Traveling around the country as Xconomy’s national life sciences editor, people sometimes give me funny looks when I say I’m from Seattle. Often, I hear something to the effect of, “Does Seattle even have a biotech industry?”
Yes, it does. And even though most local politicians and media stopped talking about it a few years ago when jobs were evaporating, I am now seeing the first real signs of forward momentum in Seattle biotech in about a decade. I sense that many of Xconomy’s readers see this happening as well, and want to understand how to keep the momentum going—which is partly why we have had such strong demand for our next big event: “Biotech’s Back in Seattle,” at PATH’s new South Lake Union headquarters on Nov. 29.
There are only a handful of tickets left as I write this during the shortened Thanksgiving week, so now’s the time to snap one up. This event will feature a dynamic panel of movers and shakers in Seattle biotech. Dendreon’s Mitch Gold, who runs what might be one of the four or five most visible biotech companies in the world today, will kick things off with a keynote address on the State of Northwest biotech. That will be followed by a panel discussion that will feature Gold and one of his peers at a rising public company—Seattle Genetics’ Clay Siegall—along with two of the emerging stars at private biotech companies in the Northwest, Calistoga Pharmaceuticals’ Carol Gallagher and Alder Biopharmaceuticals’ Randy Schatzman.
I suggest that people arrive early, a little before 5 pm, for a few reasons. One, PATH is offering to take attendees around for a tour of its facility, which will offer an up-close look at the work it does with new vaccines, diagnostics, devices, and drugs to help people fight disease in poor countries (and sometimes here too). The second reason is simple—get there early, and you have a better chance of getting a good seat. And third, this will be a fantastic opportunity to network with your professional colleagues from around town.
There is plenty more on the agenda, which you can check out here on the registration page. See you there at PATH the evening of Nov. 29.
