GOV. O'MALLEY APPLAUDS CREATION OF MARYLAND LIFE SCIENCES ADVISORY BOARD

Gov. Martin O'Malley, D-Md., has issued the following news release:

Gov. Martin O'Malley and Lt. Gov. Brown today applauded the legislature for passing the O'Malley-Brown Administration's Life Science Advisory Board bill. The Board, comprised of leaders from Maryland's biotechnology industry, will work to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for Maryland's life sciences industry. The announcement was made during a tour of Human Genome Sciences corporate headquarters in Rockville.

"Today, we celebrate an important milestone in our mission to make Maryland the bioscience capital of the world - the passage of the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board," said Governor O'Malley. "I want to thank the General Assembly for passing this key legislation, and I look forward to signing this bill after session. This Board will bring together, for the first time, key leaders in the bioscience industry to create a roadmap for Maryland's bioscience assets."

The bill to establish the Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board (SB 104) passed the legislature on March 26th, and Governor O'Malley will sign it into law after the General Assembly adjourns next week. The Board creates a central entity to help Maryland

* Promote life sciences research, development, commercialization and manufacturing in the State

* Promote collaboration and coordination among life science organizations in Maryland

* Develop a strategy to coordinate state and federal resources to attract private sector investment and job creation in the life sciences

* Develop a strategy to support federal life sciences facilities located in the state, including support for education, transportation, housing and capital investment needs, and

* Make recommendations to address critical needs in the life sciences, including access to venture capital and capital construction funding.

"We know that the key to our future is staying on the cutting edge of technology, particularly in the biosciences," said Lt. Governor Brown. "The Maryland Life Sciences Advisory Board will provide us with a strategic plan to remain a global leader in biotechnology."

Comprised of 15 members, the Board will include the Secretary of Business and Economic Development (DBED), a representative from the Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO), three representatives from federal agencies with life science missions, five representatives from biotechnology businesses in Maryland, four representatives from institutions of higher education, and a member of the general public.

Maryland's Biotechnology Industry

Maryland is home to more than 380 bioscience companies, one of the fastest growing clusters in the United States. Maryland's private-sector bioscience companies employ approximately 30,000; an additional 30,000 workers are employed at federal and academic institutions. Maryland ranks second worldwide for initiatives aimed at drawing and retaining biotechnology companies including building research parks, investing public funds, and providing tax incentives. Much of Maryland's success and competitiveness can be attributed to the State's significant commitment and long-term investment in bioscience infrastructure - totaling more than $450 million. The recipient of $7.2 billion in federal research and development obligations annually, Maryland continues to be a leader in per capita spending in the nation.

Maryland was recently ranked second in the nation by the Milken Institute for biopharmaceutical innovation. In June 2005, Maryland was also recognized by Ernst & Young as one of the top three centers for biodefense in the United States. Maryland is home to U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, a leading facility for biodefense vaccine research; University of Maryland at Baltimore (UMB) Center for Vaccine Development, the only university vaccine center in the world engaged in the full range of vaccinology; National Institutes of Health Vaccine Research Center; University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute; and Institute for Vaccine Safety at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.