Medical Device Link.

FINANCE

In recent years, life sciences companies have received no shortage of attention from the investment community. In the first quarter of 2007, venture capital investing in medical devices skyrocketed to an all-time high, with $1.08 billion going into 96 deals, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers–National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree Report (based on data by Thomson Financial). The figure represents a 60% increase in dollars over the fourth quarter of 2006. In addition, biotechnology unseated software as the single largest industry sector in terms of investment. During the first quarter, $1.5 billion went into 102 biotechnology deals. Combined, biotechnology and medical device ventures accounted for 36% of the quarter’s dollars, an all-time high.

Keynote Presentation Information

Wednesday, October 3 2:00–2:30 p.m.

J. Leighton Read, MD General Partner Alloy Ventures

Despite such impressive figures, not all life sciences entrepreneurs are able to attract the level of funding needed to bring their ideas to fruition. In this keynote presentation, J. Leighton Read, MD, will discuss the current climate for life sciences funding and the impact of industry convergence on healthcare investment.

Read joined Alloy Ventures as a general partner in October 2001, after 14 years as a biotechnology entrepreneur and investor. Read cofounded Affymax NV under the direction of Alejandro Zaffaroni, PhD. He also founded Aviron, a biopharmaceutical company focused on vaccines for infectious disease. He served as chairman and CEO of Aviron until 1999 and director until its acquisition by MedImmune in 2002. Read was also a partner in Interhealth Ltd., an investment partnership.