THE US-ISRAEL BIOTECH COUNCIL USIBC Newsletter Update, June 1998

Welcome to the newsletter of the United States-Israel Biotechnology Council. The purpose of the newsletter is to update members on exciting upcoming events, changes within the organization, and to inform members of projects that the USIBC is working on.

We would appriciate if you could forward this e-mail to your colleagues and ask them to join our unique binational organization.

Executive Summary
ALLIANCE '98 the 4th Annual US-Israel Biopartnering meeting at BIO '98, New
York, was extremely successful for the Israeli delegation - What an event!
More than 30 top-level Israeli Company representatives participated in the
largest international Bio event.
The US-Israel Biotechnology Council (USIBC) is proud to have planned,
organized and executed this program, which was sponsored by the US-Israel Science and
Technology Commission.  The USIBC also received considerable support from its
main members and sponsors, as the Israeli Economic Mission, Price Waterhouse, 
Johnson & Johnson, BioTechnology General, Clestra Cleanroom, Morrison &
Foerster, 
Arthur Andersen and GLOBES magazine.
With more than 4,000 participants, BIO offered the 30 Israeli participants
a ratio of 1:100
chances to meet potential partners.  As a Platinum sponsor of BIO, USIBC had
reserved exhibition booth space, organized workshops and provided
US-Israel advanced one-on-one meetings in the Israeli Meeting Suite at the
Hilton hotel.  The Israeli participants benefited from the USIBC discount
participation fee and advanced private meeting facilities.  More than dozen
advanced meetings were held in the USIBC Meeting Suite, allowed creating
confidential negotiation of projects and exchange of Confidential Contract
Agreements.  
Beside the strong presence and the long-term contact of the Israeli firms,
the immediate outcome of ALLIANCE '98 is the upcoming organization of US
investors and bankers delegation, lead by USIBC directors, to meet Israeli
companies and Government Officials (Mid August 1998).  
US-Israel Partners In Success- workshop
 The purpose of the workshop program was to draw the attention of the BIO
4,000 participants to the Israeli Biotech potential and ALLIANCE '98
program.  Although the others 12 BIO competing workshop, more than 120 BIO
participants took part of the Israeli session.   The workshop began with
the welcoming remarks of USIBC's directors, Dr. Haim Hardt and Eli Bismut,
followed by a review of  Israel's Life Science achievements by Mr. David
Rubin, Israeli Economic Minister to North America, and Professor Haim Aviv,
Chairman of the Israeli National Biotech Committee.
Ms. Cathleen Campbell, Director, US-Israel Science & Technology Commission
spoke about Reducing Impediments and Stimulating Investments. Dr. William
J. Doyle, President, BioSense and Dr. Sim Fass, Chairman & President, BTG,
displayed excellent models of collaborations between Israel and the US
Corporation. 
Our longtime supporter, Mr. Mordecai Soloff, Partner, Price Waterhouse,
empathized
some practical considerations for conducting business in Israel and Mr. Scott
Mackler, General Sales & Marketing Manager, Clestra CleanRooms,
described the design of several cGMP Facilities in Israel.  After Dr. Dror
Melamed, Vice President of InSight Biopharmaceutical spoke about "Spotlight
on Novel Development in Israel", an Israeli Biotech Investors Round Table
Discussion took place with Mr. Amir Baker, Pamot, and Ms. Julie Kunstler,
HK Strategy- Industry Investments
US-Israel Biotech Booth in BIO '98 Exhibition, Hilton
From the official exhibition opening on Monday evening, to the end of the
conference
the booth of USIBC & USISTC, created and organized by USIBC, draw a
constant flow of visitors who showed their interest in investments,
collaboration and visiting Israeli biotech business.  The booth distributed
brochures of Israeli companies, Government publications and USIBC's members.  
But Globe-USIBC's Life Science Directory, initiated by USIBC, was the
uncontested best seller!!  More than 3,000 of these directories were handed
out free to BIO visitors, thus providing the Israeli Biotech a competitive
edge over the other countries.  USIBC's staff and dedicated volunteers
(Niloufar, Sarah, Sinai), with the help of Faye, Economic Mission, ran the
booth constantly.  The booth was occupied every minute, in spite of
parallel activities taking place at several different hotels.
USIBC Meeting Suite (sponsored by Arthur Andersen LLP)
As the results of USIBC pre-conference activities to over 3,000 BIO
participants, more than dozen advanced meetings were held in the USIBC
Meeting Suite, leading to creating confidential negotiation of projects and
exchange of Confidential Contract Agreements.  The Meeting Suite sponsored
by the USIBC's member Arthur Andersen hosted these confidential meetings,
which several lasted for hours. The results of this closed meeting are to
be seen in the next months.
US Israel Investor Partnering Meeting
On Wednesday June 17th the USIBC and the Israeli Economic Mission organized
the
US Israel Investor partnering meeting at the Sheraton (room sponsored by
USIBC as part of the Platinum BIO sponsorship).  The 30 Israeli executive
had the opportunity to present their business portfolios to over 100
American Investors and Bankers.  As a result of the Partnering meeting,
dozens of networking took place between the Israelis and US investors. This
conference was unique due to the strong participation of investors
and venture capital firms, including Israelis V.C.  The Israeli venture
capital firms had two missions:  to look for second round investments and
to search for strategic alliances for their products.
Informal Networking
The many fashionable receptions held in the Museum of Modern Art, the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cruise on the Hudson River allowed
informal contacts between the various participants. It provided the Israeli
delegation 
additional opportunities to interact with worldwide Biotech leaders in a
relaxed setting.
USIBC Board Member Meeting
In the semi annual USIBC meeting the following issues were discussed:
** Elements of ALLIANCE '98 success
** Restatement of USIBC's mission and future activities
** The USIBC Collaboration and coordination with so many Israeli Government
agencies
** Invited guest, Mr. David Rubin, Minister Economic Affair, North
America-spoke of the uniqueness of USIBC and the need for better and early
coordination of Israeli event in the USA.
** August '98 USIBC Investors delegation to Israel to meet with Biotech
companies and high Israeli government officials.
Action Items for USIBC Members
** Write your experiences, achievements and feedback on ALLIANCE '98.
** For visit request and to join the investors delegation (Mid August
1998), call Eli Bismut 301-468-2915.
** Write us what USIBC activities you would like to see in the future,
which could assist your business goals in the USA.
** Now is the time to renew your membership with the US-Israel Biotech
Council and take active part in the planing the future ALLIANCE '99
activities!!!!