Bipartisan PBM Reform Back in Focus as House Committee Plans Hearing 

February 20, 2025

Georgia Bio, the state’s life science trade association, will honor the late Lee Herron, an industry leader and long-time supporter of Georgia Bio, with its Lifetime Achievement Award at next week’s Georgia Life Sciences Summit which celebrates the contributions and achievements of Georgia leaders who have been instrumental in advancing the growth of the life sciences industry and elevating Georgia’s overall ecosystem. In its 35-year history, Georgia Bio has only ever presented five Lifetime Achievement awards.

 

Lee, who will long be remembered as a pillar and irreplaceable leader in the industry, retired from the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) in the spring of 2024 after a 16-year career with the Alliance, most recently, Lee led GRA’s agricultural technology programs including the Greater Yield initiative. He directed its award-winning venture development program for 15 years, which helped to launch 200+ university-based companies that attracted more than $2 billion in equity investment. A seasoned executive, Lee harnessed his 20 years of entrepreneurial experience to help startups develop sound business strategies. Lee served in many community leadership capacities, including board positions for Georgia Bio and Southeast Life Sciences, the Global Center for Medical Innovation’s Industry Advisory Board, the Biolocity Oversight Committee, and the NSF Center for Cell Manufacturing Technology’s Commercialization Advisory Board.


“Lee was a true visionary whose passion and integrity touched everyone he met," says Georgia Bio President and CEO, Maria Thacker-Goethe. “His unwavering commitment to innovation and his profound impact on the life sciences industry will be felt for generations to come. We are honored to present him with this award posthumously.”


“The Georgia Research Alliance would not be what it is today without Lee Herron,” says GRA President and CEO Tim Denning, PhD. “Lee helped shape our program that moves university inventions to the marketplace — a program that he led and grew for 16 years. Countless technologies are at work in the world today, benefiting companies and consumers alike, because of Lee’s wisdom, guidance, and desire to make a difference.”


Prior to joining GRA, Lee managed the biosciences division of Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) and founded four biosciences companies: SeaLite Sciences Inc., Biopool International Inc., CytRx Corporation, and Theragenics Corporation. Herron received a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Georgia and completed an internship at Cornell University. He also studied experimental pathology at Emory University.


Lee passed away on July 12, 2024, after a long battle with cancer. He was a devout family man, husband to Rita Herron for 50 years, father to three children, and grandfather to eight children. He leaves behind a profound legacy and will be remembered by his friends and colleagues as a dear friend.


Award Presentation   


Georgia Bio will honor Lee at the opening reception for the organization’s largest annual gathering, the Georgia Life Sciences Summit, taking place on October 21 at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.


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About Georgia Bio



Georgia Bio (GaBio) is the state’s most impactful life sciences membership organization, advocating for the sector and its diverse innovation pipeline. For over 30 years, GaBio has served its members by supporting companies of all sizes, from early-stage innovators and startups to established industry leaders in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, and medical technology. GaBio also works closely with universities, academic and research institutions, the investment community, and other critical partners that promote this vibrant sector. GaBio works to shape public policy, improve access to breakthrough technologies, educate lawmakers, provide member programs, strengthens the workforce pipeline, and advance equity within our ecosystem by championing innovative solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our times. For more information, visit www.gabio.org.

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Melissa Carter

404-920-2043

mcarter@gabio.org


Bipartisan PBM Reform Back in Focus as House Committee Plans Hearing

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
A renewed push for prescription drug cost reform is gaining momentum in Congress, with the House Energy and Commerce Committee's health subcommittee planning a hearing on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform for late February. The hearing, to be led by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), signals a revival of bipartisan efforts to regulate these pharmaceutical intermediaries. PBMs, which negotiate drug prices for insurers and employers, have become a focal point in the broader discussion of healthcare costs. A previous bipartisan agreement to regulate these entities was crafted by Carter and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in the last Congress, though it ultimately stalled when the larger spending bill it was attached to faced opposition. The reform efforts enjoy broad support from both parties and the president, making it one of the few areas with potential for bipartisan cooperation. However, new complications have emerged as Republicans consider using PBM regulations to generate savings for their broader policy agenda, potentially requiring up to $880 billion in cost reductions. The path forward remains uncertain, with ongoing debates about whether such reforms would qualify for budget reconciliation and whether using PBM regulations as a funding mechanism could derail bipartisan cooperation. Meanwhile, stakeholders continue to disagree on the impact of additional PBM regulation, with pharmaceutical companies arguing that PBMs inflate drug costs while PBMs contend that new regulations would increase prices.

Council on State Biotechnology Associations says NIH funds are a critical component of innovation ecosystem

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
“Today, the US biotech industry employs nearly 2.3 million people across the US and is making positive contributions to economic impact and national security across all 50 states. In fact, for every dollar the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributes to a successful drug, the private sector invests over $65, underscoring the agency’s unparalleled return on investment. As the associations representing the bioscience industry across the nation, the Council on State Biotechnology Associations (CSBA) is concerned by recent guidance that would cut funding provided by the NIH to universities, hospitals, and other institutions that perform critical early-stage research. NIH grant funds are a critical component of our innovation ecosystem. Grants for basic research are the spark that leads to university-driven discoveries, with public-private partnerships and tech transfers that bridge early-stage research to industry-sponsored drug development and ultimately to FDA approved medical advances for hundreds of diseases. While the administration looks for greater efficiency in the use of taxpayer dollars, it cannot be overstated - once scientific innovation moves abroad, it may never return.  In the race for scientific innovation around the world, as our adversaries continue to increase government investments in research, we encourage President Trump to follow suit and ensure that we maintain our global leadership in an industry that was created and thrives across the US.”

Marguron, Inc. licenses novel technology that could demonstrate an effective HIV functional cure

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
February 19, 2025 [Atlanta, GA, Los Angeles, CA, and Miami, FL, USA] Marguron, Inc. (Marguron) and the University of Miami (UM) have entered into a global license agreement based on technology developed by Dr. Ronald C. Desrosiers, Dr. James Termini and colleagues at UM, and Dr. Anjie Zhen at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). "We are pleased to have licensed the rights to these important technologies," said Vijai Mohan, CEO of Marguron. “The licensed intellectual property from UM and UCLA has the potential to prevent and treat HIV infections with a single intramuscular therapy using adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene therapy, generating a cocktail of powerful, broad-spectrum anti-HIV antibodies (bnAbs). Importantly, the improved technology appears to show lasting treatment effects, mitigating the persistent challenge of anti-drug antibody (ADA) formation.” In mice and non-human primates, a one-time intramuscular treatment was effective in producing continuous transgene expression thereby reducing HIV-1 viral loads to undetectable levels for a prolonged period without developing anti-drug antibodies, a historical roadblock in the implementation of gene-based delivery of bnAbs. Monkeys demonstrating persistent antibody expression have been followed for over five years, making clear the potential durability of the treatment. “We are delighted to partner with Marguron to advance the development of the Desrosiers Laboratory’s work for the benefit of persons affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide” said Norma Sue Kenyon, PhD, Vice Provost for Innovation at the University of Miami and Chief Innovation Officer at its Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Desrosiers, UM professor and a principal Founder of Marguron, stated “in a recent experiment using a proprietary immunomodulatory agent to inhibit ADA formation at the time of gene therapy administration, we successfully achieved therapeutic levels of anti-HIV monoclonal antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against a broad range of HIV isolates in five of five monkeys for more than six months. We are excited to work with an experienced team at Marguron to advance this remarkable technology for a ‘One and Done’ strategy for ART-free HIV remission. Our results were presented in full for the first time at the 2024 HIV-DART meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico.” About Marguron, Inc (www.marguron.com)  Marguron, Inc. is at the forefront of gene therapy-based cures for infectious and metabolic diseases, with an initial focus of preventing and treating HIV-1 infections. HIV/AIDS remains one of the most significant infectious disease threats. Globally, forty million people were living with HIV-1 in 2023, with 1.3 million new infections and 630,000 deaths from AIDS-related diseases. While advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART) have markedly improved the outlook for infected individuals in economically developed countries, the stark global statistics reflect the challenges with implementing ART, particularly in resource-limited countries. Even in the developed world, HIV/AIDS remains a disease that markedly impacts millions of lives, without access to an available functional cure. Marguron’s vision is to make reality that "one shot and you are protected for life". About University of Miami The University of Miami is one of America's top research universities located in one of the most dynamic and multicultural cities in the world. With more than $456 million in research and sponsored program expenditures annually, the University of Miami is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU). Only 3 percent of four-year institutions in the nation are invited to join the AAU, which recognizes breadth and quality of research and scholarship. While the majority of this work is housed at the Miller School of Medicine, investigators conduct hundreds of studies in other areas, including marine science, engineering, education, and psychology. # # # MEDIA CONTACTS: Kai Hill khill@med.miami.edu c:-+1-305-332-3189 and Katie Roach info@marguron.com c: +1-404-490-0182
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