BayBio Introduces New Chief Operating Officer

New Executive Brings Policy Expertise to BayBio

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BayBio announced today the addition of Chief Operating Officer Jeremy Leffler to work closely with CEO and President Gail Maderis to build Northern California’s life sciences.

“We welcome Jeremy to the executive team. His dynamic experience in Washington D.C. and familiarity with the life sciences business model positions BayBio to better work with elected officials and our members to keep California on track to be the most innovative state in the world”

Leffler brings eight years of political experience to BayBio during a critical time for California’s life sciences industry. Companies are being heavily recruited by other states and nations with incredible subsidies while here at home, state employee unions seek to raise taxes on one of the few industries adding employees in the Golden State.

“We welcome Jeremy to the executive team. His dynamic experience in Washington D.C. and familiarity with the life sciences business model positions BayBio to better work with elected officials and our members to keep California on track to be the most innovative state in the world,” said Gail Maderis, CEO and president of BayBio. “We will improve biotechnology’s standing in the community and the importance of science education to our students, teachers and elected officials.”

Prior to joining BayBio, Leffler worked for Eli Lilly & Co as a senior public policy analyst, representing the organization in Washington D.C. and on several boards. His D.C. experience includes four years at the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and two years at the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB).

BayBio also announced the election of its officers for 2010: Paul Hastings, President and CEO of Oncomed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. to Chairman and Corey Goodman, Ph.D., Managing Director of venBio LLC, as Vice Chairman. Five new directors elected to the BayBio board for 2010 are Laure Brege, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer at Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Paulette DeFalco, West Area Life Sciences Leader at KPMG LLP; David Lacey, M.D., Senior Vice President, Discovery Research at Amgen; George A. Scangos Ph.D., President and CEO at Exelixis, Inc.; and Stephen Thau, Partner and Co-Chair Global Life Sciences Practice Group at Morrison & Foerster LLP.

The BayBio Institute announced the election of its new chairman Jeffrey N. Peterson, CEO of Target Discovery, Inc. and Michael Alvarez, a director of the Stanford’s School of Medicine’s Career Center, as Vice Chairman for 2010. New directors appointed to the BayBio Institute board for 2010 include Sandra Young, Corporate Communications & Philanthropy at Amgen and Sreejit Mohan, Director of Public Policy & Communications at Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals.

About BayBio and the BayBio Institute

BayBio is Northern California's life science association. We support the regional bioscience community through advocacy, enterprise support, and the enhancement of research collaboration. BayBio supports the educational and entrepreneurial activities of the BayBio Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization operating continuously in Northern California since 1990.