BIO Establishes New Governing Body to Direct Health Policy Advocacy

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 4, 2006) – The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has formed a new Health Section Governing Body to establish organization policies on all health-care-related regulatory issues. “Our new Health Section Governing Body will serve as our focal point that drives policy debate on both the development of and reimbursement for new biomedical therapies and patients’ access to them,” said BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood.

The establishment of the new governing body is designed to increase opportunities for BIO member participation in health-related policy issues, to enable BIO to engage effectively in strategic planning, and to develop health-related policies in a timely manner as well as successfully advocate for their adoption.

The Health Section will continue to be managed by Amit Sachdev, executive vice president, health; the Food and Agriculture Section will be managed by Sean Darragh, executive vice president, food and agriculture; the Industrial and Environmental Section will be managed by Brent Erickson, executive vice president, industrial and environmental; and the Capital Formation and Emerging Companies Section will be managed by Morrie Ruffin, executive vice president, capital formation and emerging companies.

The sections are chaired by Jim Mullen, president and CEO of Biogen Idec Inc., Health Section; Pete Siggelko, vice president, plant genetics and biotechnology, Dow AgroSciences, Food and Agriculture Section; Alan Shaw, president and CEO, Codexis Inc., Industrial and Environmental Section; and Louis Lange, chairman and CEO of CV Therapeutics Inc., Capital Formation and Emerging Companies Section, respectively.

The new Health Section Governing Body will be initially composed of 40 members of the current board of directors representing companies engaged in human health product development.

“The formation of the Health Section Governing Body will help BIO achieve its top health care priorities,” said Sachdev. “These priorities include providing for more predictable and transparent regulatory oversight and reimbursement of biopharmaceuticals, promoting market-based solutions that advance biomedical innovation, and encouraging widespread acceptance of biotechnologies. The governing body will also provide a leadership forum for strategic planning and health policy development,” Sachdev concluded.

BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and 31 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products.

###