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MichBio | September BioLink

October 7, 2020

Michigan Business Network

MichBio Welcomes Two New Board Members.

MichBio’s Spring/Summer Issue of BioMatters is Done!

This edition of the magazine features MichBio members who are “relentlessly innovating” to meet the “endless need” of patients in Michigan and around the globe. Read about Ultragenyx and its work in the rare disease space, Tetra Therapeutics and its work tackling memory loss disorders, Ehmet Health and its unique approach to breast cancer diagnostics, and more. This edition shows what the Michigan Bio-industry does best – improving and saving lives.

Members can look for the print copy in their mailbox!

CHECK OUT THE MAGAZINE

We are currently seeking advertisers for the Fall/Winter edition of the magazine. The upcoming edition will feature Michigan companies involved in COVID-19 work and will have wide distribution within the bio-industry, as well as, with legislators and economic development organizations.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT ADVERTISING IN BIOMATTERS

Biotech Votes 2020

Verify. Register. Learn.

The 2020 election season is full of candidates and issues of importance to the bio-industry. BIO – the Biotechnology Innovation Organization – is leading a nationwide campaign to verify, register, and educate the bio-industry community in local and national issues. Michigan voters can find out if they are registered to vote and what’s on their local ballot in a Michigan specific website created in partnership with MichBio.

FIND MY LOCAL CANDIDATES

FDA Releases New “Feed Your Mind” Consumer Education Materials

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has posted additional consumer educational materials for “Feed Your Mind,” an initiative to provide science-based information on genetically modified foods, commonly called GMOs or genetically modified organisms.

“GMO foods have been available to consumers since the early 1990s. Since then, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have worked together to ensure that crops produced through genetic engineering are safe for people, animals, and the environment. Despite there being a wide range of foods-GMO and non-GMO-available to consumers, there is some confusion around what GMOs are and how they are used in our food supply.” Continue reading…

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Relentless Innovation at Work.

The Latest “I am BIO” Podcast Discusses Pushing the Limits of What is “Scientifically Possible”

The ability to produce COVID vaccines in record time only scratches the surface of what synthetic biology can do. Gingko Bioworks out of Boston is now 3-D printing millions of letters of DNA code and then using CRISPR to insert them into living cells, transforming what’s scientifically possible

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Advocacy at the Federal Level

“Most Favored Nation” Executive Order Issued to Address Drug Prices. President Trump signed an executive order (EO) prescribing foreign price controls to set prices in both Medicare Part B and Part D. The EO would test a payment model based the lowest price, after adjusting for volume and other variables, for a pharmaceutical drug sold in a select group of countries. The plan is viewed as a serious attack on U.S. biopharmaceutical innovation, disruptive to the marketplace and Medicare, and most importantly, may result in significant restrictions on access to life-saving therapies. MichBio vehemently opposes the EO and will continue its focus on drug-pricing reforms that lower out-of-pocket costs for patients.

Trump Administration Issues Final Rule on Drug Importation. A final rule to allow the importation of prescription drugs from Canada was released by the Trump Administration on September 24. In so doing, it creates the opportunity for states to seek FDA approval for their respective importation plans. Six states have already passed laws seeking permission to establish drug importation programs. The final rule is likely to face legal challenges from pharmaceutical manufacturers and opposition from Canadian authorities. MichBio, its many pharma member companies and national partners like PhRMA and BIO continue to have serious concerns about drug importation.

Advocacy at the State Level

MichBio Hosts Legislative Briefing on Genomic Medicine. MichBio hosted a legislative briefing on “Genomic Medicine: Transformative Treatments, Transforming Lives”. The webcast explored how genomic technologies are being applied in the research lab and clinic to characterize and treat rare diseases and presented patient perspectives on the promise of these technologies. Presenters included Steven Pipe, MD (Professor, Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan), Jennifer Shumsky (Patient Advocate, Little Hercules Foundation), Marianne Hunderman (Patient Advocate, Cure SMA) and Wanda Whitten-Shurney, MD (CEO and Medical Director, Sickle Cell Disease Association of America – Michigan Chapter).

The briefing was recorded and is available here.

Drug and Medical Price Transparency Bills Voted Out of Committee. The Michigan House Health Policy Committee met to discuss the nine-bill “medical price transparency” package covering prescription drug manufacturers, pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers. All bills passed out of the Committee and now move to the House Ways & Means Committee. MichBio and its partners continue to oppose HB 5937 (“Rx Drug Price Transparency”) and HB 5940 (“Manufacturer Gift”).

Your Voice is Important

You can help keep decision-makers informed on the needs of the bio-industry and help support business-friendly policies that allow for continued growth and development of tools and technologies that improve and save lives. Use the link below to send us an email and find out how you can help.

JOIN THE ADVOCACY EFFORT

MichBio Member Subsidiary of the MSU Foundation:

MSU Foundation – Investment Analyst

The MSU Foundation looks to hire an Investment Analyst to work closely with the Executive Director, Director of Finance, and Chair of the MSU Foundation’s Investment Committee to assist with the management of the investment portfolio.

To apply, please construct a single PDF document that includes a cover letter and resume. Please send the document to resumes@msufoundation.org no later than October 9, 2020

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Arbor Assays – R&D Lab Technician

This position reports to the lead Research and Development Scientist and is involved with Product Development and Sample Testing while supporting Manufacturing and Quality Control activities within the laboratory. Utilizing established mathematical and scientific techniques to compile and analyze data, the right candidate will be writing technical reports, detailing procedures, outcomes and observations.

Please email your information to us at jobs@ArborAssays.com.