Blue Ribbon Study Panel will provide crucial guidance.

Press Release Summary:



Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense will identify and recommend changes to U.S. policy and law to strengthen national biodefense and preparedness while optimizing resource investments with goal of issuing a report in the spring of 2015. Study will be directed by Dr. Robert Kadlec, former special assistant to the President for homeland security and senior director for biological defense policy in the White House Homeland Security Council.



Original Press Release:



BIO: Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense Will Provide Crucial Guidance to Strengthen Preparedness against Devastating Threats



WASHINGTON -- Today marks the inaugural meeting of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense, a bipartisan panel co-chaired by former Senator Joe Lieberman and former Governor and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Panelists include former Senator Tom Daschle, former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala, former US Homeland Security Advisor Kenneth Wainstein, and Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) President and CEO and former Representative Jim Greenwood. The study will be directed by Dr. Robert Kadlec, former special assistant to the President for homeland security and senior director for biological defense policy in the White House Homeland Security Council.



“The efforts of this panel could not be more timely, as our nation continues to face growing challenges and threats from abroad, including infectious diseases such as Ebola and terrorist groups who have voiced a desire to obtain chemical and biological weapons”



The Panel will identify and recommend changes to U.S. policy and law to strengthen national biodefense and preparedness while optimizing resource investments with the goal of issuing a report in the spring of 2015.



“The efforts of this panel could not be more timely, as our nation continues to face growing challenges and threats from abroad, including infectious diseases such as Ebola and terrorist groups who have voiced a desire to obtain chemical and biological weapons,” said BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood. “It is clearly necessary to assess our current biodefense capabilities and readiness to respond to such threats.”



“I look forward to working with panel co-chairs Senator Lieberman and Governor Ridge and my fellow panelists in the coming months as we hear from experts representing the spectrum of biodefense stakeholders to identify opportunities to improve our preparedness.”



About BIO

BIO is the world's largest trade association representing biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIOtechNOW is BIO's blog chronicling “innovations transforming our world” and the BIO Newsletter is the organization’s bi-weekly email newsletter. Subscribe to the BIO Newsletter.



Upcoming BIO Events



BIO Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioenergy

December 7-9, 2014

San Diego, CA



BIO CEO & Investor Conference

February 9-10, 2015

New York City, NY



BIO Asia International Conference

March 24-25, 2015

Tokyo, Japan



BIO International Convention

June 15-18, 2015

Philadelphia, PA



Contacts

Biotechnology Industry Organization

Daniel Seaton, 202-470-5207

Web: www.bio.org

Blog: www.biotech-now.org

Twitter: @IAmBiotech

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