WASHINGTON, D.C., July 25, 2024—Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) announced the appointment of longtime biotechnology executive Sylvia Wulf to lead the Agriculture & Environment Center of Excellence (AECOE). The AECOE champions agriculture and environmental biotechnology innovations focused on resiliency and sustainability. In this interim capacity for up to a year, Wulf will devise and oversee strategies, investments, and plans to ensure BIO's continued growth and success in this critical area. Wulf brings extensive industry experience to her new role with BIO, having amassed a distinguished career spanning several decades and across multiple industries – including consumer packaged goods, distribution, and agritech. She currently serves as the Chair of AquaBounty Technologies and sits on the board of 2Blades, a charitable organization that seeks to address the rising incidence of crop disease. She has served on the BIO Board of Directors since 2019 and as the chair of the organization's Agriculture & Environment Section Governing Board from 2019 to 2021.  Throughout her career, Wulf has demonstrated exceptional leadership in diverse environments, including start-ups, rapid-growth ventures, mature businesses, and traditional companies. Her strategic insight and operational prowess have driven major growth and enhanced market share for many well-known and respected brands, such as US Foods, Tyson, Sara Lee, and Bunge. In recognition of her achievements, Wulf was named one of the most powerful women in Illinois by the National Diversity Council in 2016. "Sylvia's diverse experience working alongside some of the nation's leading brands and organizations within the agritech, nutrition, and sustainability industries makes her uniquely qualified to serve as the interim lead of BIO's ongoing efforts to accelerate the use of new biotechnologies that address societal challenges such as food security, animal health, and…

July 17, 2024 – BIO President and CEO John F. Crowley today released the following statement after the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced a plan to establish a Rare Disease Innovation Hub that will utilize new and collaborative approaches to expedite the development and approval of safe and effective drugs and biologics that treat rare diseases. With one out of every 10 people in the United States affected by a rare disease, BIO is supportive of initiatives that accelerate the FDA’s and industry’s ongoing efforts to improve the lives of millions of people with a rare disease:  “By elevating the focus and urgency on rare diseases at the FDA, agency senior leaders are sending a strong message to patients, caregivers, and researchers everywhere of the importance of developing newer and better medicines for every person living with a rare disorder. As a parent of two children with a rare disease, I know how difficult it can be to find information – much less treatments – for a rare condition. This announcement from the FDA, and the personal commitment and leadership of Dr. Cavazzoni and Dr. Marks, is a watershed moment for the rare disease community. BIO welcomes this important news and looks forward to engaging with the FDA and providing input into how the innovation hub can be the success that it needs to be for so many who need hope.” More information about the FDA’s new Rare Disease Innovation Hub can be found on the FDA’s website HERE. The FDA will hold a public meeting this fall to share further information about the new hub and solicit information from all interested parties.