General Meeting Information

• Overview
• 2nd Stem Cell Clonality and Genotoxicity Retreat
• Registration Informaton
• Session Descriptions

AMERICAN SOCIETY OF GENE THERAPY MISSION AND GOALS
The American Society of Gene Therapy (ASGT) is a professional non-profit medical and scientific organization dedicated to the understanding, development and application of gene and related cell and nucleic acid therapies and the promotion of professional and public education in the field. ASGT is the largest medical professional organization representing researchers and scientists dedicated to discovering new gene therapies. ASGT was established in 1996, and has grown to close to 3,000 members from around the world. ASGT is committed to:

• Promote Research, Development and Application
• Exchange Information and Promote Education Among Professionals and the Public
• Promote Development of Clinical Translations

The ASGT 8th Annual Meeting will serve as a comprehensive forum to achieve these goals.

DATES
The ASGT 8th Annual Meeting will begin on Wednesday, June 1, 2005, and continue through Sunday, June 5, 2005. Exhibits will be open Thursday, June 2, 2005, through Saturday, June 4, 2005.

NEEDS
Clinical gene transfer has become more and more complex due to ongoing developments in the fields of gene therapy itself, together with bioethics, research integrity, and financial conflicts, as well as new federal mandates, regulations and guidelines. Oligonucleotide Based Therapies, RNAi and Vaccine Therapies will also be discussed as well as many other topics. This meeting will provide an educational forum for scientists and clinicians to expand their knowledge about the broad developments in these fields.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
At the conclusion of the activity, the participant should be able to:

• Discuss key aspects of the current laboratory and/or clinical research in gene therapy.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods being used by gene therapy researchers and practitioners.
• Describe one or more stimulating new areas of inquiry in the area of gene therapy.
• Demonstrate familiarity with federal regulations and guidelines for clinical gene transfer studies.

EDUCATIONAL METHODS AND MATERIALS
Lectures, Case Presentations, Panel Discussions, Question and Answer Sessions, Workshops, Audio/Video Presentations, Abstracts, Posters, Executive Summary.

TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience includes basic science and translational researchers, clinical investigators, physicians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, employees of federal government and regulatory agencies, and other healthcare professionals with an interest in the latest advancements in the field of gene therapy.

EVALUATION METHOD
Evaluation by questionnaire will address program content, presentation, and possible bias.

ACCREDITATION/CREDIT DESIGNATION
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint sponsorship of Stanford University School of Medicine and the American Society of Gene Therapy. Stanford University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Stanford University School of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 31 category 1 credits toward the AMA Physician’s Recognition Award. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the activity.

DISCLOSURE
It is the policy of Stanford University that the provider and faculty/presenters disclose any significant financial or other relationships with commercial companies whose products may be discussed in the activity, or the commercial supporters, if any. Stanford University also requires that faculty disclose any unlabeled use or investigational use (not yet approved for any purpose) of pharmaceutical and medical device products. Specific disclosure will be made to the participants prior to the educational activity.

Faculty, topics, program schedule, and credit are subject to change.

Audio or videotaping is prohibited without written permission from the Program Director and the Office of Continuing Medical Education, Stanford University, Stanford, California.

EXHIBITS
Exhibitors will provide the latest information on products, publications and services available to physicians and researchers. For more information on becoming an exhibitor or commercial supporter, or to receive a prospectus, please contact:

Nadine Kinnunen, Meetings and Exhibits Manager
American Society of Gene Therapy
555 E. Wells St., Suite 1100
Milwaukee, WI 53202 USA
Tel: 414-278-1341
Fax: 414-276-3349
E-mail: nkinnunen@asgt.org

Registration Information

ADVANCE REGISTRATION
To register for the meeting, please complete the registration form and return it before the advance registration deadline of May 2, 2005.

The registration fee includes access to exhibit and poster halls, education sessions, scientific symposia, plenary sessions, workshops, and corporate symposia; registration bag and materials; Abstracts-on-Disc™; morning coffee breaks; receptions in exhibit hall; access to Internet stations; and use of the ASGT Job Information Exchange.

Please Note: Submitting an abstract does not register you for the meeting.

Early Registration Fees (Registration forms submitted online or postmarked on or before May 2, 2005)
$275  Active and Corresponding Members
$125  Associate Members (Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows)
$495  Nonmembers
$325  Nonmember/Government Agency (full-time government employee)
$225  Nonmember Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

Please Note: Registration forms postmarked after May 2, 2005, will be considered regular registrations. The regular registration fee will apply.

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
Please contact the ASGT Executive Office with questions about registration for the ASGT 8th Annual Meeting. Tel: 414-278-1341, E-mail: info@asgt.org

CANCELLATION REFUND POLICY
Refund requests should be submitted in writing to the ASGT Executive Office prior to May 23, 2005. A $35 processing fee will be charged for refunds. We regret that refunds cannot be allowed for requests postmarked or received after May 23, 2005.

REGISTRATION DESK
Name badges and final programs will be distributed at the registration desk located on Level One of America’s Center, just inside the Washington Avenue Entrance. The registration desk will be open during the following hours:

SPECIAL ACCESSIBILITY NEEDS
We encourage participation by all individuals. If you require special accommodations in order to fully participate in the meeting, please send a written description of your needs along with your registration form. Please notify us of your needs by May 20, 2005.

ASGT JOB BANK
At the 8th Annual Meeting there will be a forum for academic institutions and companies to promote open positions to meeting attendees. If you have open positions, please bring multiple copies of your job posting to the meeting. Similarly, if you are seeking a job, please bring multiple copies of your résumé to submit. ASGT will not take responsibility for résumés sent to the ASGT office in response to a job posting. If you would like more information about this service, please contact info@asgt.org.

INTERNET KIOSK POLICY
Internet access will be available to meeting attendees near the Registration Desk and meeting rooms.

SHUTTLE BUS
ASGT will not be providing shuttle transportation for the 8th Annual Meeting. Hotels are located within a 1 block radius from America’s Center. If you require transportation due to mobility issues, please contact ASGT at 414-278-1341 or info@asgt.org.

TRAINEE TRAVEL GRANT
ASGT is offering a limited number of travel grants to postdoctoral fellows and students. The grants will be based on the highest abstract scores, as determined by the ASGT Abstract Review Committee. Please note: Meeting registration fees are non-reimbursable; travel grant recipients must register for the meeting and pay the registration fees.

TRAVEL INFORMATION
American Airlines has been designated as the official airline of the 8th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy, scheduled for June 1-5, 2005, in St. Louis, Missouri. American Airlines will offer a 5% discount off of any restricted fare and 10% off of a full coach, business class or first class to St. Louis, Missouri from anywhere in the world. The discount is good for travel anytime from May 29, 2005 through June 8, 2005.

To obtain these discounts, attendees must call, fax, or e-mail Carnival Travel, the official travel agency of the ASGT 8th Annual Meeting. Or contact American Airlines by calling 800-433-1790 and provide code # A3555AN.

CARNIVAL TRAVEL
Travel Discounts
Tel: 414-276-3388 or 800-747-6238
Fax: 414-276-0899
E-Mail: carnival@execpc.com

Attendees are eligible for frequent flyer miles with these discounts. Travelers will also have a choice of paper or electronic tickets. There will be an extra fee for paper tickets.

Carnival Travel will help identify other airlines for attendees not preferring American Airlines and for attendees traveling from cities not served by American Airlines.

MEDIA
Members of the working media may register without charge for the 8th Annual Meeting. Interview space, computers, telephones, and facsimile service will be available on-site for the convenience of press representatives covering the meeting. Only members of the media and invited delegates will be allowed access to the Press Room. Members of the media will be required to provide their media credentials. For more information, or to pre-register for the meeting as a member of the media, please contact Lynn Beyer at ASGT 414-278-1341 or e-mail lbeyer@asgt.org.

MEET-THE-INVESTIGATOR SESSIONS
(Tickets Required)
The Meet-the-Investigator sessions are designed to provide an opportunity for participants to interact with experts and discuss topics related to their research. A lunch will be served during the program and will last for approximately one hour.

The Meet-the-Investigator sessions require tickets for admission which are not included in the regular registration fee. In order to confirm your attendance at a particular session, please complete the form. Fees ($20 per session) for these tickets should be added to your registration total. Ushers will be collecting tickets at the door of each session. Please note that space is limited to 25 participants per session.

Session Descriptions

The 8th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Gene Therapy will offer a variety of session types. The following descriptions are offered to assist organizers and speakers in coordinating their individual sessions based on the expectations of the President and Planning Committee.

EDUCATION SESSIONS (Wednesday only)

• Education Sessions provide the ABCs of a specific topic and are geared toward individuals with little knowledge about the topic who want a basic overview.
• Education sessions start with basics and cover broad instructions about specific topics.
• Education sessions are not laboratory presentations.
• The Society’s Education Committee develops the content of the education program.

WORKSHOPS

• Workshops are mid-size didactic presentations with moderated question and answer periods at the end.
• Workshops cover practical applications of gene therapy and vector development.
• Workshops consist of five speakers who each give 10-minute talks.
• The Society’s committees recommend topics and suggested speakers for the workshops.

SCIENTIFIC SYMPOSIA

• Scientific Symposia are large, didactic sessions where three to four speakers each provide an in-depth talk on their specific body of work.
• Symposia are designed to have a broad appeal (e.g. cancer, hematopoiesis, infectious diseases, etc).
• The Society’s scientific committees recommend topics and suggested speakers for the symposia.

MEET-THE-INVESTIGATOR LUNCHES (Ticketed Sessions)

• These lunches are informal roundtable lunch discussions with leaders in the field of gene therapy.

CORPORATE SYMPOSIA
ASGT provides a limited number of industry partners the opportunity to host symposia during the Annual Meeting, based on approval of individual program proposals. These symposia provide an avenue for identifying and discussing new trends and discoveries in the field of gene therapy. The supporters are responsible for the content and coordination of their own symposium. The corporate symposia are NOT eligible for continuing medical education (CME) credits.

LOCATION
The 8th Annual Meeting will be held at America’s Center, 701 Convention Plaza, St. Louis, Missouri. Exhibits will be located in Exhibit Hall 1. Posters will be on display in Exhibit Hall 1 & 2 adjacent to the exhibits. Registration will be located on Level One of America’s Center, just inside the Washington Avenue Entrance.