Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) made the following remarks after President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were sworn into office:  “On behalf of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the nearly 1000 companies, universities, and biotech organizations we represent comprised of millions of scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs we would like to congratulate President Biden and Vice President Harris on their historic inauguration. "We join the Nation in optimism that today marks a new opportunity for science to guide our response to the pandemic and return our Nation and the world to health and prosperity. "We pledge to work with you and your Administration to advance the cause of truth and scientific innovation. Our companies are on the front lines battling COVID and we will do whatever we can to help you end this plague. You can count on us to tell you the truth about how your policies will effect American patients and life science discoveries. "We will also heed your call to work cooperatively and constructively with people of differing viewpoints so public policy debates can once again be about understanding and not division. Congratulations.”  

Washington, DC –  The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), which announced its transition to a new CEO in June to Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, is announcing a new leadership team and organizational structure that promises to provide long-term stability for the organization’s ambitious agenda. Some staff reductions were made to align the organization for the new strategic direction. “The new senior leadership structure will better focus the association on its key goals of advocacy, education, and collaboration,” said McMurry-Heath. “Our excellent leadership team will have the freedom to bring a more laser-like focus to their areas of responsibility, allowing us to accomplish the goals of our strategic vision more efficiently and more effectively.” BIO’s streamlined structure will allow it to continue the highly successful digital partnering events, which last year facilitated over 37,000 partnering meetings connecting executives, entrepreneurs, and investors with the entire life science industry. BIO’s first partnering event of 2021 scheduled over 10,000 meetings during “JPM Week”—an indication of the industry’s enthusiasm for partnerships and collaboration. BIO expects to offer virtual-only events throughout most of 2021. New Strategic Vison and Senior Leadership Group BIO’s recently released five pillar strategic vision for the future will guide the leadership team and the entire organization: Be a voice of science and for science. Unite and empower biotech innovators and their ecosystem to improve lives. Remove barriers to innovation. Champion broad access to biotech breakthroughs and scientific equality. Catalyze resilient and sustainable bio-based economies. Beginning February 1, 2021, a new senior leadership team will work with Dr. McMurry-Heath to execute the strategic vision. The reorganized structure will soon include a new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer and currently consists of: Chief Policy Officer, Tom…

President-elect Joe Biden announced on Friday a plan to make the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy a Cabinet-level agency. Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), made the following remarks: “BIO, which represents scientists, researchers, and companies in the biotech and biopharma fields, remains committed to being the voice of science and the voice for science. True to this commitment, we applaud the Biden administration’s move to elevate the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to a Cabinet-level position. “No matter your politics, we know one thing for certain: Science is real. Today, researchers are working tirelessly to end the current pandemic, discover the cures of tomorrow, combat climate change, fight food insecurity, and much more. “BIO looks forward to working with the incoming administration and Congress to ensure the importance of science is represented at all levels of government.”

Stephanie Batchelor, vice president of BIO's Industrial and Environmental Section, released the following statement in reaction to the Trump administration's move to issue Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) waivers for the 2019 compliance year. “This action by the outgoing administration is beyond egregious. More than ever, as we look to improve the public health of our nation and build a 21st century green economy we must support the development of sustainable fuels to clean up our air and bring back jobs. BIO will work closely with the Biden administration and Congress to restore the integrity of the RFS and build off of this policy to establish a national low carbon fuel standard that will foster green energy breakthroughs and decarbonize transportation.”

Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), released the following statement on BIO's political contributions:   "As of today BIO will be pausing our political giving so we can reassess the criteria upon which we support political candidates in the future. As a membership organization we owe it to our members to hear their voices in this important decision.  "One of the five new strategic pillars that BIO announced last fall is to be the voice of and for science and at its core science is the search for truth based on evidence. So it is very concerning that some elected leaders last week chose to ignore facts and embrace widely discredited conspiracies which in part led to the horrific events at the Capitol. Our members take this seriously and so do we."