San Jose  Becoming  A  BioCenter

With more than $19 million invested in business incubator programs, the San Jose
Redevelopment Agency and the City of San Jose are getting a return on their strategic
investments.

According to a preliminary report, the bioscience sector in San Jose experienced a
year-to-year growth rate of approximately 28 percent from 2002 to 2008 -- a rate that
outpaces the Bay Area and the U.S. by a healthy margin.

"As a crossroad for ideas, talent and business, San Jose is delighted to attract and
grow companies working in biosciences," said Mayor Chuck Reed. "With the Redevelopment
Agency funding over the past decade, we have created the largest, most successful and
comprehensive business incubator program in the nation -- which includes the San Jose
BioCenter. We welcome a variety of bioscience companies to San Jose, from global
powerhouses to small companies. For innovators who envision their start-ups becoming
global leaders, San Jose offers access to talent, capital, and an entrepreneurial spirit that
 is unmatched around the globe." 

                                                  
                                                  San Jose Mayor
                                                     Chuck Reed

A recent PriceWaterhouseCoopers' MoneyTree survey found that of 40 investments in the
first quarter of 2008 in biosciences, $436.5 million was raised from the San Jose region.
These are more investments and dollars raised than any other region in the nation. According
to BayBio, a nonprofit trade association serving the life sciences industry in Northern California,
Santa Clara County has the largest concentration of bioscience companies of all counties in
the Bay Area. Further, according to the Milken Institute, $5.9 billion or 50 percent of the life
sciences gross product of the entire metropolitan Bay Area, $12 billion, is generated here.

A strong driver of this growth has been the San Jose BioCenter, the cornerstone for a life
science cluster located in San Jose's Edenvale Technology Park. The San Jose BioCenter
opened in 2004 and currently has 22 tenant companies and 10 affiliate companies, and has
created more than 150 jobs. These companies have raised more than $700 million in growth
capital, a type of funding that will help a company accelerate its growth.

"We have a world-class facility providing wet labs, capital equipment and laboratory services
which normally are only available to large companies. In addition, we provide business expertise
to first-time scientist-entrepreneurs as they turn their innovations into commercial products," said
Melinda Richter, executive director, San Jose BioCenter. "Our goal is to ensure our companies
reach their goal of getting their research to market."

About the San Jose BioCenter
The San Jose BioCenter is a life sciences and emerging technologies incubator providing
state-of-the art laboratory facilities, specialized research equipment, and best-in-class business
support services. The BioCenter's mission is to provide entrepreneurs with that "Big Company
Advantage" through facilities, equipment, resources, contacts and expertise they need to
commercialize their technology. Established in 2004 by the Redevelopment Agency of the
City of San Jose and operated by the San Jose State University Research Foundation in
partnership with Prescience International, the San Jose BioCenter provides a comprehensive
suite of laboratory and business services for emerging biosciences companies. For more
information, visit www.sjbiocenter.com.