FiReGlobal : West Coast to Highlight Santa Barbara Biotechnology Pioneer


FRIDAY HARBOR, WA--(Marketwire - October 9, 2009) - FiReGlobal : West Coast is proud to announce that CytomX Therapeutics has been selected as a FiReStar company to be featured at the FiReGlobal : West Coast conference. FiReStar companies, both local and global, are pre-selected based on their potential to bring positive change to the world. These companies will be showcased throughout the conference, and at a FiReStar reception, during which local and global investors will be given the chance to meet company officers.

CytomX Therapeutics is an early stage, privately-funded biotechnology company developing a set of groundbreaking proteolytically-activated antibodies known as Probodies™. Through their unique ability to site-direct the activity of antibodies, Probodies will not only result in an improved therapeutic index for validated targets, but will enable the drugging of targets with broad tissue expression. CytomX Therapeutics aims to provide patients with more effective and less toxic therapies for severe illnesses such as cancer and inflammatory diseases.

"As an industry, we have struggled to find ways to target drugs to diseased tissues while avoiding their harmful effects on the rest of the body. CytomX Therapeutics hopes to tackle this widespread issue with Probodies, our new type of antibody therapeutic that can be developed for a variety of diseases. By reducing many of the expected side effects that a standard antibody produces, our drugs should allow for novel, highly efficacious treatment regimens and better patient outcomes. CytomX is honored to be featured as a FiReStar company and greatly respects the efforts of FiRe to bring new technologies to the foreground," said CEO Dr. Nancy E. Stagliano.

The FiReGlobal : West Coast conference will take place October 15th at the Seattle Four Seasons Hotel. It is the first regional version of the renowned Future in Review™ annual global technology conference, which the Economist calls "the best technology conference in the world." FiReGlobal : West Coast will showcase a world-class gathering of local and global thought leaders in technology and economics, through a series of interviews and onstage conversations. In a move beyond current tech conferences, FiReGlobal : West Coast has overlaid regional problems nominated by local leaders, to be solved through the collaboration of local Chief Technology Officers prior to the conference.

"CytomX appears to be achieving a long-held dream of modern treatment. Their success will mean a revolution in treatment success, and a huge reduction in side-effects. This approach defines the next generation of medical care," said Mark Anderson, CEO of SNS, Chair of FiRe and FiReGlobal : West Coast.

Other speakers will include Michael Dell, Chairman and CEO of Dell; Irwin Jacobs, Founder of Qualcomm; RealNetworks Founder, Chairman and CEO Rob Glaser; Nobel Laureate Lee Hartwell, President and Director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center; Steve Reynolds, CEO of Puget Sound Energy; Washington State Commerce Department Director Rogers Weed; Larry Smarr, Director of the UCSD California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology; John Delaney, UW Professor of Oceanography and Director of the Regional Scale Nodes Program; and Mark Anderson.

To register, go to www.futureinreview.com/global/wc.

Strategic News Service was founded by Mark Anderson in 1995 as the first paid online news service. Since its inception, SNS has proven the most accurate predictive newsletter covering the computer and telecom industries. Its subscribers include top managers at technology companies across the globe, including Microsoft, Dell, HP, Cisco, Intel, Sun, Google, and Telstra.

SNS has been operating the annual FiRe Conference for seven years. The Economist calls FiRe "the best technology conference in the world." FiRe exposes world experts and participants to new ideas, producing an accurate portrait of the future and focuses on creating technology solutions to current local and global problems. FiRe 2010 will take place May 11-14, 2010 at Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes, CA. For more information to go www.futureinreview.com.

Future in Review™ is a Strategic News Service™ conference. Future in Review™, and Strategic News Service™ are registered international trademarks. The SNS newsletter is the most accurate publicly ranked predictive newsletter in computing and communications.

Websites: www.stratnews.com, www.futureinreview.com, www.futureinreview.com/global/wc

Contact Information: Press Contact: Shane Elben Strategic News Service FiReGlobal : West Coast P.O. Box 1969 Friday Harbor, WA Tel. 360 378 8628 Email: Shane@stratnews.com