Blog Archives
President’s Update – MassBio in 2012: A Year in Review
Dear Readers,
As we start winding down 2012 and gear up for 2013, I want to thank you for your involvement and support and reflect on 2012 with a Year in Review highlighting our four biggest focus areas of 2012.
1. Bringing value to your bottom line
Here at MassBio we know that the battle to raise funding and keep costs down continues to be a challenge. That’s why we focused on bringing value to your bottom line in 2012, by expanding and improving our Purchasing Consortium. This year Fisher Scientific, Airgas, Linde, Alert, Stericycle, and W.B. Mason all expanded their services for MassBio members, allowing you to buy the goods and services you need at the best prices out there. We also announced two new partnerships this year to support our members: JoVE and Allsteel.
The Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) is a peer reviewed, PubMed indexed journal devoted to the publication of research in a cutting-edge video format. With our new Allsteel Inc partnership, MassBio members access high-quality furniture at a discount. As MassBio prepared for our office relocation in the beginning of 2012 we were 
immediately impressed by the quality of products and service that Allsteel had to offer.
Also in 2012, we put together a Small Business Program with additional savings and start-up programs from our suppliers designed specifically for our member companies with fewer than 50 employees. In 2013, we will continue to negotiate steep discounts on the products and services you need, so you can invest resources where they matter, into the research required to drive new treatments and cures.
2. Advocating for you on Beacon Hill & Capitol Hill
President’s Update: Halfway Through 2012 & Fall Preview
Hello Readers!
As you have probably noticed if you’ve been following along here at MassBioHQ, 2012 has been a very busy year so far for MassBio. The first half of the year included our Policy Breakfast, the MassBio Annual Meeting, and, most recently, Lifecycle Massachusetts: The Massachusetts Pavilion at the 2012 BIO International Convention. The Mass Pavilion showcased the unique elements and collaborative work of our life sciences super cluster and demonstrated why Massachusetts is the place to be.
We also recently had significant successes with legislation enacted both on Capitol Hill and Beacon Hill—with highlights including PDUFA reauthorization on the federal level and the passage of co-pay assistance legislation in Massachusetts.
Thank you to all our members and supporters for making the first half of 2012 such a success!
This summer we are gearing up for our not-to-be-missed late summer & fall events:
Second Annual Purchasing Consortium Member Appreciation & Networking Event
August 9, 2012
Join us for an afternoon of networking, raffles, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres at the outdoor patio of Catalyst Restaurant, located just below our offices at 300 Tech Square. Register here. (Free parking at the Tech Square Garage!)
Massachusetts in Top Quantile of U.S. Biosciences According to 2012 Battelle/BIO Report
At the 2012 BIO International Convention, BIO released their Battelle/BIO State Bioscience Industry Development 2012 report. This report analyzes the industry’s impact on the economy and recent employment trends to give an overall snapshot of how the bioscience industry is doing and also goes through a state-by-state analysis of the industry.
If you read the MassBio 2011 Industry Snapshot (2012 edition coming soon!), you know that numbers have been very good for Massachusetts (we’re home to the top 5 NIH-funded hospitals, MA receives a high percentage of VC funding, etc.), so it was no surprise to see that Massachusetts fell in the report’s Top Quantile. The report summarized Massachusetts by saying:
Massachusetts is home to a large, highly specialized, and growing bioscience industry. Since 2001 the sector has grown by 15 percent and managed to maintain job gains during the more recent period since 2007 which includes the deep national recession. The state is diverse across the subsectors with three of five having a specialized employment concentration in 2010—research, testing, and medical labs; medical devices and equipment; and drugs and pharmaceuticals.
Massachusetts also made a strong showing in the introductory, industry-overview sections of the report. Here is just one example:
Figure 5. Bioscience Employment Change by State, 2001-10
Top 5 News Stories 6/15-6/22
1. Life sciences jobs growing in Mass, Patrick says WWLP – 6/18/12
Monday was the first day of an international conference that will attract thousands of scientists from across the globe to Massachusetts. Link
2. As biotech giants convene, Massachusetts stands out Boston.com – 6/18/12
Today, biotech companies from around the world will descend on Boston to show off their wares. The Bio International Convention is a chance for Massachusetts to tout its decisive edge in this lucrative industry. Link
3. Vertex commits $1.5M to Boston STEM programs Mass High Tech – 6/18/12
Vertex Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nasdaq: VRTX) has committed about $1.5 million over the next three years to a range of programs in collaboration with the Boston Public Schools to enhance science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. Link
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.”
