CEO Insights

Statement on Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board Upper Payment Limit Vote

Statement on Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board Upper Payment Limit Vote

Frederick, MD (September 10, 2024) – The Maryland Tech Council, the state’s largest life sciences and technology trade association, today released the following statement regarding the Maryland Prescription Drug Affordability Board’s vote to approve an upper payment limit (UPL) action plan with respect to certain drugs bought by state and local governments.

Statement from Kelly Schulz, Chief Executive Officer:

“As Maryland seeks to expand its global life sciences leadership, we have serious concerns that the Prescription Drug Affordability Board is pursuing policies that will harm our life sciences ecosystem without making medications more affordable for patients.

“We urge that the Board make patient out-of-pocket costs a serious consideration in its Cost Review Study, and to scrutinize the significant impact Pharmacy Benefit Managers have on drug prices and patient affordability. We urge the Board to not take any actions that could potentially compromise access to life-saving medications. We also urge the Board to provide additional detail on what measures, other than UPL’s are under consideration to bring down the costs of prescription drugs for patients. Any analysis that does not include these factors is insufficient to understand what drives the price of a given drug.

“Maryland is rich in assets that make life sciences innovation possible – with 54,000 life sciences jobs and 2,700 life sciences and biotechnology companies developing medications and therapies the world depends on. It is vital that the Board’s decisions not negatively impact an industry that is such a critical asset to Maryland’s economy.”

About the Maryland Tech Council

The Maryland Tech Council (MTC) is a collaborative community that is actively engaged in building strong technology and life science industries by supporting the efforts of our individual members. We are the largest technology and life sciences trade association in the state of Maryland, and we provide value by giving members a forum to learn, share, and connect. MTC brings the region’s community together into a single, united organization that empowers our members to achieve their business goals through advocacy, networking and education. The vision for the Maryland Tech Council is to propel Maryland to become the number one innovation economy for life sciences and technology in the country. For more information: mdtechcouncil.com.

How we turn our statewide presence into local impact

How we turn our statewide presence into local impact

The Maryland Tech Council loves to seize untapped opportunities, and that’s precisely what we have done with the launch of two new regional councils.

We created the Prince George’s County Tech Council and the Baltimore Regional Tech Council to fulfill in their communities our statewide mission – support member companies at the local level who are saving lives, securing our nation and improving quality of life through innovation.

Maryland is no monolith. Prince George’s County and the Baltimore region possess their own unique assets and policies that impact the tech and life science companies in their backyards, from universities and federal installations to local government procurement policies and talent pipelines. Moreover, they boast more than $128 billion in gross domestic product, nearly 60,000 businesses, and 3 million residents who are some of the most highly educated in the world. 

They are twin engines of innovation, and they deserve a unified voice advancing the local interests of technology and life science industries through educational programming, advocacy, networking and more. 

The early results from our launch have been fantastic. The Prince George’s County Tech Council enjoyed a packed house at its kickoff event, and registration is filling up fast for the Baltimore Regional Tech Council’s kickoff event Tuesday, May 3 at Union Craft Brewing. 

Best of all, any MTC member can become a regional tech council member. Our local momentum is growing – and so is our membership. Find out how you can become a member of the Prince George’s County Tech Council  or the Baltimore Regional Tech Council today. 

Maryland’s Record-Breaking Year for Venture Capital

Venture capital money has a knack for finding great companies and great innovation ecosystems.

After reading the latest Pitchbook NVCA Venture Monitor report, it’s clear Maryland is meeting that standard.

Maryland companies raised a record $2.27 billion in venture capital in 2021 – that’s an 83 percent increase over the previous record of $1.24 billion raised in 2021. Further, over the past decade we’ve seen a 49 percent increase in the number of venture capital deals in Maryland, with 175 deals done in 2021. 

These deals are catalysts for new economic activity in our communities – new hires, new equipment, new lab and office space – as well as the development of new products and services that make our world healthier and safer. It’s a testament to the work of these great companies, and also how crucial it is to protect and grow our innovation ecosystem in Maryland. 

Congrats to the following MTC members on being recognized by Pitchbook for their venture capital deals in 2021:  

With BioBuzz Award, Marketing Campaign Keeps Getting Better

I am thrilled to share that Maryland Life Sciences has just won the 2021 BioBuzz Media Award for its popular marketing campaign — “It’s Better Here.”

One year ago, Maryland Life Sciences launched the “It’s Better Here” campaign to share with the world why Maryland–and the BioCapital region–is a global life science hotbed. The campaign told the stories of the men and women driving innovation in the four life sectors that propel our region: vaccine development, cell & gene therapy, biomanufacturing, and immunotherapy. 

You can read the stories from GSK, Rooster Bio, Zalgen, Altimmune, Noble Life Sciences, Advanced Bioscience Laboratories, and many more by visiting the Maryland Life Sciences It’s Better Here campaign page.

As BioBuzz puts it, this award, “recognizes the media campaigns or platforms that successfully engaged, informed and connected people and reflected favorably on the BioHealth Capital Region.” Thanks to the BioBuzz team and all those in our community who voted for It’s Better Here. 

A big congratulations goes to our remarkable staff for executing this campaign, particularly Wendy Worm, Vice President of Marketing & Programs; Angela Hongmanivanh, Creative Designer and Digital Manager, and Michelle Ferrone, Vice President of Operations. 

Most importantly, I want to thank you–the men and women of Maryland’s life sciences community. Your tireless pursuit of the vaccines, therapies, products, and services that save lives truly make it “Better Here” in Maryland and the BioCapital Region. This honor would not be possible without you.   

A Breakthrough at MIT is Driving Venture Growth in Maryland

Back in 1997, Alec Dingee and Dave Staelin had an idea. 

The entrepreneurs turned academics knew their employer, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was a world-class launchpad for research and innovation. They also observed that too many MIT students opted against launching a business based on their research because they didn’t think they could run a company. 

Alec and Dave wanted to change that, so they developed the Venture Mentoring Service (VMS), a free program to give local entrepreneurs unbiased advice from seasoned volunteer mentors for as long as the entrepreneurs needed it. 

They matched mentors with willing entrepreneurs to share practical, day-to-day advice on starting and running a business. Mentors were vetted for their experience in areas relevant to the needs of entrepreneurs: product development, marketing, intellectual property law, capital markets, human resources, and founders issues.

VMS Companies Have Raised $3.1 Billion

It didn’t take long for Alec’s and Dave’s phones to start ringing, and it hasn’t stopped twenty-four years later. VMS has served nearly 300 Massachusetts companies breaking new ground in genome engineering, artificial intelligence, 3D imaging, edtech, clean energy, and more. Collectively, these companies have raised more than $3.1 billion.

Now Maryland Companies Can Join VMS

The Maryland Tech Council now offers its own MIT-licenced Venture Mentor Service. Our program mirrors what made MIT’s VMS so effective: free, unbiased mentoring services from tested mentors, and a flexible arrangement that puts the entrepreneur’s schedule and needs first. We’re focused on companies in the technology and life sciences fields that are preparing to raise their first or second round of venture capital or institutional financing.

I am thrilled to report that nearly 60 Maryland ventures have joined our VMS program and teamed with 120 trained mentors with expertise in entrepreneurship, capital markets, engineering, HR, accounting, and more — all at no cost to the venture. 

Without them [VMS program], we would have had to expend significant resources or learned from trial and error which can be costly.” — Prakash Chakravarthi, CEO, Machfu

“It’s an opportunity to learn about yourself through the act of mentoring and learn about innovative science in the area through the groups you mentor. It’s also wonderful to see teams that you’ve mentored grow!  You also get to meet some great mentors and build a professional network within the area.” — Murat Kalayoglu, MD, PhD, MBA, President & CEO, Cartesian Therapeutics

I’ve been privileged to serve as a mentor to some outstanding companies in our VMS program. Let’s be clear: They own their success. Our value is to be advisors – not directors – and we learn as much from the venture executives as we hope they learn from us.

To learn how your company can benefit from the Maryland Tech Council’s Venture Mentoring Service, visit www.marylandmentoring.org.

BioCapital Life Sciences Career Fair

At the BioCapital Life Sciences Career Fair, a job application every minute

Congratulations to the Maryland life sciences community for a successful BioCapital Life Sciences Virtual Career Fair on February 18th, where 18 life sciences companies across the region met with nearly 200 job seekers in our virtual exhibit hall. In all, job seekers submitted nearly 400 job applications over the course of a six-hour career fair – that’s more than one job application every minute!

It is also nearly 400 votes for a career in life sciences in a single day. These are men and women who rightly believe a career in life sciences can improve quality of life through innovation – and quite literally save lives.

For employers, a career fair focused on life sciences proved critical. 

“At GSK, we strive to attract the best people and the BioCapital Life Sciences Career Fair allowed us to make some valuable connections. We truly enjoyed the event and loved the virtual platform. A major plus was that the fair attracted attendees at all career levels – students seeking internships, recent graduates, PhDs, and seasoned professionals. This made the event worthwhile because we could share and promote the various types of career opportunities available at GSK.” – KaShauna G. Rohlehr, MBA, PMP, Associate Director – Alliance, Program and Project Management, Rockville Biopharm, GSK

With one of the largest life sciences clusters in the nation, Maryland is at the tip of the spear for vaccine development for COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. Our work matters to the world, and the BioCapital Life Sciences Virtual Career Fair reaffirms that people are the guiding force behind the industry’s work.

A big thanks to the career fair’s participating employers: Kite Pharma; GSK Rockville Biopharm; ABL, Inc.; QIAGEN; SERAXIS; Immunomic Therapeutics; Cognate Bioservices; Amarex Clinical Research; Adaptive Phage Therapeutics; Trove Therapeutics; Evon Medics, LLC; EzBiome; Fina Biosolutions LLC; Hansoh Bio; Navitas Clinical Research; Origene Technologies; Salamandra; and Thrive.

Learn more about the @Maryland Tech Council’s life sciences events at https://members.mdtechcouncil.com/mdtcalendar