Toronto Event Promotes Leadership, Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Regenerative Medicine

TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - July 13, 2017) - The Business of Regenerative Medicine (BRM 2017) is celebrating its 10^th anniversary and being hosted, this year, in Toronto. The event, originally conceived as a course taught at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, has grown in scope and attendance to become a must-attend event for the regenerative medicine (RM) community. This year's attendees will draw from the best and brightest, with speakers coming from North America and the United Kingdom.

BRM 2017 kicks-off on July 17 at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of Management. Hosted by CCRM, a Toronto-based leader in developing and commercializing cell and gene therapies and regenerative medicine technologies, and the Rotman School, this three-day interactive event will share knowledge and generate solutions to key issues on the business side of this science-oriented industry.

"Canada's scientific output is on par with the world, but we are slow at turning discoveries into companies," says Michael May, PhD, President and CEO, CCRM. "The more we invest in educating the community about how to commercialize RM technologies and therapies, the more patients will benefit from treatments -- and possibly cures -- and the Canadian economy will see a rise in high paying jobs.

In the future, the regenerative medicine technologies and cell and gene therapies available to patients will be a result of the research being conducted in labs today. Which ones succeed will depend on how research-oriented organizations and companies master critical business issues, including intellectual property, financing, regulatory, reimbursement and manufacturing. By tackling these issues at BRM 2017, the industry will be well-equipped on the path to commercialization.

"The Rotman School of Management understands the importance of integrating and applying best practices from the business world to the field of regenerative medicine, to help make this fledgling industry live up to its potential in the years to come," says Will Mitchell, Anthony S. Fell Chair in New Technologies and Commercialization, and Professor of Strategic Management of the Rotman School. "We are excited to be a co-host of BRM 2017, which will help to reinforce Canada's place at the forefront of advancements in commercializing these technologies and therapies."

BRM 2017 will feature talks from Canadian and international experts, advice from seasoned entrepreneurs, panel discussions, pitches from start-ups and networking, with the aim of cultivating synergies, promoting learning and creating solutions to business challenges. View all speakers here.

Past events have been hosted by CCRM's partner institutions: Case Western Reserve University, the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and the Georgia Tech Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. The Business of Regenerative Medicine: Leadership, Innovation & Entrepreneurship is sponsored by the University of Toronto's Medicine by Design, the Stem Cell Network and the Canadian Stem Cell Foundation. It runs from July 17-19.

For more information about BRM 2017, visit businessofrm.ca.

ABOUT REGENERATIVE MEDICINE

Regenerative medicine harnesses the power of stem cells, biomaterials and molecules to repair, regenerate or replace diseased cells, tissues and organs. It holds the promise of improving treatments for, and perhaps even curing, devastating and costly conditions such as diabetes, stroke and blindness. The current global market for regenerative medicine is USD$36B and forecasted to reach USD$49.41B by 2021.¹

ABOUT CCRM

CCRM, a Canadian not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada, the Province of Ontario, and leading academic and industry partners, supports the development and commercialization of regenerative medicines and associated enabling technologies, with a specific focus on cell and gene therapy. A network of researchers, leading companies, strategic investors and entrepreneurs, CCRM aims to accelerate the translation of scientific discovery into new companies and marketable products for patients, with specialized teams, funding, and infrastructure. CCRM is the commercialization partner of the Ontario Institute for Regenerative Medicine and the University of Toronto's Medicine by Design. CCRM is hosted by the University of Toronto. Visit us at ccrm.ca.

ABOUT THE ROTMAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

The Rotman School of Management is located in the heart of Canada's commercial and cultural capital and is part of the University of Toronto, one of the world's top 20 research universities. The Rotman School fosters a new way to think that enables our graduates to tackle today's global business and societal challenges. For more information, visit www.rotman.utoronto.ca.

¹ Regenerative Medicines Market by Therapy (Cell Therapy, Gene Therapy, Immunotherapy, Tissue Engineering), Product (Cell-based, Acellular), Application (Orthopaedic & Musculoskeletal Spine, Dermatology, Cardiovascular, Central Nervous System), Region -- Global Forecast to 2021. marketsandmarkets.com. Website, July 2016.

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