FTC Commissioner Leary to Chair Discussion at BIO 2003

Thomas B. Leary Will Lead Discussion on Antitrust Trends at International Biotech Conference

Washington, D.C. – May 10, 2003: Commissioner Thomas B. Leary of the Federal Trade Commission, who has played a key role in the FTC's antitrust enforcement in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, will lead a panel discussion with senior biotech executives at BIO 2003, the Biotechnology Industry Organization's (BIO's) annual conference. This year's conference will be held in Washington, D.C., from June 22 through June 25.

The panel discussion, "Antitrust Trends: What's in Store for Biotech," will take place on Wednesday, June 25, from 8:45 am to 10:15 am. Panel members will discuss recent enforcement activity in the areas of industry consolidation, such as the Amgen-Immunex merger (approved), the Cytyc-Digene merger (objected to), and licensing transactions, such as the Elan-Biovail agreement (subject of a consent agreement), and what they suggest for future enforcement activity.

"Companies are finding it increasingly important to capture value from their IP assets, but they are running into more antitrust hurdles,' said panel moderator Randy Smith, chair of the Antitrust Group at Crowell & Moring LLP. "This panel will discuss how biotech transactions may present unique issues for regulators, and will focus on the legal principles, business realities and political influences underlying recent actions, which should provide a basis for talking about the future climate for transactions."

Joining Commissioner Leary and Mr. Smith on the panel will be:

• Mary Pendergast, Executive Vice President, Governmental Affairs, Elan Pharmaceutical Management Corporation,
• A. Suzanne Meszner-Eltrich, General Counsel, Cytyc Corporation, and
• Nancy J. Linck, General Counsel, Guilford Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

BIO 2003 is an annual international conference of biotechnology industry executives, scientists, legislators, regulatory officials and journalists. More than 15,000 participants are expected at this year's event, to be held at the new Washington, D.C., convention center. The conference will feature 25 tracks of programming, including 196 sessions on policy, business development, science and regulatory affairs, and forums on bioethics, global health and patient advocacy. 

Crowell & Moring LLP will be exhibiting at this year's conference, with attorneys on hand to discuss legal and business issues facing the biotechnology industry. The firm has nearly 300 lawyers in Washington, D.C., London, Brussels and Irvine, including a Life Sciences practice group with extensive regulatory, transactional and intellectual property experience serving clients in the biotechnology industry.