ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- OCTANe hosted nearly 700 leading medical device industry executives from over 425 companies to discuss promising technology and emerging trends for the medical device industry last week at the 4th Annual CA Medical Device & Investor Forum.

For the first time on one stage, company leaders from the biggest M&A transactions in Orange County history discussed the details of the deals, and why Orange County is a hotbed for this type of activity. Stephen Oesterle, MD, senior vice president for medicine and technology at Medtronic expressed that large companies like Medtronic will continue to acquire, and that they rely on the innovations of smaller companies and start-ups. Dr. Oesterle was joined by Dan Lamaitre from CoreValve, Jim Mazzo from AMO, Sean Murphy from Abbott and Charles Warden from Versant Ventures.

"This panel of industry stars was an excellent foundation on which the rest of the conference was built," said Matthew Jenusaitis, president and CEO of OCTANe. "The relationship between large companies, emerging growth companies, and the investment world is more important than ever, and this panel reflected OCTANe's mission of stimulating the innovation ecosystem in our region."

More than nine countries and 19 states were represented at the Forum, and on the second day of the conference attendees chose between eight educational panels covering industry insights to cardiovascular, ophthalmology and healthcare IT, device design, IP due diligence, regulatory approvals, and global opportunities. Concurrently, 11 start-ups gave investment presentations, featuring new businesses and technologies in critical areas like orthopedic, breast health, and the neuro interventional market, among others.

The lunch keynote spotlighted Healthcare Policy and Reform, and featured Christopher Cox, former SEC Chairman, as well as other leading DC experts. This discussion was followed by the keynote Investor Panel with Dr. Thomas Fogarty, a cardiovascular surgeon and world-renowned inventor, and leaders from New Leaf, Piper Jaffray, and De Novo Ventures.

Select panel slides, videos, photos and webcasts are available for review at www.octaneforum2009.com.

About OCTANe:

OCTANe is fueling "innovation development" in Orange County and Southern California. By connecting people, capital and technology, OCTANe accelerates entrepreneurs and company development for Orange County's biomedical and technology communities. The organization brings together the region's leading biomedical and information technology companies, promising startups, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and universities to help create, grow, support, staff and fund innovative companies. For more information, visit www.octaneoc.org.

    Media Contact: Cynthia Bemis, (949) 330-6566
                   Cynthia.Bemis@octaneoc.org

SOURCE OCTANe

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