<p>It was decided to keep the group small at first, and to expand it gradually. The initial focus of the group was the exchange of chemical compound information; and initial group members were selected with this in mind. </p>

<p>The first BioPAX meeting was held on November 6, 2002 in New York City. During this meeting the group worked to identify the steps needed to arrive at a viable data exchange format. They also reviewed the work of other relevant groups, developed a timeline for inclusion of additional members to the BioPAX group, and began working on the problem of exchanging chemical compound information, followed by metabolic pathway representation.&nbsp;<br />