Contact: Mary Anderson, 240-777-6534 or
Scott Sloat, 240-777-2015

For Immediate Release: June 10, 2002

Duncan Leads County/State Contingent to
Biotechnology Event in Toronto

Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan traveled to Toronto today to attend BIO 2002, the biotechnology industry's largest trade show. Duncan will join nearly four dozen biotechnology companies and organizations from around the state.

While at the trade show, Duncan will attend meetings with industry leaders and local biotech companies, tour the exhibit floor, meet with companies considering locating in the county and promote next year's trade show that will be held in Washington, DC.

"The biotech industry is an important industry sector in Montgomery County, accounting for more than 30,000 public and private sector jobs," said Duncan. "As the industry continues to grow, it will attract companies from other technology industries, draw academic institutions and create demand for support services. In short, it means even more jobs, increased educational opportunities and a more diverse and resilient economy for our residents."

Forty-two organizations from around the state, the majority from Montgomery County, will participate in the Maryland corridor on the exhibit floor. The Maryland delegation is among the largest of any state and is bigger than many international delegations as well, reflecting the size of the state's biotechnology industry.

"There are more than 300 biotechnology companies located throughout Maryland, and about two-thirds of those are located in Montgomery County, which makes us the third-largest concentration of biotech companies in the nation," said Duncan.

The tradeshow provides an opportunity to discuss the latest industry developments with biotech representatives from around the world and educate them about the advantages of establishing operations in Montgomery County. Increasing numbers of international biotechs have established operations in the county; including Qiagen of Germany, Shire of Great Britain, Exon-Hit of France and Otsuka Pharmaceuticals of Japan.

While meeting with companies from around the state, Duncan will encourage them to use this event as a way to begin to work together to promote the entire state, including laying the groundwork for BIO 2003.

"I have long argued that it is in everyone's best interest, including Montgomery County's, to work across boundaries to grow the biotech industry throughout the state of Maryland," said Duncan. "Biotech is an extremely diverse industry and no one county can possibly meet all its needs. However, by combining our individual strengths, our region can provide everything the industry needs now and in the future.

The Maryland organizations scheduled to be part of the Maryland Corridor on the exhibition floor include:

American Red Cross
Biocon
BioReliance
BioScience Alliance
Brightline Media
Baltimore Development Corporation
Chesapeake Biological Labs
EntreMed
ExonHit Therapeutics, Inc.
Frederick County Office of Economic Development
Gene Logic
GenVec, Inc.
Greater Rockville Partnership
Heller Ehrman
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
Johns Hopkins University - School of Medicine
Maryland Technology Development Center
Invenia Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Synergy America
Gene Systems
Intronn
McKesson BioScience, Inc.
Medifacts International
Meridian Medical Technologies, Inc.
Metrigenix
Montgomery County Department of Economic Development
Montgomery College
National Institutes of Health, Office of Technology Transfer
National Cancer Institute, Technology Transfer Branch
National Institute of Standards & Technology
Novavax, Inc.
OriGene Technologies, Inc.
Sheer Partners Biotech Services Group
Specs and BioSPECS
State of Maryland Department of Business & Economic Development
Allegany County Dept. of Economic Development
Allegheny Power
The Staubach Company
TherImmune Research Corporation
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Office of Technology Transfer
Univ of MD Biotechnology Institute
Venable LLP