in the state, the momentum and energy associated with Florida’s burgeoning bioscience industry was very much on display at the 14^th Annual BioFlorida Conference. More than 550 investors, scientists and other industry professionals attended the three-day event held Oct. 23-25 at the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina in Tampa, Fla., setting a record for conference attendance.

“The enthusiasm and commitment that was evident at this year’s conference demonstrates that the bioscience industry is poised to expand rapidly when our economy improves,” said Tom McLain, CEO of Claro Scientific, BioFlorida board member, chair of this year’s conference and co-chair of the Tampa Bay Chapter. “Florida has experienced a 26 percent increase in the number of bioscience companies since 2008 while other major bioscience clusters have seen declines during the same period. The ideas, networking and strategic partnering opportunities generated at this conference are invaluable in ensuring that Florida and Tampa Bay continue to see that kind of growth and attract top companies, research institutions and scientists in the future.”

The conference, co-chaired by Tom McLain, Karen Holbrook, PhD, Sr. Vice President of Research, Innovation and Global Affairs at the University of South Florida (USF) and William Dalton, MD, PhD, President and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, kicked off with a Welcome & Public Officials Reception held Sunday, Oct. 23, at USF Research Park Galleria. A number of public officials from Washington, Tallahassee and Tampa Bay committed to attend the reception, including Mayor Buckhorn, and Florida State Reps. Jim Frishe (R-Belleaire Bluffs), Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg), Dennis Baxley (R-Ocala), Kelli Stargel (R–Lakeland), Janet Cruz (R-Tampa), Geraldine Thompson (R-Orlando), and Dorothy Hukill (R-Port Orange). Attendees also went on a tour of the facility including USF’s Center for Drug Discovery and Innovation and Global Health Infectious Disease Research Laboratories, as well as Draper Laboratory.

At an opening breakfast the following morning, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor lauded the selection of Tampa as the site of this year’s conference, calling the Tampa Bay area an example of Florida becoming a "health innovation capital" and noting that it is on the fast track to outpace other research and technology hubs such as Raleigh-Durham, NC, La Jolla, Calif., and Bethesda, MD.

“In times of economic distress, government support for scientific research is oftentimes criticized,” Castor said. “However, we must invest in a sustainable economy. So it is important that everyone reach out to their representatives to help ensure that funding is not cut for bioscience research and development.”

Organized into four session tracks, BioBusiness, BioInvesting, BioScience and BioPartnering, the conference afforded attendees ample opportunity to network and learn about the latest industry developments from leaders in their respective fields. At the kickoff session for the BioInvesting and BioPartnering tracks, Goldman Sachs equity analyst Isaac Ro provided insights into what he predicts will be the future for funding, licensing and M&A transactions. The bottom line is that investors are looking for companies that can grow, Ro noted, adding that the three most exciting attributes for investors are efficiency, innovation and globalization. Also as part of the BioInvesting track, 12 small, mid and late-stage companies had an opportunity to make presentations to an audience of investors. In the BioPartnering track, a mix of companies, research institutes and universities presented 18 of Florida’s best technology and product licensing opportunities to business development executives from major pharmaceutical and medical device companies.

Meanwhile, Alzheimer’s, diabetes and emerging diseases were among the topics on the agenda for the BioScience track, which was organized for the second year by the Florida Center for Universal Research to Eradicate Disease (FL CURED). A session moderated by Nicole Johnson, executive director of Bringing Science Home at USF Health, explored the findings from recent clinical trials and examined how some of the work being done in Florida is among the most innovative in the world when it comes to prevention and treatment of this deadly disease.

One of the highlights from the BioBusiness track was a spirited and informative debate on patent reform and other recent developments in intellectual property law and policy. Tom Dilenge, general counsel for BIO, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, headquartered in Washington, DC, noted that an "explosion" of patent filings since the 1980s has led to a backlog of more than 700,000 pending applications, while Janelle Waack of Novak Druce + Quigg walked session attendees through a new federal law that will go into effect March 16, 2013. In light of this timeline, companies should file for patents ASAP, Waack said, adding that she is currently counseling clients to file multiple provisions through the invention process.

Session tracks were complemented by talks on advancing the biotechnology, medical device and diagnostics industries by nationally recognized keynote speakers, including BIO president James Greenwood; Dr. Walter Moos, vice president of the Biosciences Division at SRI International; and Dr. William Nelson, director of Johns Hopkins’ Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. A series of “Unplugged” sessions featured candid exchanges with executives from several of Florida’s bioscience and medical device companies and research institutes.

The BioFlorida Institute organized a bioscience Career Forum, Connecting Industry to Florida’s Talent, held on Sunday, Oct. 23. This event featured company, academic and research institute information tables and provided opportunities for doctoral and postdoctoral candidates to network with bioscience sector employers. Dr. Richard Synder, director of the University of Florida's Center of Excellence for Regenerative Health Biotechnology and chair of the BioFlorida Institute’s Education Committee, said this first-ever state-wide forum was a great way for groups representing industry, education and talent to share the hurdles they experienced with salary, job requirements and attracting talent to the area.

Other conference highlights included a “State-of-the-Industry” report moderated by BioFlorida President and CEO Russell Allen. During the lively panel discussion, life science analyst Dr. Michael Schmitt, editor of Florida BioDatabase, said that despite challenges the industry is flourishing. He reported that there are 171 biotech companies in the state, up 26 percent since 2008, and about 25 percent of them are in the Tampa Bay area.

Several awards were also given out during the conference. State Senator and Senate President-Designate Don Gaetz (R-Destin) was honored with the James E. King Legislator of the Year Award, which is given to a legislator who has introduced, sponsored or endorsed significant legislation that has directly impacted the state’s life sciences sector. VaxDesign, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sanofi Pasteur that designs, develops and manufactures in vitro models of the human immune system, received the David J. Gury Company of the Year Award. And Sue Washer, president and CEO of Applied Genetic Technologies Corporation (AGTC) received the Weaver H. Gaines Leadership Award.

“I’ve had a front row seat for many years to watch Sue’s proactive efforts on behalf of our regional industry, as well as assisting other startups with introductions and mentoring,” said Patti Breedlove, associate director, Sid Martin Biotechnology Incubator, University of Florida. “She’s generous with her time, energy, expertise and leadership skills.”

At the close of the conference, former Sen. George LeMieux observed that he had heard more good news coming out of this conference than he'd heard around the state all year. “The bioscience industry is a crucial component in a forward-thinking economic plan and pattern that will make Florida resilient to future recessions and create more jobs,” LeMieux said. “In the future, we will become a global destination for world-class, personalized, science-driven health care.”