Biotech Pioneer William J. Rutter to Deliver Keynote at 2008 RAPS Horizons ...( ROCKVILLE Md. Feb. 18 --- Biotec...)

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --- Biotech pioneer William J. Rutter, PhD, will deliver a keynote speech at the 2008 RAPS Horizons Conference & Exhibition in San Francisco next month, the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society (RAPS) has announced.

Rutter, Chairman and CEO of Synergenics LLC and co-founder of biotech industry leader Chiron, will stimulate fresh and relevant perspectives on the regulatory implications of advances in biological and medical science that are driving new products and individually-oriented treatment strategies.

Among the issues Rutter will address:

-- Individualized cancer drug therapy

-- Cancer vaccines

-- Genetic-based therapy

-- Immunological control of disease via administered antibodies or vaccines

-- Stem cell therapy

"Dr. Rutter's unique experience with the rapidly shifting nature of science and healthcare products will provide us with crucial insight into evolving treatment regimens/protocols and regulatory strategies," said RAPS Executive Director Sherry L. Keramidas, PhD, CAE.

Under Rutter's leadership, Chiron placed a major emphasis on detection, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. With Merck, Chiron developed a Hepatitis B vaccine, based on the Hepatitis B pseudoparticles from yeast. Rutter's commitment to funding research on important diseases led to two of Chiron's most enduring achievements: the cloning and first sequencing of the HIV genome in 1984, and the discovery, sequencing and cloning of the hepatitis C virus in 1987.

Keramidas emphasized the commonalities of innovation across various healthcare product lines, including devices, drugs and biotechnology, and the need to utilize the most recent science to discover new treatments and to bring these treatments to consumers safely and more efficiently.

Additionally, Keramidas said that regulatory professionals are increasingly working i
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