The 2013 MassBio AnnualMeeting will be held March 14-15 atthe Royal Sonesta. Themed “The  Business of Science,” the event will focus on the most timely and critical challenges facing the  Massachusetts biotechnology industry today.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg will deliver the keynote address. A graduate of Harvard Medical School, Hamburg became the 21st commissioner of food and drugs in 2009. She is committed to  strengthening programs and policies that enable the agency to carry out its mission to protect and  promote the public health.

Through a series of presentations, panel discussions, interactive working sessions and extensive  networking opportunities, the goals of the annual meeting are to discuss and debate the most relevant science and business topics driving industry’s innovation challenges; promote collaboration with  industry scientists, CSOs and other life sciences leaders to enhance scientific and business  understanding, augment deal flow and connections; forge new scientific and business relationships;  and build the network of up-and-coming academic scientists.

Conference-wide panels will focus on overcoming barriers in translational drug development and the challenges and opportunities in research resource-sharing. Breakout session topics in the science track will focus on oncology, personalized medicine and companion diagnostics, neurodegenerative  diseases, RNA therapeutics and antibody drug conjugates. The business track will include sessions  on healthcare reimbursement strategies, rare disease therapies, antibiotics from a business perspective and the future of biosimilars.

Throughout the meeting and during the reception, posters will be on display to present data on groundbreaking discoveries, or on translational research that could lead to industry collaboration. MassBio Dollars will be distributed to attendees who can “invest” in the best science they see. The deadline to apply for poster presentations is February 14.

Sponsorship opportunities arealso available. Contact Elizabeth Steele at 617-674-5100 or
Elizabeth.Steele@massbio.org for more information.