The index includes securities from biotech and pharmaceutical companies that trade on the NASDAQ exchange and meet certain eligibility criteria. The criteria include a market capitalization of at least $200 million and average daily trading volume of at least 100,000 shares.

Don deBethizy, CEO of the Winston-Salem-based Targacept (NASDAQ: TRGT), said being added to the index validates the company's progress during 2009, a year in which the company has reported positive clinical trial data related to drugs targeting neuronal nicotinic receptors or "NNRs" to treat major depressive disorders and other neurological ailments. "Our inclusion in this index advances Targacept’s visibility as we continue to execute our mission of developing NNR Therapeutics to treat complex diseases and disorders and improve patients’ lives," deBethizy said.

Targacept has been a CED member since 2001. In addition to this support, the company is a perennial sponsor of CED’s Biotech conference. Over the past eight years, deBethizy’s involvement in CED has been invaluable to the development and execution of CED’s life science programs. In addition to speaking at several CED conferences and peer-based programs, he served as the steering committee chairman for CED’s Biotech 2005 conference and was a member of CED’s board of directors from 2005 to 2008. In 2002, deBethizy presented Targacept at CED’s Venture conference.