BIO-Europe Spring(TM) Launches in Milan: Business Leaders, International Biotech Industry and Italian Government Welcome New Springtime Biotech Partnering Conference.

MILAN, Italy -- At a press conference held today at the Palazzo Marino (Sala Alessi), leaders from the Italian government, the city of Milan (with the Mayor, Miss Letizia Moratti) and luminaries from both the Italian and global biotechnology industry officially inaugurated BIO-Europe Spring. Held at the Milano Convention Center (MIC), March 5-7, 2007, BIO-Europe Spring will be the preeminent springtime partnering conference for the biotechnology industry as well as a valued counterpart to BIO-Europe, the world's largest standalone biotechnology partnering conference.

"We are excited that the EBD Group has chosen Milan as the venue to unveil its latest biotech partnering conference, BIO-Europe Spring. When leaders of the global biotech industry gather here in March they will discover a city and region poised to become a leading center for scientific knowledge and discovery, adding to Milan's well-known reputation as the center of the design and fashion world," said Alessandro Sidoli, Chief Operating Officer of Axxam and Vice President of Assobiotec, the Italian Bioindustry Association, that organizes the event in partnership with EBD.

Strategic partnering is becoming an increasingly important element for companies operating in the biotechnology industry. In this highly competitive and rapidly globalizing industry, successful partnering strategies help companies gain access to new markets, funding, and identify new intellectual property for in-licensing. BIO-Europe Spring and its sister conference, BIO-Europe, use EBD Group's proprietary state-of-the-art web-based partnering software platform that enables firms from every part of the biotechnology value-chain to quickly identify, engage and enter into strategic relationships that drive their business successfully forward.

"We are proud to inaugurate our new partnering event in Milan, a city that throughout history has seen the technological innovations giving shape and meaning to the modern world," said Carola Schropp, Founder of the leading partnering firm in the biotechnology industry, the EBD Group. "Designed as the counterpart to our flagship conference BIO-Europe, the BIO-Europe Spring event will feature the powerful combination of one-on-one partnering meetings and company presentations characteristic of all of EBD's partnering events. It will bring together international decision-makers from all biotechnology sectors, pharmaceutical companies and financial firms."

About EBD Group

EBD Group is the leading partnering firm for the global biotechnology industry. For over 12 years, firms in the life sciences have leveraged EBD Group's partnering conferences, technology and services to identify business opportunities and develop strategic relationships that drive their business. EBD Group's conferences (run in collaboration with leading industry partners and international trade associations such as BIO and Eucomed) include BIO-Europe, the world's largest stand-alone life science partnering conference; BIO-Europe Spring; the investor conference BioEquity Europe conference (co-organized with BioCentury Publications); and the medical technology partnering conference, BioDevice Partnering. EBD's proprietary software system also powers partnering at numerous third-party events around the world. Outside of the conference format, EBD Group's consultants can provide hands-on operational consulting for firms seeking to in- or out license products and technologies.

EBD Group has offices in San Diego, Munich and London. For more information visit www.ebdgroup.com or www.bioeuropespring.com for conference related issues.