Executives from Biopharma, Diagnostics and Other Industries to Discuss Commercialization and Adoption of Personalized Medicine at 3rd Annual Personalized Medicine Partnerships Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) February 16, 2011 -- Arrowhead Publishers and Conferences will be hosting the 3rd Annual Personalized Medicine Partnerships Conference in Washington, DC on April 11-12, 2011. This conference will shed light on issues of paramount importance to the future of personalized medicine, including the importance of Rx-Dx partnerships, clinical utility/validation, adoption and the commercial realities of personalized medicine in the global healthcare marketplace.

Personalized medicine has the potential to revolutionize medical care by utilizing an improved understanding of genetics and molecular biology to allow for better diagnostic tests, more precise diagnoses, greater predictability of disease course, and improved patient safety by selecting not only the right drug for a patient but also the proper dosage to reduce adverse effects. However, there are a plethora of issues that need to be resolved in order for personalized medicine to make a significant clinical and market impact. This conference is bringing together executives from the biopharmaceutical and diagnostics industry, as well as leaders from pharmacy and genetic benefits management, expert consultants and regulatory experts to discuss just how the genomic revolution is taking shape.

Genetic benefit management is set to play an increasingly prominent role in the field of personalized medicine. Troyen Brennan, Exec. VP & CMO, CVS Caremark and Rick Schatzberg, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Generation Health will discuss how their companies' new strategic partnership will expand pharmacogenomic clinical and testing services for CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) clients to improve patient care.

John O'Connor, Executive Director, Technology Licensing with Amgen, Andrea Lauber, Head, Transactions for Clinical Biomarkers with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Yves Dubaquie, Director, Business Development & Licensing with Novartis Molecular Diagnostics will outline their respective companies' criteria for diagnostics partner selection, highlight key drivers for successful commercialization and discuss challenges that lie ahead in companion diagnostics development.

Oncotype Dx represents a groundbreaking application of molecular diagnostics to deliver personalized medicine. Kathy Hibbs, Sr. VP, General Counsel, Genomic Health will discuss how the development and commercialization of Oncotype Dx has informed eforts to commercialize the next generation of molecular diagnostic products. She will explain why she believes pharma-diagnostic partnerships are not just needed, but essential in the marketplace for personalized medicine and what the major influencers of the companion diagnostics market will be moving forward.

Speaking at this conference will be:

*Keith F. Batchelder, MD, CEO and Founder, Genomic Healthcare Strategies
*John Beeler, Ph.D., Director, Theranostics and Business Development, Biomerieux
*Troyen A. Brennan, M.D., M.P.H., Executive Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, CVS Caremark Corporation
*Pierre Cassigneul, President, CEO, XDx
*Patricia Deverka, M.D., Senior Research Director, Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP), Research Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

*Yves Dubaquie, Ph.D., Director, Business Development & Licensing, Novartis Molecular Diagnostics
*Kathy Hibbs, Senior Vice President, General Counsel, Genomic Health
*Peter Keeling, Chief Executive Officer, Diaceutics
*Andrea Lauber, Ph.D., Head, Transactions for Clinical Biomarkers and Pharmacodiagnostics, Bristol-Myers Squibb
*Gabriela Lavezzari, Ph.D., Senior Manager, Extramural R&D, Medco
*Elizabeth Mansfield, Ph.D., Director, Personalized Medicine, Office of In Vitro Diagnostics, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, FDA
*John O'Connor, Executive Director, Technnology Licensing, Amgen

*Margaret Piper, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director, Genomics Resources, The Technology Evaluation Center (TEC), Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
*Charlie Raffin, Consulting Partner, CJR Advisors, LLC, former Vice President Commercial Assessment, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
*Debra Rasmussen, RAC, MBA, Worldwide Executive Director, Regulatory Affairs, Companion Diagnostics Center of Excellence, Johnson & Johnson
*Mollie Roth, Esq., Chief Operating Officer, Diaceutics
*Rick Schatzberg, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Generation Health
*Michael Sloan, VP Business Development, Almac Diagnostics
*Scott Taylor, RPh, MBA, Executive Director, Industry Relations, Geisinger Health System

*Patrick Terry, Principal, Pricing & Market Access Group, Scientia Advisors LLC
*Richard Watts, Director of Business Development for Companion Diagnostic Partnerships, QIAGEN

For more information about the agenda, please visit www.personalizedmedicinepartnerships.com.

Phone: 1-312-244-3703
Email: enquiries@personalizedmedicinepartnerships.com

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