Media Advisory – BMO Capital Markets to Host 8th Annual Focus On Healthcare Conference

NEW YORK, July 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — BMO Capital Markets, the investment and corporate banking arm of BMO Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: BMO), will hold its eighth annual two-day conference, Focus On Healthcare, Tuesday, August 5 and Wednesday, August 6, at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.

Hosted by members of the BMO Capital Markets Healthcare Equity Research Team including Erik Chiprich, Christine Charette, Robert Hazlett, Dave Shove, Joanne Wuensch and Jason Zhang, this event features a unique mix of presentations by senior executives from more than 75 leading and emerging public and private companies focused on the following sectors:

   –  Biotechnology   –  Health-care Facilities   –  Managed Care   –  Medical Technology & Devices   –  Pharmacy Benefit Managers   –  Pharmaceuticals & Specialty/Emerging Pharmaceuticals    Keynote address – August 5 – Dr. Peter R. Orszag  

Dr. Orszag is the director of the Congressional Budget Office. He will discuss themes relating to options for slowing the growth of health care costs.

   The complete conference agenda and presentations will be available:    http://www.bmocm.com/conferences/2008healthcare   

Media interested in attending the conference and/or scheduling an interview should call (416) 867-3996 or toll free at 1-866-298-8385.

   Participating companies include*:    Aastrom Biosciences (ASTM)          Allos Therapeutics (ALTH)   AEterna Zentaris (AEZS)              Archemix (private)   Affymax (AFFY)                      ArQule (ARQL)   AVI BioPharma (AVII)                Humana (HUM)   Bio-Imaging Technologies (BITI)     Hythiam (HYTM)   BioMS Medical (MS)                  Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (MHS)   Bionovo (BNVI)                      The Parker Group (private)   Celgene (CELG)                      Wellpoint (WLP)   Cougar Biotechnology (CGRB)         Advanced Medical Optics (EYE)   Emergent BioSolutions (EBS)         AtriCure (ATRC)   Idenix Pharmaceuticals (IDIX)       BioSphere Medical, Inc. (BSMD)   Idera Pharmaceuticals (IDRA)        C.R. Bard (BCR)   InterMune (ITMN)                    Cardiva Medical (Private)   Medivation (MDVN)                   Covidien (COV)   MethylGene (MYLGF.PK)               CyroCath (CRT.TO)   Myriad Genetics (MYGN)              ESTECH (private)   Optimer Pharmaceuticals (OPTR)      Greatbatch (GB)   Paratek Pharmaceuticals (private)   Integra LifeSciences (IART)   Pharmacopeia (PCOP)                 MIV Therapeutics (MIVI.OB)   Poniard Pharmaceuticals (PARD)      Paragon Medical (Private)   Progenics Pharmaceuticals (PGNX)    Response Biomedical (RBM.TO)   QLT (QLTI)                          STAAR Surgical Company (STAA)   Reata Pharmaceuticals (private)     Stryker (SYK)   Regeneron Pharmaceuticals (REGN)    The Cooper Companies (COO)   Sangamo Biosciences (SGMO)          Vision-Sciences (VSCI)   SuperGen (SUPG)                     VNUS Medical Technologies (VNUS)   TransMolecular (private)            Antares Pharma (AIS)   Tranzyme Pharma (private)           Clinical Data (CLDA)   Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX)       Cortex Pharmaceuticals (COR)   Ascend Health (private)             Eli Lilly & Company (LLY)   DSI (private)                       Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ENZN)   Encompass Home Health (private)     Intra-Cellular Therapies (private)   Health Management Associates (HMA)  Ironwood Pharmaceuticals (Private)   LCA-Vision (LCAV)                   King Pharmaceuticals (KG)   Medical Facilities (DR_UN.TO)       MacroGenics (Private)   Northstar Healthcare (NHC)          MDRNA (MRNA)   NovaMed (NOVA)                      Nektar Therapeutics (NKTR)   TLCVision (TLCV)                    Oscient Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (OSCI)   Universal Health Services (UHS)     Penwest Pharmaceuticals (PPCO)   US Physical Therapy (USPH)          Pozen (POZN)   American CareSource Holdings (XSI)  Questcor Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (QSC)   BioScrip (BIOS)                     Repligen (RGEN)   Centene (CNC)                       Salix Pharmaceuticals (SLXP)   Cigna (CI)                          Sepracor (SEPR)   CorVel (CRVL)                       Vitae Pharmaceuticals (Private)    * Agenda and participant list subject to change.    About the BMO Capital Markets Healthcare Equity Research Team   

The BMO Capital Markets Healthcare Equity Research Team provides coverage of healthcare services, medical technology, specialty and large-cap pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology companies. The team includes: Christine Charette (Biotechnology, Canada); Erik Chiprich (Healthcare Facilities); Robert Hazlett (Pharmaceuticals); Dave Shove (Managed Care and Benefits); Joanne Wuensch (Medical Technology); and Jason Zhang (Biotechnology, U.S.).

About BMO Capital Markets

BMO Capital Markets is a leading full-service North American financial services provider, with 2,400 employees operating in 14 North American offices and 26 worldwide, offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of investment and corporate banking products and services. BMO Capital Markets is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with total assets of US $377 billion and more than 36,000 employees as at April 30, 2008.

BMO Capital Markets

CONTACT: Media Contacts: Orli Namian, Toronto, orli.namian@bmo.com,(416) 867-3996; Holly Holt, New York, holly.holt@bmo.com, (212) 885-4153;Internet: http://www.bmocm.com/