BIO Elects New Chairman of the Board

• Contact: Abigail Hirsch
• Phone: 202-962-9235
• Email: ahirsch@bio.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 28, 2011)—  The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) is pleased to announce the election of H. Thomas Watkins, - President & CEO of Human Genome Sciences, Inc, as its new Chairman of the Board for the 2011-2012 term.  BIO also is pleased to announce the election of 18 Directors on its Board to serve on BIO’s Executive Committee for the new term, as well as the election of 23 new members to its Board of Directors, voted upon at this year’s2011 BIO International Convention.

“Tom Watkins brings a depth of industry experience and passion for advocacy that will serve BIO and its members well during his chairmanship of our organization,” said Jim Greenwood, BIO President & CEO.  “I look forward to working closely with Tom and our newly-constituted Board of Directors to build on BIO’s record of success in the years to come.”  Greenwood noted that Watkins’ company Human Genome Sciences, Inc, recently obtained FDA approval for the first new drug in 56 years to treat lupus, a serious and potentially fatal autoimmune disease that attacks healthy tissues.  “Tom knows first-hand what it takes to successfully innovate in today’s financial and regulatory climate, and will be a major asset to BIO as we seek to improve the policy environment for our member companies,” he said. 

Greenwood added, “I also welcome our new Board members and know that the contributions they will make to both the industry and within BIO will be substantial.  The new Directors bring a wealth of expertise and diversity in experience that will help contribute to the continued growth of BIO as a membership organization.”   

Greenwood also thanked BIO’s departing Board members.  “BIO is deeply appreciative to departing Board members for their service,” said Greenwood.   “I want to especially thank our outgoing Board Chairman, Dr. Steve Sherwin, for his dedication and valuable service to BIO over the past decade, and especially the last two years as BIO’s Chairman.  As a practicing medical oncologist, Steve brought a special patient-focused perspective to BIO’s policy development and advocacy, never letting us forget why we in this industry do what we do.  While he is stepping down as Chair, I am pleased that Steve will remain a leader on our Board.”

Members of the Executive Committee of BIO’s Board of Directors for the 2011-2012 term are:

• Joshua Boger , At Large

Founder and Member of the Board, Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated

• Fabrizio Bonanni, Board Secretary

Executive Vice President, Operations, Amgen, Inc

• Ian Clark, At Large

CEO & Head of North American Commercial Operations, Genentech, Roche

• Ron Cohen, Emerging Companies SectionChair

President & CEO, Acorda Therapeutics, Inc

• Tjerk de Ruiter, Industrial & Environmental Section Chair

Chief Executive Officer, Genecor: Danisco A/S

• Douglas Doerfler, At Large

President & CEO, MaxCyte, Inc

• Deborah Dunsire, At Large

President & CEO, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company

• Paul Hastings, Emerging Companies Section Vice Chair

President & CEO, OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc

• Rachel King, Health Section Vice Chair

President & CEO, GlycoMimetics, Inc

• Adam Monroe, Industrial & Environmental  Section Vice Chair

President, Novozymes North America

• Richard Pops, At Large

Chairman, President & CEO, Alkermes, Inc

• David Pyott, At Large

Chairman & CEO, Allergan, Inc

• Stephen Sherwin, Board Immediate Past Chair

Chair Emeritus

• Jay Siegel, At Large

Chief Biotechnology Officer & Head of Global Regulatory Affairs, Johnson and Johnson

• Mark Skaletsky, Board Treasurer

Chairman, NeuroPhage Pharmaceuticals, Inc

• Gerald Steiner, Food & Agriculture Section Vice Chair

Executive Vice President, Sustainability & Corporate Affairs, Monsanto Company

• H. Thomas Watkins, Board & Health Section Chair

President & CEO, Human Genome Sciences, Inc

• Barbara Wells, Food & Agriculture Section Chair

President & CEO, ArborGen, LLC

The full BIO Board of Directors is comprised of the elected Directors serving on each of BIO’s Section Governing Boards (Health, Emerging Companies, Industrial & Environmental, and Food & Agriculture).  The newly-elected Board Members from these Sections are:

Emerging Companies Section Governing Board

• Brian Atwood, Managing Director, Versant Ventures
• Robert Beall , President & CEO, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
• Glen Giovanetti , Global Biotechnology Leader, Ernst & Young
• Barbara Kosacz , Partner, Cooley, LLP
• Edward Mathers, Partner, New Enterprise Associates, Inc
• John Orwin , Chief Executive Officer, Affymax, Inc

Food and Agriculture Section Governing Board

• Bruce Ferguson, Chairman, President & CEO, Edenspace
• Jerry Flint, Senior Director of Biotechnology Regulatory Affairs, Pioneer/DuPont
• Matthias Kremer, Head of BioScience, Bayer CropScience
• Robin Readnour, Senior Director of Product Development, Elanco Animal Health
• Ralf-Michael Schmidt, Vice-President, BASF Group; Global Head of BASF Plant  Sciences Government, BASF

Health Section Governing Board

• Donald Beeman, Chief Executive Officer, LigoCyte Pharmaceuticals, Inc
• Steven Holtzman, Executive Vice President, Corporate Development, Biogen Idec
• James Manuso, President & CEO, SuperGen, Inc
• Julie McHugh, Chief Operating Officer, Endo Pharmaceuticals
• Vincent Milano, President, CEO & Chairman of the Board of Directors, ViroPharma Incorporated
• Steven Nichtberger, President & CEO, Tengion, Inc
• Arthur  Sands,President & CEO,  Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc
• Daniel Tassé, Chairman & CEO, Ikaria, Inc
• Roland Turck, Head of Global Strategic Marketing Specialty Medicine, Bayer Healthcare AG
• Gil Van Bokkelen, Chairman & CEO, Athersys, Inc

Industrial and Environmental Section Governing Board

• Doug Berven, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, POET
• James Levine, President & CEO, Verenium Corporation