Americans take pride in our country's history of innovation, entrepreneurship, big ideas and even bigger dreams. Throughout our history, this courageous, pioneering spirit has been the cornerstone of American success and prominence around the world. People in Montana have always embodied this uniquely American pioneer spirit.
American biotech innovators are conducting groundbreaking research that will unlock the cures for the world's most debilitating diseases. Thousands of small biotech companies across the United States are putting Americans to work in one of the most globally competitive fields. Biotechnology has great promise and potential for economic growth, both in the immediate and long-term future.
The American biotech industry is a thriving sector, employing nearly 1.5 million Americans. The industry is also an important growth engine for our 21st century economy, as it supports an additional 7 million workers. Biotech companies like mine are leading the way
Montana businesses are on the cutting edge of biotech research.
In Bozeman, LygoCyte Pharmaceuticals Inc. is working to develop a vaccine against norovirus, which causes the worst, most common type of intestinal flu.
In Big Fork, Swan Valley Medical Inc. is testing urological surgical instruments.
A GlaxoSmithKline plant in Hamilton is producing a key component for a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer.
In Belgrade, Bacterin International Inc. employs 50 people to make antibacterial coatings for surgical implants.
Using original research from the University of Montana, a Montana company, Sinapis Pharma, is researching treatment to reduce brain damage from strokes.
At Montana State University, researchers have been developing nanotechnology to deliver medicines and imaging agents to human body cells without harming healthy cells.
The Montana BioScience Alliance is headquartered in Billings. Its executive director, Sharon Peterson, told area lawmakers earlier this month that the Montana biotech industry includes 150 businesses across the state, including several in Billings. This Montana industry has created 1,700 direct jobs in Montana and 5,300 indirect jobs. These are good jobs for Montana college graduates. The average salary reported this year for Montana biotech jobs is $49,500 annually.
“These are good jobs for people who are trained here,” Anne Marie Quinn told lawmakers. Quinn is founder and owner of Montana Molecular in Bozeman and serves on the board of directors for the Montana BioScience Alliance.
Quinn's company is exploring better, more efficient ways to bring drugs to market. Her business is partnering with Fluorescence Innovations Inc. of Bozeman to research the use of fluorescing cells to track how medication works in living cells.
“We can really be proud of what's going on in Montana in the area of biotechnology,” Quinn said. “We're small, but we're growing.”
Small Business Innovation Research grants are “integral to business start up,” she said. The money can be used only for research and development. The application process is highly competitive with only 20 percent of applicants funded. Those businesses that get these federal grants use them as seed money to attract private investors.
Montana biotech startups have been remarkably successful in winning these SBIR grants.
Since 2008, Montana companies have received $20 million.
As Quinn said, SBIR is a good example of public-private partnership.
Two years ago, the Montana BioScience Alliance celebrated when the Montana Legislature and Gov. Brian Schweitzer enacted a law creating a program to match federal grants funding small business innovation research and small business technology transfer grants. The legislation, requested by Sen. Kim Gillan of Billings, received strong bipartisan support in both House and Senate. However, it wasn't funded.
The state's financial situation is tighter for the 2011 session. Nevertheless, it is important for lawmakers to understand what this matching grant program would do for startup biotech business and for Montana's economy.
A dozen other states already match those federal grants, providing their in-state innovators with a crucial boost in moving products from lab to market. A little money could go a long way in this field.
The strength of Montana's economy is in its diversity. Diversity will become more important in the future. Promoting high-tech jobs and businesses is important to sustaining Montana's traditional agriculture and natural resource industries. Ag prices rise and fall and the weather's always a gamble. Oil, gas and mining boom and bust. But biotechnology isn't at the mercy of those cycles. It is one of the industries that will keep Montana moving forward in good times and tough times.
We encourage Montana lawmakers, especially representatives of Yellowstone County, to support a small amount of state funding to help launch new biotech businesses that can lead the way to better and more effective medical care.
