BIO President and CEO Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath issued the following statement in advance of a congressional subcommittee hearing in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on racial and ethnic disparities in Covid-19:   “The disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on communities of color is adding another painful dimension to this devastating disease, and it is time to take action. Today’s hearing is an important step in confronting the inequalities we are witnessing in this pandemic and to exploring concrete solutions.    “BIO and our member companies are committed to working with all relevant stakeholders to address the discrepancies in care facing too many minority patients and families. The response from our industry to develop vaccines and treatments to address the pandemic has been unprecedented, and it's important that these therapies and vaccines, once approved, are accessible for everyone regardless of where they may live or the color of their skin.    “I’d like to applaud the committee’s leadership from both sides of the aisle, as well as the other committees that have held similar hearings, for shining a spotlight on this critical issue, and I am hopeful we can advance real solutions that improve health outcomes for all patients.”   Learn more about BIO’s leadership on diversity & inclusion at bio.org/diversity or watch the recent discussion at BIO Digital 2020 with industry leaders on the state of race and equity within the biotechnology industry.   # # #

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is pleased to announce the election of its new Executive Committee members for the 2020-2021 term. Additionally, eight new board directors and four new section governing board chairs and vice chairs were elected. BIO’s Board elections took place Monday, June 8 and Tuesday, June 9, 2020 during BIO Digital, a virtual convention hosted by BIO that ran June 8-12, 2020. BIO’s Executive Committee members for the 2020-2021 term are: Jeremy Levin, Ovid Therapeutics – Board Chair/Health Section Chair  Julie Gerberding, Merck – Board Secretary Brad Zakes, Ceravast Medical – Board Treasurer Paul Hastings, Nkarta Therapeutics – Health Section Vice Chair Jill Zullo, Cargill – Industrial & Environmental Section Chair Jennifer Holmgren, LanzaTech – I&E Section Vice Chair Ted Love, Global Blood Therapeutics – Emerging Companies Section Chair John Crowley, Amicus Therapeutics – ECS Vice Chair Sylvia Wulf, AquaBounty Technologies – Food & Agriculture Section Chair Brian Brazeau, Novozymes – F&A Section Vice Chair John Maraganore, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals – Immediate Past Chair Rachel King, GlycoMimetics – Past Chair Stuart Arbuckle, Vertex Pharmaceuticals – At-Large Ron Cohen, Acorda Therapeutics – At-Large Douglas Doerfler, MaxCyte – At-Large Alexander Hardy, Genentech – At-Large Richard Pops, Alkermes – At-Large Christi Shaw, Kite Pharma – At-Large Bill Sibold, Genzyme Corporation, A Sanofi Company – At-Large Helen Torley, Halozyme Therapeutics – At-Large “On behalf of BIO, I want to personally extend my heartfelt welcome to our incoming board directors and section chairs and vice chairs,” said Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, President & CEO of BIO. “These leaders work on the cutting edge of biotechnology innovation each day, and I look forward to getting to know them, to learn from them, and to work with them.  Together we will drive BIO’s mission to foster collaboration and…