August 13, 2002 - Representative Adam Smith (D-Tacoma) will join the Democratic Leadership Council for a discussion on “Public Policy and the Future of the Biotechnology Industry,” on Tuesday, August 22 in Seattle.

Biotechnology has the potential to develop new treatments and cures for many disabling diseases and improve the quality of life for million of Americans. By providing funding for basic research, ensuring the protection of intellectual property and investing in regulatory agencies such as the Patent and Trademark Office and the Federal Drug Administration, the federal government can encourage advances. The Puget Sound region is well positioned to prosper from developments in the biotechnology industry, but future growth of the industry hinges on a number of tough questions, including:
· Will health care coverage provide reimbursements for biotech-based products that are adequate for the industry to survive and prosper?  
· Will opponents of biotech succeed in restricting key areas of research and application, such as stem cells, cloning and genetic engineering of plants and humans?  
· Will the necessary supports for the industry — venture capital, biomedical research and a constant supply of trained scientists and technicians —be available to meet the industry’s needs? 

Participating in discussion of how state and federal policy affects the biotechnology industry are representatives from Seattle’s biotechnology community, public and private health care and research professionals and federal and state public policy leaders.   

For further information on the conference, visit www.ndol.org or contact Eric Wortman at (202) 546-0007.  To speak with Smith during the day, please contact Katharine Lister at (202) 225-6902.

 What:       “Public Policy and the Future of the Biotechnology Industry”

 When:       Tuesday, August 22, 2002
                    9:30 AM – 1:30 PM 

 Where:     Edgewater Hotel, Olympic Ballroom
                  Seattle, WA

 Who:       Representative Adam Smith, (D-Tacoma)
                 State Representative Aaron Reardon, (D-Everett)
                 Dr. Leroy Hood, president and director, Institute for Systems Biology
                 Robert Atkinson, vice president and director of the New Economy and
                 Technology Project, Progressive Policy Institute
                 Jeff Lemieux, senior economist and health policy analyst, Progressive
                 Policy Institute
                 Bob Nelsen, ARCH Venture Partners
                 Cathryn Campbell, Campbell & Flores LLP
                 Barbara Cosgriff, NASDAQ
                 John Morris, Celsis International
                 Patrick Ronan, Biotechnology Industry Organization