WASHINGTON - As biotech emerges from the wreckage of what G. Steven Burrill calls the "Sam and Martha sideshow," and as uncertainties over war in Iraq, the new requirements of financial reporting and devalued market capitalizations continue to plaque the industry, there is only one direction left for the industry to go: up.

Only 10 years ago at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's first annual convention in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park, N.C., about 1,400 people attended.

WASHINGTON - Disclaimer: What you are about to read are the mere opinions of three biotech executives speaking Tuesday on Sarbanes-Oxley legislation at the Biotechnology Industry Organization's annual convention here.

To survive in tough economic times, a biotech company often needs two things: cash and the ability to reach money and markets overseas.

Walk into any funding firm and you will see mountains of papers summarizing this company's dream and that company's vision. (BioWorld Financial Watch)

More than 300 investors held tight to their money clips and browsed the Palace Hotel in San Francisco last week, shopping for a share in biotechnology's best and brightest companies. (Bioworld Financial Watch)