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IN THE KNOW: DECEMBER, 2019
Dear Members and Friends:
NMBio’s board members and I send you our best wishes for a Merry Christmas as well as for a happy, successful and healthy New Year.
Due to variety of factors, Board Chair Rick VanNess and I made the decision to postpone our annual holiday networking event until late January when the association would have less competition for your attention. We plan to host the event in conjunction with the annual election of our board members (date to be determined; stay tuned). Board members recently made the decision to expand the board from 17 to 20 members. In addition to Rick giving a review of the association’s 2020 successes, congratulating and welcoming new board members, he’ll be recognizing key individuals for their contributions to the success of their firms and/or their contributions to the bioscience community and the association. I’ll highlight several of our most promising initiatives for 2020, including a significant presence at the BIO 2020 convention in San Diego, June 8-11, organizing and creating an editorial insert on NM’s accelerating bioscience sector for inclusion in Site Selection’s annual edition on the bioscience sector, and recruiting more service firms that can meet your needs and save you money at the same time.
Please save the date of January 14 for our first event of 2020; the annual legislative forecast meeting. House Speaker Brian Egolf is our keynote luncheon speaker. The event will be held at the well-known and highly-rated Rio Chama restaurant, which is within easy walking distance of the state capitol building. Final details will be forwarded after we celebrate the New Year holiday.
Earlier this month, I attended BIO’s annual retreat for the leaders of the state associations in Savannah, GA. NMBio is a proud member and participant in the Council of State Bioscience Associations, an affiliate of BIO. In fact, I had the opportunity to lobby my colleagues to hold next year’s event in Santa Fe (CSBA’s executive committee will make a decision on the event’s location before spring’s arrival).
CSBA is a confederation of state-based, non-profit trade organizations representing the biotechnology industry at the state-level. The bioscience companies that we represent are working toward groundbreaking cures and treatments for devastating diseases, developing technologies for advanced biofuels and renewable chemicals, and researching novel gene traits for identifying food sources that could help combat global hunger. The US bioscience industry, the most innovative in the world, is a strong economic driver—our member companies directly employ more than 1.66 million Americans at over 77,000 companies. The total employment impact of the industry is more than 9.2 million jobs. Our sector, was the only business sector, that saw significant growth during the last recession. BIO will be releasing updated stats at this year’s convention.
As you know, we sent out membership renewal invoices earlier than usual this year so that we could focus on other tasks at the start of the year. The overall response was excellent. I can now allocate some of my time to focusing on sponsorships for our luncheon events, The Knowledge Fair & Expo, the NM Pavilion, ads and sponsorships for the planned magazine editorial and reprints, as well as the website (it’s time for some changes).
As you are preparing your 2020 marketing budgets, the association’s board members and I encourage you to consider sponsoring NMBio in your plans for the new year. We are planning numerous events around the state, all with excellent sponsorship opportunities. Supporting NMBio events is an extremely effective way to gain brand visibility and make valuable connections, while also supporting NM’s growing bioscience community. Event sponsorship benefits often include marketing space at events, logo presence, complimentary event registrations, as well as the opportunity to make a personal marketing pitch. You can also save money bundling membership and sponsorship. Please contact me if you’d like to discuss creating a marketing package tailored to your goals and budget.
Greg Byrnes
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The Medical Devise Tax Is History
With many of you focused on year end work deadlines and the upcoming holidays, you may have missed several national legislative actions on Friday that will have a major impact on the bioscience, medical technology and health care sectors.
Here\s a quick summary:
President Donald Trump signed the bipartisan 2020 Appropriations Act that includes U.S. Government funding packages and other key pieces of legislation. With the President’s signature, the Medical Device Excise Tax, which originated as a component of the Affordable Care Act and has been under a two year suspension that would have expired on December 31, 2019 is repealed. This will enable the medical device community to make more investments into projects that can improve the quality of life for residents across NM and the US.
Other industry related components signed into law as part of the funding package include:
- Repeal of the “Cadillac Tax,” an enacted but not yet implemented part of the Affordable Care Act which would have imposed a 40% tax on the most generous employer-provided health insurance plans
- Repeal of the ACA’s Health Insurance Fee Tax (HIT) on premiums
- Enactment of the LAB Act which will improve the accuracy of Medicare reimbursement rates for clinical diagnostic laboratory services and help to establish a more realistic reimbursement system for innovative diagnostics that save and improve peoples’ lives
- Enactment of the CREATES Act which is designed to support expediting the development of biosimillars
More Funding for Science: - NIH: +7% or $2.6 billion more, totaling a $41.7 billion budget
- NSF: +2.5% or $203 million more, totaling a $8.28 billion budget
- DOE: +6.3% or $415 million more, totaling a $7 billion budget for the Office of Science
- NASA: +3.4% or $233 million more, totaling a $7.14 billion budget.
Increased FDA funding of $91 million, totaling $3.2 billion in discretionary funding. The total FDA funding with user fees totals $5.8 billion with $75 million designated for the 21st Century Cures Act
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Share Your AdvaMed Session Ideas for MedTech’s 2020 Conference
AdvaMed is seeking session proposals for its annual The MedTech Conference 2020 that are relevant, timely and practical to the medical device industry. Organizing a session at The MedTech Conference allows you to set the agenda for the industry’s greatest minds and firmly establish your position as a leading authority in medtech. Deadline to submit: January 31.The conference will be held from October 5-7 in Toronto. Organizations from or affiliated with the medtech industry are welcome to submit session ideas dealing with the latest trends, advancements and critical issues in the field. Session proposals should fall under one of the following tracks:
- Business Strategies
- Legal and Health Care Compliance Best Practices
- Market Access, Payment and Health Care Delivery Issues
- Regulatory, Quality and Good Manufacturing Practices
- Emerging Trends
- Patient Perspectives
- Public Affairs and Communications
- International
- Global Health
The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 31, 2020. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed or considered. In order to be considered, session proposals must be submitted by the deadline.. Acceptance notifications will be sent via email in April.
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VisionQuest Biomedical Awarded NMSBIR Grant
Economic Development Secretary Alicia J. Keyes recently announced that NMBio member VisionQuest was one of three NM companies to receive a New Mexico Small Business Innovation Research (NMSBIR) Grant. The NMSBIR Grant Program provides recipients additional resources to commercialize the technology that they are developing using Federal SBIR funding. NMSBIR is designed to support local science and technology companies in achieving their goals.
VisionQuest develops and deploys imaging technologies to give access to the millions of individuals in the U.S. and worldwide with limited or no access to healthcare, especially as related to diabetes and eyecare. Funds will go toward commercialization of new retinol image technology which will allow for better identification of malarial biomarkers in eyes to diagnose cerebral malaria, a disease that is most common in tropical regions of the world such as Africa.
SBIR grants are competitive federal grants supporting small businesses engaged in research and development of high potential technologies. This competitive grant matches Phase I SBIR awards up to $25,000 and Phase II awardees are eligible for a match up to $100,000. Companies interested in applying for the NMSBIR Grant Program can find more information on the state website, http://gonm.biz or by contacting Myrriah Tomar, Office of Science & Technology Director at Myrriah.Tomar@state.nm.us or (505) 827-0222.
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New BIO Business Solutions Program – Brex Corporate Credit CardBrex is an innovator in the corporate credit card industry and is providing special rewards for NMBio members.
MEMBER BENEFITS:
BIO has pre-negotiated these rewards and favorable terms from Brex:
• 60,000 point signup bonus ($600 value)
• Waived card fees for life (value equal to $60 per/card per/year)
• Tailored rewards and points with 3x on lab supplies, 7x on conference registrations, and 4x on travel
• 5-minute application process (completely online) with instant access to virtual cards
• No personal guarantee or collateral requirements
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BIO One-on-One Partnering™ for the 2020 BIO CEO & Investor Conference Is Now Open! What does that mean for you? It means it’s time to register for the February 10-11 conference in NYC so you can be one of the first people to access the system, set up your company profile, set your calendar availability, and search for the companies you want to meet. BIO’s data shows that those who send meeting requests early schedule the most meetings.
Register before December 31 and save up to $300! Discounted rates for discovery and emerging innovators. Complimentary registration for qualified investors.
Check out the extensive list of companies and investors you can expect to see including AbbVie, Altimumune, Aisling Capital, Astellas Pharma US, BTIG, Celavie Biosciences, Canaccord Genuity, Daré Bioscience, EpicentRx, Greenwich LifeSciences, ImmunoMet Therapeutics, J.P. Morgan, Newron Pharmaceuticals, Oncolytics Biotech, Oppenheimer & Co. , Otsuka Pharmaceutical, Quadrant Biosciences, Sanofi US, TargetGene Biotechnologies, TriSalus Life Sciences, Viking Therapeutics, X-Biotix Therapeutics.
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International Conference on Engineering Synthetic Cells & Organelles, May 11-14
This SynCell 2020 conference will focus on bottom-up synthetic biology,* assessing the state-of-the-art, and identifying current grand challenges and opportunities in synthetic cell design and technology.
The conference features world leaders in synthetic cell technology from premier US and German universities and national laboratories. Day 1 of the conference will be dedicated to an educational agenda for aspiring researchers in the form of in-depth and interactive tutorials. Topic areas for the main program will include: Strategies to Create Synthetic Cells & Organelles; Spatial & Temporal Organization of Synthetic Cytoplasmic Structures; Signaling & Circuits; Molecular Machines, Mechanics & Motility; Implications of Synthetic Cell Technology.
Opportunities for participation through contributed talks and posters are available.
Please visit the conference website, syncell2020.unm.edu, for full conference details.
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HSC Health Hackathon, February 21-23, 2020
You are invited to participate in an innovative forum designed to foster new healthcare solutions. The Clinical & Translational Science Center (CTSC) is presenting its second annual HSC Health Hackathon! This three-day event will bring together entrepreneurs, students, scientists, engineers, clinicians, and developers to create solutions (“health hacks”) to problems facing healthcare today.
Participants will spend the weekend of February 21-23, 2020 hacking health. A special welcome reception will kick off the weekend to encourage networking and spark ideas. The CTSC will provide refreshments and meals throughout the hacking hours. The weekend will come to an exciting conclusion as a panel of judges will award prizes to winning project pitches.
Space is limited. You are encouraged to register now – click here. For additional information, contact Maren Krake Dalton MKrakeDalton@salud.unm.edu.
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STAT Madness 2020: Enter today!Rick Berke, Executive Editor, of STAT News had announced the fourth annual STAT Madness, where universities, medical schools, and nonprofit research institutions compete for recognition that they have produced the most exciting biomedical discovery or innovation of the past year.
STAT Madness is a celebration of extraordinary science and school spirit. It’s a chance to brag about your alma mater and its work on the frontiers of medicine. “We’re thrilled by how many institutions have thrown themselves into the competition, with videos, rallies, and other efforts to make their work stand out,” he said.
Here’s the entry form, the rules, and an FAQ page. Nominations are due by Jan. 22, 2020. |
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The Santa Fe Business Incubator Launches Solo Worker Program
By combining existing proven resources with new service elements, the Santa Fe Business Incubator (SFBI) recently announced the creation of our Solo Worker program. This program caters specifically to single member businesses, solopreneurs and participants in the gig-economy. The Solo Worker program takes the incredible resources and network connections the Incubator has built over 20 years of assisting high growth startup companies and focuses them on addressing the unique needs and requirements of solo workers. If you know of any Solo Workers who you think would benefit from joining this program please encourage them to apply at www.sfbi.net. For questions or more information, please feel free to contact Program Manager, Jessica Moose at jmoose@sfbi.net. SFBI is offering this program at no cost through April, 2020
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Fighting the Superbug
BIO’s antimicrobial resistance (AMR) campaign, Working to Fight AMR, continues to grow. BIO is working with prominent scientists, public policy experts, and biotech industry leaders to raise public awareness about the urgent issue of deadly drug-resistant superbugs — and the need for decisive government action to spur the development of new antimicrobials.
· The campaign has nearly 11,500 allies;
· These advocates have sent more than 53,000 messages to Congress;
· Potential earned media reach totals 476 million readers; and
· Great coverage in Axios, USA Today, Morning Consult and more.
BIO recruited Brandon Noble, a former NFL star who contracted MRSA while recovering from a minor surgery on his right knee and was forced to retire, to tell his powerful story. Click here.
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BIO Online Learning: Training for Life Science Professionals
BIO has partnered with Biotech Primer Inc. to offer on-demand training courses accessible anywhere, anytime. Biotech Primer is a training organization dedicated to helping professionals understand the science, business, and regulatory processes essential to the Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical, Molecular Diagnostics and Medical Device industries. BIO Online Learning will help you make strategic business decisions, navigate important regulatory hurdles, and move healthcare products from the bench to the bedside. Go here to browse the course catalog: https://biotechprimer.com/online-training/
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Biotechnology Masters and Certificate Options Online | Johns Hopkins University
https://landing.advanced.jhu.edu/biotechnology?utm_source=li
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READING LIST
Sandoval Economic Alliance Names Fred Shepherd CEO
https://www.bizjournals.com/albuquerque/news/2019/12/03/sandoval-economic-alliance-names-new-ceo.html?ana=e_me_set1
Four principles to guide incentive use – Smart Incentives
https://smartincentives.org/four-principles-to-guide-incentive-use/
The Meat Industry is Unsustainable
IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Michael Dent has recently published a new report titled “Plant-based and cultured meat 2020-2030: Technologies, markets and forecasts in novel meat replacements“, focusing on the future of novel meat alternatives.
Greg Byrnes Executive Director NMBio 610-731-3671 (M)
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