Two Colorado Companies to Present at Midwest’s Largest Biotech and Medical Device Event

Denver, CO, August 15, 2005 --(PR.com)-- The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has selected two private companies from Colorado to present at the BIO Mid-America VentureForum --- Longmont-based MicroPhage Incorporated and Aurora-based Thinc Pharmaceuticals. The announcement is made by Denise Brown, Executive Director of Colorado BioScience Association (CBSA) who says these companies will join other promising early- to late-stage companies from across the country in presenting business plans to a national audience of venture capitalists and other potential investors. The conference takes place at the Minneapolis Hilton, September 21-23.

* MicroPhage Incorporated is an in-vitro diagnostic company developing rapid, easy to use, sensitive and specific bacterial identification systems for the detection and qualification of pathogenic bacteria. 

* Thinc Pharmaceuticals is focused on the development of novel advanced therapeutics in the fields of hematology/metal chelation, gastro-intestinal disorders, and oncology. 

“These two companies are testament to Colorado’s growing contribution to the life sciences,” Brown explains, “As attendance at the BIO Mid-America VentureForum continues to climb each year, it is clear that investors from across the U.S. are taking notice of the excellent investment opportunities available in Colorado and across the Midwest.”

Now in its third year, the BIO Mid-America VentureForum is the Midwest’s largest event joining private biotech and medical device companies in need of funding with venture capitalists, angel investors, and investment bankers from across the U.S. and Canada. The event is co-sponsored by Medical Alley/MNBIO and eight state biotech associations: CBSA, the Illinois Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Indiana Health Industry Forum, the Iowa Biotechnology Association, MichBio (Michigan), the Missouri Biotechnology Association, Omeris (Ohio), and the Wisconsin Biotechnology Association. 

Each year, an advisory board of venture capitalists from leading Midwest and East and West Coast firms evaluates the large pool of applications. A current list of the advisory board’s selected companies is available on the BIO Mid-America VentureForum website at http://www.bma.bio.org. There are open presentation slots remaining and the advisory board continues to review additional applicants. Private companies interested in presenting may still apply at http://bma.bio.org/opencms/bma/2005/presenting.

In addition to the VentureForum, BIO is also offering a CEO boot camp, “Effectively Reaching Out to Investors”, in Denver on September 7, 2005. Companies that are presenting at BIO’s investor conferences are encouraged to participate at no charge, but other biotech executives can also attend these day-long workshops for a fee of $295. Find more details at http://bma.bio.org/opencms/bma/2005/presenting/bootcamp.jsp

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. Complete information is available at http://www.bio.org.

CBSA, a not-for-profit corporation representing more than 300 member organizations, provides services and support for Colorado’s growing biosciences industry. Complete information is available at:
http://www.cobioscience.com 

Contacts:

Holly El Jammal, CBSA, (303) 592-4073

Mac McNeer, Ashton Partners, (312) 553-6742

###