Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board Issues Recommendations to Accelerate State’s Biohealth Industry

By Sandy Dubay | Apr 20, 2017

Panel identifies strengthening talent pool and increasing access to capital as areas for growth

BALTIMORE, MD (April 19, 2017) – The Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board (LSAB) today announced a series of strategic recommendations to grow Maryland’s biohealth industry and position the state as a globally recognized Top 3 U.S. BioHealth Innovation Hub by 2023. Maryland is currently one of the most asset-rich states for biohealth in the nation, and is home to top federal agencies, like the National Institutes for Health, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the National Cancer Institute; key federal research labs and world-class higher education institutions; and a confluence of more than 500 biohealth companies.

The report, which was developed by the LSAB over 10 months with the input of industry experts and leaders, framed the recommendations around four key themes that will help accelerate and strengthen Maryland’s leadership in the biohealth industry: assets, connectivity, capital and talent, or ACCT Now.

  • Leverage and grow the state’s assets and accelerate the commercialization of research;
  • Increase connectivity among and awareness of the state’s biohealth assets and resources;
  • Increase availability and access to capital for Maryland biohealth businesses, from early-stage startups to advanced-stage companies;
  • Grow the state’s talent pool of experienced biohealth entrepreneurs, business leaders, graduates and scientists with commercially relevant experience.

Read the LSAB’s full recommendations here.

“Maryland possesses some of the most valuable life sciences assets, resources, and capabilities in the country,” said Daniel J. Abdun-Nabi, president and CEO of Emergent BioSolutions and chair of the Life Sciences Advisory Board. “When coupled with an effective strategy, these elements have the potential to improve the lives of millions of patients and transform global public health and well-being while creating a vibrant, energetic, and dynamic ecosystem within the state. We believe the ACCT Now plan can serve as a blueprint to propel us forward to achieve our collective goal of becoming a top three biohealth innovation hub by 2023.”

“Many thanks to the LSAB members for their hard work assessing Maryland’s biohealth industry and developing these thoughtful and incisive recommendations to help the state reach its full potential,” said Maryland Commerce Secretary Mike Gill, who serves on the board. “I look forward to continuing to working closely with the board so we can strengthen and expand our biohealth assets and talent not just for today, but for decades to come.”

The Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board was created by the General Assembly in 2007 to help maintain Maryland’s preeminence in the life science industry. Commerce Secretary Gill and John Wasilisin, president and COO of the Maryland Technology Development Corp. (TEDCO), serve as standing members, while the remaining 16 board members are appointed by Governor Larry Hogan.

The governor’s appointees include the board’s vice-chair, University of Maryland, Baltimore President Dr. Jay A. Perman; Dr. Christopher P. Austin, director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Studies at NIH; Richard A. Bendis, president and CEO, BioHealth Innovation, Inc.; Jarrod Borkat, senior director, partnering and strategy, MedImmune; Marco A. Chacon, founder and chairman, Paragon Bioservices, Inc. and assistant V.P of industry alliances, University of Maryland, College Park; Douglas Jon Liu, senior vice president and head of global operations, Qiagen Sciences, Inc.; Theodore J. Olson, president and CEO, Pathsensors, Inc.; Wendy Perrow, CEO, AsclepiX Therapeutics; Karen L. Proudford, president, William E. Proudford Sickle Cell Fund, Inc., associate professor of management and director of the Graves Honor Program at Morgan State University; Sanjay K. Rai, chief academic officer and senior vice president for academic affairs, Montgomery College; David W. Smith, vice president of global business development and emerging technologies, Lonza Walkersville, Inc.; Col. Andrea Stahl, director, MRMC CBRN Defense Medical Research Coordinating Office and JPC-Radiation Health Effects, U.S. Army Medical Research & Material Command; John M. Wasilisin, president and COO, TEDCO; Dr. Frank Weichold, director, critical path and regulatory science initiatives, Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration; and Christy Wyskiel, senior advisor to the president and head of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, Johns Hopkins University.

About Maryland Commerce
The Maryland Department of Commerce stimulates private investment and creates jobs by attracting new businesses, encouraging the expansion and retention of existing companies, and providing financial assistance to Maryland companies. The Department promotes the State’s many economic advantages and markets local products and services at home and abroad to spur economic development and international investment, trade and tourism. Because they are major economic generators, the Department also supports the Arts, film production, sports and other special events. For more information, visit commerce.maryland.gov.

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Media Contact:
Karen Glenn Hood
Karen.glennhood@maryland.gov
410-767-6318

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