First annual Translational Regenerative Medicine Forum to be held in Winston-Salem

The Regenerative Medicine Foundation today announced the first annual Translational Regenerative Medicine Forum to be held April 6-8, 2010 at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem.

The forum seeks to advance the field of regenerative medicine and health care innovation through the sharing of scientific discoveries, clinical and corporate best practices and business models. Reflecting the global scope of regenerative medicine, the meeting will feature keynote speakers and panelists providing a domestic and international perspective, including critical areas such as clinical advances, trial design, venture funding and obtaining regulatory approval.

"The Translational Regenerative Medicine Forum is designed to be the premiere international event for leaders in regenerative medicine translation, representing academic and clinical research, health care policy, venture investment and biotechnology industry interests," said Anthony Atala, M.D., director, Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and a forum speaker. "The body's natural capacity for healing has been known for generations, and the field of regenerative medicine exists to harness this natural healing process. It takes a collaborative approach to address the challenges of delivering regenerative medicine therapies to patients in a timely and cost-effective manner, and it is our expectation that this forum will bring together all the elements and fulfill the promise of the research."

Keynote speakers and plenary panelists include Steven Bauer, Ph.D., chief of the Cell and Tissue Therapy Branch, FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research; Richard Caruso, Ph.D., founder and chairman of the board, Integra; Juan Enriquez, managing director, Excel Venture Management; Robert Klein, chairman, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine; Robert Lanza, M.D., chief scientific officer, Advanced Cell Technology; Lesa Mitchell, vice president, Kauffman Foundation; Sherrill Neff, founding partner, Quaker BioVentures; and Teruo Okano, Ph.D., professor and director of the Institute of Advanced Biomedical Engineering and Science, Tokyo Women's Medical University.

Also, Buddy Ratner, Ph.D., professor of bioengineering and chemical engineering, University of Washington; and Camillo Ricordi, M.D., Diabetes Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, M.D., Ph.D., surgeon general/commander, U.S. Army Medical Command; Andrew von Eschenbach, M.D., former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner who is now senior advisor with Greenleaf Health and the Center for Health Transformation; John Walker, CEO, iPierian; and Jay Watkins, managing director, DeNovo Ventures.

Translational Forum attendees will include executives from biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device, and regenerative medicine companies, patient advocacy groups and medical research foundations as well as institutional investors from private equity and venture capital firms. The forum will also be beneficial for academic researchers, clinical researchers and physicians, and those interested in health care innovation and personalized medicine.

To foster interaction between investors and entrepreneurs, the forum will showcase 15 regenerative medicine companies presenting in front of an audience of venture capitalists and corporate venture executives. A full-day media academy precedes the forum, in order to educate reporters and editors on the basics of regenerative medicine (stem cells sources, technologies, biomaterials) and pathways to deliver new therapies to patients.