BIO Buzz: MA Pavilion Day 3 Recap – Collaboration

Wednesday was another exciting day at the 2012 BIO International Convention! Check out our day 3 recap video:

10 a.m. Special announcement from Governor Patrick

We started the day with a special announcement from the Governor. Governor Deval Patrick, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center and seven global biopharmaceutical companies announced the formation of the Massachusetts Neuroscience Consortium.

Participating companies include:

• Abbott
• Biogen Idec
• EMD Serono
• Janssen Research & Development, LLC
• Merck
• Pfizer
• Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

The Consortium will fund pre-clinical neuroscience at Massachusetts academic and research institutions.  Speakers at the event included Governor Patrick, Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, James Hoyes, President of EMD Serono, Jeffrey S. Flier, Dean of Harvard Medical School, and patients representative of those potentially impacted by the research to be conducted through the new collaboration.

Joann D’Amico Stone of Waltham, a patient with MS, shared her story with the audience and said, “My hope with this new collaboration is to some day dance at my son’s wedding.”

Allen Krieger of Lexington, an Alzheimer’s patient and distinguished astrophysicist also shared. He said,  “Alzheimer’s has changed my life in a number of ways – I have difficulty finding things, making decisions, and remembering things that used to be routine.  I’ve participated in clinical trials and other research to do what I can to help.  This consortium is a new and promising approach to advancing Alzheimer’s research through collaboration between the companies and academic institutions that are leading the way in the search for a cure.”

(Read the Press Release here.)

2:30 p.m. Leading the Way: BioPharma Manufacturing in Massachusetts

At 2:30 we held a panel to discuss biomanufacturing in Massachusetts. Speakers illuminated Massachusetts’ biomanufacturing capacity today and why it is particularly well positioned to meet manufacturing requirements in years ahead.

Speakers included:

• Paul Logue, Genzyme
• Mark Trusheim, University of Massachusetts
• Ralph Lambalot, DVP Biologics Development & Manufacturing Launch, Abbott Laboratories
• Joanne Beck, Shire
• Vincent Donovan, Head of European and North American Regional Sales for BioPharm Process Solutions, EMD Millipore
• Moderator: Elisabeth Beck Reynolds, MIT & Biomanufacturing Roundtable

Panelists discussed that while capacity used to be king for manufacturing, but now being smaller, flexible, and quick is better. Like all parts of life sciences cluster, The panelists were in agreement that Massachusetts is one of the best locations for biomanufacturing and as long as we keep innovating and continue to evolve, we will remain competitive in this area.

3:30 p.m. A Collaborative Approach to Preventing a Pre-Antibiotic Future

Our final panel for the day focused on the development of new antibiotics needed to treat new and emerging resistant bugs.

We heard from:

• Manos Perros, Site Head, Boston R&D, AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals
• Ronnie Farquar, SVP, Discovery & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cubist Pharmaceuticals
• Stephen B. Calderwood, MD, Physician and Chief, Division of Infectious Disease; Vice-Chair, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Moderator: Susan Windham Bannister, PhD, President & CEO, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

Thanks to all of our panelists and speakers for a successful third day at the 2012 BIO International Convention!