Area Life Science Companies Chosen to Make Presentations for Venture Funding at 2005 Mid-Atlantic Bio

Fifteen Companies Represent Various Industry Sectors, Stages, and Geography;
Two Virginia Companies on Deck: Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC and DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Fifteen companies demonstrating the diverse cross-section of the mid-Atlantic bioscience industry have been selected to present before venture capitalists at 2005 Mid-Atlantic Bio: TheConference for Industry and Investors, the region's premier biotechnology forum scheduled from October 26-27 at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, DC.

The majority of companies selected are from the hosting states of Maryland and Virginia, with the balance coming from the two other leading biotech states in the mid-Atlantic, New Jersey and North Carolina. Selected companies represent a cross-section of industry sectors, with most coming from thetherapeutic sector and the remainder focused on the diagnostics and tools categories. Regarding investment stage, most of the presenting companies are from the early/preclinical and clinical stages, with three seeking funding for expansion.

"The principal criterion for the companies we chose was that they be quality companies that represent fundable opportunities reflective of the current interests of investors," said Don Rainey, a partner in the Reston, Va. office of Intersouth Partners, who co-chaired the Selection Committee withMatt Zuga, managing director of Red Abbey Venture Partners, Baltimore, MD.

"The slate of presenting companies provides a glimpse into the entrepreneurial environment of the mid-Atlantic biotech region. We are seeing more seasoned management teams with compelling science, intellectual property, technologies and business ideas which speak to the growth of this industry in the mid-Atlantic region."

"The diversity of the selected companies' investment stage and sectors reflects positively on the growth occurring within the life sciences industry," said Julia Spicer, Executive Director of MAVA. "We are pleased with the quality and strength of the companies that were chosen by our investor-driven selection committee. The Selection process and the overall investor portion of the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Bio conference was bolstered by the strong leadership and participation of veteran venture capital firms including:Anthem Capital, Boulder Ventures, The Carlyle Group, Emerging Technology Partners, H.I.G Ventures, Intersouth Partners, Maryland Venture Fund, MedImmune Inc., New Enterprise Associates, Quaker BioVentures, Red AbbeyVentures, Tall Oaks Capital, and Toucan Capital Corp."

The companies selected to present at 2005 Mid-Atlantic Bio are:

* A&G Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Columbia, Md.)
* Cerionx, Inc (Pennsauken, NJ)
* Cylex Inc (Columbia, Md.)
* DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc. (Charlottesville, VA)
* Diffusion Pharmaceuticals LLC (Charlottesville, VA)
* GlycoMimetics, Inc. (Gaithersburg, Md.)
* Intradigm (Rockville, Md.)
* MacroGenics (Rockville, Md.)
* MaxCyte Inc. (Gaithersburg, Md.)
* NeoDiagnostix (Rockville, Md.)
* PharmAthene (Annapolis, Md.)
* SCYNEXIS (Research Triangle Park, NC)
* Sensors for Medicine and Science (Germantown, Md.)
* Sequoia Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Gaithersburg, Md.)
* TissueGene, Inc (Gaithersburg, Md.)

The conference is a jointly-hosted regional event for the bioscience industry and the investor community, combining components of a regional industry convention and investor conference under one roof dedicated to promoting the growth of biotechnology in the Mid-Atlantic region. Mid-Atlantic Bio is hosted by four of the region's most influential bioscience andinvestor associations: The Mid-Atlantic Venture Association (MAVA), the TechCouncil of Maryland (TCM), the Virginia Biotechnology Association (VaBIO), and MdBio.

As part of the 2005 Mid-Atlantic Bio program, executives from presenting companies are participating in several pre-conference programs, including a networking event and a one-day boot camp session to help prepare for the formal presentations before investors. This effort by the organizers was made to encourage collaboration beyond the one-day presentation.

Event information, registration, presentation, and sponsorshipopportunities are available at http://www.midatlanticbio.org/. Additional information is available by calling 703.683.5698.