Our mission is to provide education and advocacy for Connecticut’s bioscience and life science communities at the policy level and ensure synergy of action and alignment of state and federal initiatives that have a significant impact on our members.
Click below to read BioCT’s 2024 Legislative Agenda, to ensure CT remains economically competitive for life sciences industries and jobs.
The Government Affairs Committee is comprised of BioCT board members, industry executives and business advisors including the government relations firm of Rome, Smith, Lutz & Kowalski, which has deep expertise in matters impacting our industry.
Jodie Gillon
President & CEO,
BioCT
John Harkins
Vice President,
Rome, Smith, Lutz & Kowalski
Christopher Smith
Partner,
Rome, Smith, Lutz & Kowalski
Joseph Oros
Director, State Government Affairs
AbbVie
Matthew O’Donnell
Senior Director, State Government Affairs,
Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease
Brian Rosen
Director, State Government Affairs, East
Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease
Stephen Burm
Director, State Government Affairs,
Northeast Region
BIO
Jennifer Herz
State Government Affairs, Regional Director,
Boehringer Ingelheim
Dmitri Siegel
Director, Alliance Development,
Bristol Myers Squibb
Joni Arvai
Senior Manager, State Government Affairs,
Bristol Myers Squibb
Karla White
State Government Affairs Manager, East Coast,
CSL Behring
Rich Horgan
Founder and CEO,
CURE Rare Disease
Kathy Andrews Bilotas
Director of State Government Affairs,
Eli Lilly
Bill Claffey
Partner, Tax Services,
Fiondella, Milone & LaSaracina
Sandra Ribeiro
Director, State Government Affairs,
GSK
Lisa Roy
Director of Government & Community Relations,
The Jackson Laboratory for Genomic Medicine
John Kocinsky
Executive VP, Technical Opperations,
Mannkind
Kenneth Hiscoe
Government Relations Director,
Pfizer
Laura Ekas
SVP, Head of Corporate & Commercial Strategy,
Rallybio
Valerie Volpe
Federal Liason
Regeneron
Kathryn Lavriha
Director, State Government Relations,
Sanofi
Marie DeSanto Schweitzer
Director, Government Relations for Health Affairs,
University of Connecticut
Joann Lombardo
Senior Director, Governmental Relations,
University of Connecticut
Jillian Jackson
Associate Director of State Relations,
Yale University
BioCT’s advocacy wins at the state level include:
Federal advocacy focuses on the continuing robustness of these agencies:
February 27, 2023
BioCT respectfully requests that the committee amend the bill to: (1) increase the cash exchange rate for biotechnology companies from 65 percent to 100 percent; (2) increase the R&D tax credit rate from 70 percent to 100 percent for biotechnology businesses;
and (3) expand the R&D tax credit to include biotechnology S Corporations and LLCs.
January 24, 2023
March 25, 2022
We support the bill and respectfully ask for a modification of the existing language to expand the refund exchange from the current level of 65% to 90% as well as increase the current credit percentage from 70% to 90% for the biotech industry.
March 22, 2022
Rarely in our history has the power of science and innovation to keep our communities safe and healthy been in such clear focus.
March 8, 2022
We respectfully opposes SB 260, creation of a Prescription Drug Affordability Board, tasked with reviewing prescription drug costs and setting upper payment limits for specified prescription drugs.
March 9, 2022
BioCT and our members are very supportive in passing this bill.
March 1, 2022
We recommend Connecticut be on the cutting edge and take a holistic approach to drug pricing that truly reduces patient out of pocket costs, while also supporting the entire bio/pharma industry and encourages continued innovation.
July 14, 2021
May 12, 2021
We believe the legislation, though well-intentioned, is flawed on at least five fronts.
May 8, 2021
In the recent letter to President Biden from BIO’s President & CEO, Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, BIO suggests the establishment of a COVID Global Strategy for Harnessing Access Reaching Everyone (SHARE) Program, to be implemented immediately.
April 20, 2021
On behalf of BIO, BioCT and our Board of Directors, as shown, we are writing in support of SB 1099, An Act Authorizing Bonds of the State for a Research Faculty Recruitment and Hiring Program by the University of Connecticut To Encourage the Creation of New Business Venture.