Overview

LPA engaged with California biotechnology industry leaders in 2009 to discuss misconceptions, particularly among California’s policymakers, opinion leaders and other industry stakeholders about biotech’s role in California.

Resulting from that engagement, the California Biotechnology Foundation (CBF) was created with LPA’s guidance to help ensure the industry, and California, continue to be innovative and worldwide leaders in biotech treatments, cures, jobs, investment and economic impact.

Strategic Approach

Much of LPA’s strategy in the earlier years involved creating materials and events to promote biotechnology companies’ advancements and dispel myths about the industry.

When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, the world turned to the medical and biotechnology communities for coronavirus treatments and vaccines. Our work pivoted to supporting CBF’s educational efforts virtually, creating strategic communications tools and event coordination efforts with industry leaders.

Specifically, LPA conceptualized a weekly newsletter providing CBF’s existing audiences with updates about advancements the biotech industry was making against COVID-19. In addition to the newsletter, we reinvented our programs for a digital setting and leaned into our strengths of having a robust digital presence.

LPA has coordinated with CBF to execute legislative delegations to Boston, Massachusetts inviting several California legislators to experience Boston’s thriving biopharma industry. Boston’s industry growth is the most competitive with California, and the delegation increased political knowledge for California lawmakers to support health policy that continues to encourage innovation in life sciences.