Monday, September 17, 2007

How We See It

Can biotech council be effective while in crisis?

One year ago, backslapping at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council was the norm: It was basking in the glow of its work in landing Bristol-Myers Squibb in Devens, and it was preparing to help host BIO 2007, the world's largest annual gathering of biotechnology professionals, which took place this past May in Boston.

Since then, its bombastic former president has pleaded guilty to obstruction-of-justice charges and become a talk-radio host; it has hired as a replacement a Patrick administration undersecretary and former legislator, Robert Coughlin, who is not only unavailable to lobby the council's issues to his former Beacon Hill colleagues, but who also is being investigated for allegedly breaking state Ethics Commission rules for seeking the council's top post while acting as the governor's point of contact on biotech business initiatives.

And that's not all: Chief of external affairs Eustacia Reidy quietly stepped down last week -- and while she will continue to work with the council as a consultant for the near term, her loss leaves another hole the council must fill.

The group should be riding a wave of new jobs and a fresh billion-dollar pledge anted up by the governor. Instead, it is reeling, left to answer to members who can only wonder whether they'll be getting their money's worth from a council whose effectiveness in representing their best interests in the face of such unrest is questionable at best.

With the life sciences industry so vital to the Bay State's economic growth plans, it is critical that the council regain its footing soon.