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BIO Hails Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative

Governor Patrick Announces $1 Billion Investment in Life Sciences at 2007 BIO International Convention

WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 8, 2007) – During his appearance at the 2007 BIO International Convention, Massachusetts Governor Deval L. Patrick announced a new comprehensive, collaborative Massachusetts Life Science Strategy.  This initiative includes one billion dollars over 10 years to fund life science fellowship grants, life science innovation centers, and a stem cell bank of new stem cell lines to be available for public and private research.

“By providing significant funding and strengthening public-private partnerships, the Massachusetts life science initiative will encourage research and move us closer to finding cures for the diseases which plague us,” stated Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) president and CEO Jim Greenwood.  “As Parkinson’s patient advocate Michael J. Fox told us yesterday, there is a real need to provide funding for early stage research to speed the development of new therapies.  The initiative’s competitive grants and life science innovation centers to streamline technology transfer will greatly assist in these efforts.”

“There is great public support for biomedical innovation,” Greenwood continued.  “The public opinion research surveys we released on Sunday found that voters rate finding cures for disease as more important than terrorism and illegal immigration.” 

“We applaud Governor Patrick for his leadership and commitment to innovation,” concluded Greenwood.

This year’s BIO International Convention runs through Wednesday, May 9, in Boston, MA.  To view the full conference program, please visit www.bio2007.org/attendees/educational_sessions/index.html.

 

About BIO

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.  BIO also produces the annual BIO International Convention, the global event for biotechnology.

 

Upcoming BIO Events

 

·         BIO International Convention
May 6-9, 2007
Boston, MA

·         BIO VentureForum-East 2007

June 18-20, 2007

Montreal, Canada

 

·         BIO Mid-America VentureForum 2007  

Sep. 24–26, 2007

Milwaukee, WI

 

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