The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) this week hosted a productive virtual summit intended to foster collaboration among key government agencies and biopharmaceutical innovators with one goal: eradicating Covid-19. The two-day virtual event helped companies working on treatments, diagnostics and vaccines come together to discuss challenges and opportunities with government officials and other stakeholders.   Senior administration officials coordinating the nation’s Covid-19 response joined the event, including White House Response Coordinator, Ambassador Deborah Birx, and Dr. Robert Kadlec, Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  The goal is to “minimize redundancies and maximize cooperation and collaboration,” noted BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood. “From the beginning of this crisis it was clear, “ Greenwood explained, “BIO is the organization that’s best constituted and positioned to organize and connect the biopharmaceutical industry so that we can accelerate the research and development and coordinate that development in response to this crisis.”  As an international trade association representing more than 700 biotechnology companies, BIO is playing a unique role in organizing and coordinating the activities of many of its companies. According to a survey, more than 45 member companies are working to address coronavirus and more than 20 have products in various stages of development. Dr. George Scangos, CEO of Vir Therapeutics, helped lead the event. He was appointed by BIO’s chairman of the board, Dr. Jeremy Levin, to oversee the organization’s efforts to foster collaboration across the biopharmaceutical industry.  Describing the current pandemic as a “time of national, global uncertainty,” Dr. Scangos highlighted “the incredible” doctors, nurses and other medical professionals “on the frontlines” treating the sick and preventing the spread of the…

Companies are Coming Together to Achieve Shared Goal of Eradicating the Virus  Today, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) underscored the industry’s commitment to finding solutions to prevent, diagnose and treat those with COVID-19, a disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus. The decades-long investments biopharmaceutical companies have made in new technologies, research and treatments have prepared the industry to act swiftly to respond to the public health crisis. America’s biopharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to: Work with government agencies and diagnostic partners to increase COVID-19 testing capability and capacity. Research and develop new therapies and treatments for those infected with the virus. Screen vast global libraries of medicines to identify potential treatments and have numerous clinical trials underway to test existing therapies. Use investments in new technologies to speed the development of safe and effective vaccines. “I’m confident our industry will achieve its shared goal to beat coronavirus, and our commitment underscores how we are uniquely positioned to do so,” said Stephen J. Ubl, president and chief executive officer of PhRMA. “We have deep scientific knowledge gained from decades of experience with similar viruses; the industry has invested billions in technologies that have dramatically shortened the time it takes to decode viruses and develop a potential vaccine; and our companies alone have the ability to manufacture and broadly disseminate vaccines or treatments.” “Researchers at America’s biopharmaceutical companies are working around the clock to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus and deliver treatments to those impacted by this deadly disease,” said Jim Greenwood, president and CEO of BIO. “Today, we renew our commitment as an industry to help those in need, protect our workforce and ensure any…

Maine is speeding up its transformation to a 21st-century, biobased economy with the passing of the Renewable Chemicals Tax Credit, which will foster the production of environmentally friendly innovations—like renewable chemicals and biobased products. “In order to address the climate challenge, we must shed our reliance on fossil fuels across all sectors—from fuels to manufacturing,” said Stephanie Batchelor, VP of BIO’s Industrial and Environmental Section. “Not only will this tax credit reduce the carbon footprint from manufacturing in the state, it will create hundreds of jobs and ignite the state’s biobased economy.” The bill LD 1698, “An Act to Create Jobs and Slow Climate Change by Promoting the Production of Natural Resources Bioproducts,” was signed into law by Governor Janet Mills on March 18. BIO worked closely with the legislature and Governor’s office to demonstrate the benefits of biobased manufacturing, that can convert renewable biomass to value-added renewable chemicals and biobased products. These environmentally friendly products can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help keep plastic out of the ocean to the benefit of the state’s billion-dollar lobster industry. “The legislation will incentivize new, climate-friendly biobased technologies to invest in Maine, fighting global climate change and creating high-paying green jobs that will revolutionize Maine’s mill town communities suffering from economic distress,” noted the Environmental Health Strategy Center in a release on the bill when it was first being considered in 2019. The bill was unanimously passed by the State Senate in June 2019, however, concerns over the tax credit structure and certificate requirements for loggers kept it from being signed into law. After addressing those concerns in an amendment, the bill was passed again by the State Legislature and signed into law. To read BIO’s testimony on the bill, click here.