Connecticut has positioned itself as a biotech-friendly state and Branford is gaining a name as a bio-science hub; much like New Haven and Farmington have become known for embracing companies in the business of bioscience.

On March 26, heavy-hitter Jackson Laboratories, which the state recently wooed to UCONN Health School campus in Farmington, gave a nod to this shoreline town by taking up an invitation to send Vice President for Strategic Partnerships Mike Hyde here to talk about “Jax” in Connecticut, and how to continue the momentum, through efforts like those in Branford, to make Connecticut a national bioscience stronghold.

Hyde said what’s going in Branford, New Haven, Farmington and other bioscience hubs in the state,“...is the basis of a future biotechnical revolution in Connecticut.”

Hyde was invited as the day’s keynote speaker by the Town of Branford Economic Development Commission (EDC), which hosted the “Biotech, Business & Branford” forum at the Blackstone Library March 26. The group was welcomed by EDC chair Perry Maresca. First Selectman James B. Cosgrove also greeted the gathering of biotech executives.

Business here has increased quite a bit since Neurogen Corp. opened shop in Branford in 1987, followed by startups including 454 Life Sciences, CGI Pharmaceuticals and Marinus Pharmaceuticals. As noted in a March 23, 2015 article published by Hartford Business Journal (http://bit.ly/1xnfmSY), today Branford’s home to dozens of biotech startups including Core Informatics, Isoplexis, Durata, Axerion Therapeutics and, most recently, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai (located in the former 454 Life Sciences building).

In selecting Branford as its new home for the Icahn School, Managing Director Todd Arnold, Ph.D., said the region offers an “...incredible talent pool of biomedical expertise and leading institutions such as Yale, UCONN Health, and Jackson Labs” and that Mt. Sinai hoped to form “significant collaborations with these institutions.” Town Hall fast-tracked the approval process to smooth the way and the state recently approved a $9.5 million low-interest loan for Icahn lab expansion. Branford’s newest biotech employer is confident it will reach or exceed its goal of employing up to 145 within the next five years. The company opened its doors in January 2015.

On March 26, following Hyde’s talk, local biotech executives including Arnold, Josh Geballe (Core Informatics), Doug Hanlon (Yale University), Chris McLeod (AxioMx), and AJ Milici (Flagship Biosciences) were joined by Branford State Rep. (D, D-102) Lonnie Reed, who also co-chairs the General Assembly’s Bipartisan Life Sciences Caucus, for a panel discussion. Their talk was facilitated by Susan Froshauer, CURE (Connecticut United for Research Excellence) President and CEO.