This looks like a safe place to jump in and talk about BIO because it was a fantastic experience and pure networking, in most cases for large dollar amounts. BIO has big big money! oh wipe the surprised look off your faces .....lol..being very dry here.

They have money coming out of the cracks in the walls.There were several sets of steep, long, steps as one way out of the exhibition hall and every single step was painted with the word Amgen. Blue steps, white paint. Just steppin out. A cookie always awaited at the end.

I'll save the description of one of the extravagant galas for another post. The pipeline project shared a table with PDF [translator?] lol......and had, as the Russian break dancer in Everything is Illuminated liked to say,"a premium location." We were on a main drag and directly across a short carpet that simply everyone eventually walked by on, from Genentech hee hee!

On the sides of them were Genzyme [paid for the Fox luncheon] , Johnson and Johnson, Merck, I could go on.

This area attracted lots of attention, too, because of the focus on PD and the FOX outstanding - finally hittin homeruns with patients too - keynote address.

Getting finally to the point, there are many small molecules out there and everyone knows about GDNF. What most didn't realize, especially if from out of the US, was that when they approached our table and we explained we were sponsored by PDF but a separate patient focus, a few got the glazed over look but most brightened up as soon as they realized...connecting two very disjointed thoughts here badly... we had done our homework as we suffered.

Don't want this to be too long and there's plenty more. Many stories and you are all going to be subjected to them if you want to read.

I'll finish by saying this. I understand your desire to find it...but in the meantime, people should be helping us........personally I think that's a better idea. rick....and could be a very effective one.

ooo almost made it through without a pitch. maybe someone else could invest a little time explaining what I'm trying to convey.

Off to dance to Still the One by Linda Ronstadt - we must exercise.

paula