For immediate release
Contact: Gary Sender
Chief Financial Officer
Tengion, Inc.
gary.sender@tengion.com
East Norriton, PA, September 19, 2008 - Tengion Inc., a clinical stage regenerative medicine company focused on the development of neo-organs and neo-tissues, today announced that it was one of only three companies featured as models of venture capital-backed innovation and success at the 35th Anniversary Celebration of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). P. Sherrill Neff, Partner at Quaker BioVentures – a venture capital investor in Tengion – presented a Tengion case study at the event on Thursday, September 18, 2008 in Mountain View, California.
For this 35th Anniversary Celebration event, the NVCA invited Tengion to showcase its Autologous Organ Regeneration Platform™ for nearly 200 invitation-only guests, including leading venture capitalists and entrepreneurs. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion of how to best encourage technological advances and maintain a robust pipeline of venture capital-backed innovation over the next 35 years.
“We are pleased and honored that the National Venture Capital Association selected Tengion to present at this 35th Anniversary Celebration,” said Steven Nichtberger, M.D., President and CEO of Tengion. “We would like to extend our thanks to Sherrill Neff and Brenda Gavin of Quaker BioVentures and all of our investors who have worked so closely with the company to support our growth and the advances of our neo-organ and neo-tissue programs. We look forward to continuing to innovate and, ultimately, bringing important medical advances to patients who need them.”
The NVCA represents more than 470 venture capital firms in the United States. Founded in 1973, the NVCA’s mission is to foster a greater understanding of the importance of venture capital to the U.S. economy, and support entrepreneurial activity and innovation. The organization has marked its 35th Anniversary with key news announcements and several events in 2008.
About Tengion
Tengion, a clinical stage biotechnology company, focuses on developing, manufacturing and commercializing human neo-organs and neo-tissues using our Autologous Organ Regeneration Platform™. Tengion uses biocompatible materials and a patient's own (autologous) cells to create a functional neo-organ or neo-tissue that is designed to catalyze the body's innate ability to regenerate. Tengion's product candidates may ultimately address the most critical problems facing organ and tissue failure patients, enabling people to lead healthier lives without donor transplants or the side effects of related therapies.