Cyberonics Chairman and CEO to Keynote 2006 Neurotech Leaders Forum

Robert P. “Skip” Cummins, chairman and CEO of Cyberonics Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the 2006 Neurotech Leaders Forum September 28-29 in San Francisco, CA. Cummins will share some of his experiences dealing with regulatory, technical, and marketing issues during his tenure at Cyberonics, the Houston, TX manufacturer of vagus nerve stimulation systems.

The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza, San Francisco International Airport. The first day will feature short courses on technology, market, and funding issues related to the industry. Neurotech Business Report senior technical editor Warren Grill from Duke University will offer his course, Basics of Neurotechnology, followed by a session on obtaining venture capital financing, led by NBR senior financial editor Glenn Cornett. NBR editor James Cavuoto will wrap up the day with a session on neurotechnology market fundamentals.

The second day will feature a series of panel discussions on topics related to the industry. After the keynote address, a session entitled the M&A Climate for Neurotechnology will examine the current competitive outlook and opportunities for new M&A activity. Executives from Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, and other firms will speak on this panel.

A session entitled The Clinician’s Perspective will examine the role that medical specialists play in the design, development, and approval of neurotech devices. Tentative panelists include James Campbell, a neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Michael Keith, an orthopedic surgeon at Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland, OH. An afternoon entrepreneur panel will feature presentations from CEOs of several promising neurotech startups, and the day will wrap up with a panel devoted to observations and recommendations from the venture capital community.

For more information on attending or sponsoring the Neurotech Leaders Forum, visit www.neurotechreports.com/pages/
leadersforum.html.