Phoenix Becomes Nation's Newest Biocluster With Opening of Downtown Biomedical Center & TGen HQ

Vibrant Urban Setting Creates Unique Ambiance for 28-Acre Biocenter

The City of Phoenix has officially become the nation's newest biotech cluster with the grand opening of its Downtown Biomedical Center and worldwide headquarters for TGen (Translational Genomics Institute) and IGC (International Genomics Consortium). The City of Phoenix and State of Arizona have invested and laid the foundation for becoming one of the industry's foremost research centers with regards to neurogenomics and related research areas of alzheimer's, autism, cancer, and diabetes. The city expects to attract biotech and related companies to Phoenix and Arizona from around the nation and world for business opportunities in R&D, collaboration, partnering, and office expansion.

The Phoenix Biomedical Center provides a unique, urban environment for cutting edge companies to expand offices or open R&D centers. The $46 million TGen/IGC building forms the foundation of the PBC, a 28-acre development area planned near the epicenter of Copper Square -- a thriving and rejuvenated section of Phoenix featuring sports, music, theatre, restaurants and other entertainment and cultural venues. The futuristic, 173,000-square-foot TGen/IGC building is owned by the City of Phoenix.

"Building our biotech industry is very important for the state's future economic growth and will benefit all its citizens," said Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano. "We are committed to investing resources, and fostering a positive investment climate in partnership with our universities, to make Arizona more attractive to out of state companies wishing to open or expand offices here."

"Now that we've completely moved into our state-of-the-art facility, I'm looking forward to the next stages and milestones we will accomplish in the scientific community," says Dr. Jeffrey M. Trent, TGen's President and Scientific Director. "The research conducted here will be valuable to companies and organizations worldwide."

"In addition to our rich cultural and entertainment venues, Downtown Phoenix has the resources and infrastructure necessary to attract and sustain world-class organizations and companies," said Phil Gordon, Mayor of Phoenix. "We're excited to have TGen, IGC, and NIDDK in our midst, and we invite biotech companies from out of state and around the world to investigate the business opportunities for R&D, collaboration, and expansion that we offer."

Building Grand Opening Features Leaders from Government and Scientific Community

A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be attended by Arizona State Governor, Janet Napolitano, City of Phoenix Mayor, Phil Gordon, U.S. Senator, Jon Kyl, and TGen President & Scientific Director, Dr. Jeffrey M. Trent. A keynote speech will be delivered by Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D. Director, National Human Genome Research Institute. Thousands are expected to attend. The celebration also includes a Health & Research Fair from 7:30 a.m. - noon, with exhibit booths from more than 40 biotech and related partner organizations.

About the Phoenix Biomedical Center

The PBC is the keystone of the state-wide bioscience initiative and is expected to have a significant impact on biomedical discoveries, the quality of health care for Arizona's residents, and the expansion and diversification of the state's economy. Other planned developments for the PBC area include the Arizona Biomedical Collaborative (a three university teaching facility), a College of Medicine, a College of Pharmacy, and a College of Nursing.

Major Regional Biotech Organizations & Resources

--  Arizona Heart Institute
--  Arizona State University
--  Banner Health
--  Barrow Neurological Institute
--  Mayo Clinic
--  NIDDK
--  Scottsdale Healthcare
--  St. Joseph's Hospital
--  The Biodesign Institute of ASU
--  University of Arizona
    

Phoenix Region Facts

Population:                3.4 million
Bio-Related Companies:     1,000+
Major Airport:             23 major airlines, 7th busiest airport in
                           the world
Higher Education:          25 institutions of higher learning, 277,000
                           enrolled students
Weather:                   Average temperature 73F. 300+ sunny days a year
Entertainment:             52 theatres, 40 museums, 200 art galleries,
                           4 pro sports teams

About TGen

The mission of the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) is to make and translate genomic discoveries into advances in human health. Translational genomics research is a relatively new field employing innovative advances arising from the Human Genome Project and applying them to the development of diagnostics, prognostics and therapies for cancer, neurological disorders, diabetes and other complex diseases. TGen is focused on personalized medicine and plans to accomplish its goals through robust and disease-focused research programs and its state-of-the-art bioinformatics and computational biology facilities. For more information, visit the Web site: www.tgen.org.

About Phoenix

Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. The region offers a growing and skilled workforce, a competitive business environment, easy access to major markets and more. The city has a wealth of programs and activities to assist businesses, large and small. Phoenix offers just about everything in the way of sports, recreation, arts, culture, dining, lodging and financial opportunities. Because of our beautiful weather, activities can be enjoyed year-round. The city has won many major awards, including the Carl Bertelsmann Prize, a prestigious international competition that recognizes the best-run city government in the world. For more information about Phoenix and regional biotech related business opportunities, visit the Web site http://phoenix.gov or call 1-866-TECH CITY (832-4248) or (602) 534-6122.

Distributed by Market Wire