December 8, 2021

Rockville, Md. — Montgomery County is home to the new Global Pandemic Prevention and Biodefense Center launched by Connected DMV. The Center will be co-located in Rockville at the US Pharmacopeia offices at 12601 Twinbrook Pkwy, Rockville, MD 20852.

Connected DMV, a leading Greater Washington organization that seeks to help solve complex regional challenges, spearheaded efforts to establish the Global Pandemic Prevention and Biodefense Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Center’s goal is to help prevent future outbreaks from becoming pandemics by developing a stockpile of human monoclonal antibodies in advance for emerging infectious diseases and by integrating antibody distribution and delivery across the global health and pandemic prevention ecosystem. Montgomery County is uniquely positioned to be the host location for the Center, which aims to harness the rich talent and critical health research, biotech, defense, and government assets required to deliver a full-scale response.

Connected DMV represents a regional effort toward a shared vision for new, transformational approaches and initiatives that span jurisdictional boundaries. Connected DMV regional initiatives include pandemic prevention and preparedness, infrastructure resilience, quantum innovation, clean energy, economic mobility, economic renewal, and social equity. Montgomery County representatives, including the County Executive and the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC), serve on the steering committee of several Connected DMV initiatives.

“Montgomery County is uniquely positioned to be the host location for the Center, which aims to harness the rich talent and critical health research, biotech, defense, and government assets required to deliver a full-scale response,” said County Executive Marc Elrich. “This Center is not only critical to the health, safety, and security of our nation and world, but also this is an important economic development and job creating concept that we want to see come to fruition.”

Rockville’s US Pharmacopeia, an independent, scientific nonprofit organization focused on building trust in the global medicine supply chain, welcomes the Center to co-locate at its Twinbrook Parkway campus. “We are honored and privileged to host the groundbreaking work Connected DMV is doing,” said Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, US Pharmacopeia. “Montgomery County is one of the leading life sciences hubs in the world, so it makes perfect sense for the Global Pandemic Prevention and Biodefense Center to be here.”

“We appreciate the leadership and sponsorship from Montgomery County, MCEDC, and US Pharmacopeia in support of the strategy and now the physical location for the Global Pandemic Prevention and Biodefense Center,” said Stu Solomon, President & CEO of Connected DMV. “Working together, the Center will deliver an ambitious, medical countermeasures program (AHEAD100) that aims to develop and stockpile monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) for the world’s top 100 pathogens across the 25 pathogen families most likely to cause future pandemics while also driving equitable economic growth in the DMV.”

“Locating the Global Pandemic Prevention and Biodefense Center in Montgomery County represents a significant milestone in our collective efforts both regionally and across sectors – government, industry, academia, community, and philanthropy – to prevent the next pandemic and drive equitable economic growth,” said Benjamin H. Wu, President and CEO of MCEDC. “The initiatives such as the Pandemic Prevention Center that Connected DMV is advancing for our region are among the most visionary, transformational, and innovative efforts that our region has pursued together.”