Shafique Virani, Global Head of CNS Business Development & Licensing At F. Hoffmann-La Roche, To Give Featured Presentation At 4th CNS Partnering And Deal-making Conference (Sept 22-23, 2011 in San Francisco, CA)

Online, June 24, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Shafique Virani, Global Head of CNS Business Development & Licensing at F. Hoffmann-La Roche will give a featured presentation on "Partnering in Neurodegenerative Diseases: The Roche-Remynd Deal" at the 4th CNS Partnering and Deal-making Conference to be held in San Francisco, CA on September 22-23, 2011 by GTC.

Shafique Virani will discuss F. Hoffmann-La Roche's new strategic approach in partnerships with Neuroscience companies focusing on novel therapeutic targets and approaches for Alzheimer's Disease.

Highlights of Shafique Virani's presentation:
• Alzheimer's Disease is a devastating clinical condition with no currently available therapies which slow down disease progression
• Disease modification approaches have traditionally centered on modulating the Beta amyloid pathway.
• To date, none of these approaches have been clinically validated and the failure of late stage trials is high
• There remains a strong desire to explore other avenues for disease modification, eg modulating mis-folded protein toxicity and clearance; inhibiting protein aggregation and reducing downstream inflammation

Shafique Virani is the Global Head of CNS Business Development & Licensing at Roche. His responsibilities in this role encompass all partnering activities within Roche's neuroscience franchise from academic collaborations to licensing and acquisitions. Dr. Virani joined Roche in 2004 and served various roles within medical affairs and business development in the UK and USA until 2010, when he transitioned into his current role based in Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Virani trained as a neurosurgeon in Cambridge, UK and Boston, USA and holds the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

The 4th CNS Partnering and Deal-making Conference gives global biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the CNS industry an opportunity to network with high-level executives from top pharma and various biotech/pharmaceutical companies, as well as explore potential collaborations, and learn about relevant CNS Disease issues and partnerships that will affect the industry.

This event also provides a unique venue for attendees to learn about CNS Diseases business trends, the CNS disease market, and novel technologies that shape up the industry. The conference is part of the CNS Diseases World Summit, which consists of 3 tracks including the "5th Neurodegenerative Conditions Research and Development" and "Advances in Neuropsychiatric Treatment".

The sessions for the conferences are:
Plenary Keynote Session
Regulatory Updates
Strategic Direction in Neuroscience
Case Studies in the Clinical Space
Recent Advances in CNS Development
Investments and Partnerships in the CNS Space
Current Trends and Recent Deals

For more information, please visit www.gtcbio.com