Ehrlich on Washington column, February 24, 2002

с 1407 York Rood, Soil* 304 LurtvorvilU, Morylond 21093 NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrl Second Congressional District 315 Connon Hoo** Office Building Washington, D.C 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Week of February 24, 2002 Biotechnology: On the Front Lines of Homeland Defense The terrorist attacks of September 11, and October’s nationwide anthrax attacks, shed light on a very real challenge facing Americans: the defense of our homeland. Increasingly dire reports of anthrax-tainted mail from Capitol Hill to New York City brought home the reality that we, as Americans, are all too vulnerable to the scourge of bioterrorism. As Co-Chair of the House Biotechnology Caucus, I have particular interest in the benefits biotechnology can provide in our lives. For example, in just a few short years, America’s biotech community laid the foundation for groundbreaking medical breakthroughs that will change the way we treat diseases like Alzheimer’s, Lou Gehrig’s, and cancer. Now, as America bolsters its homeland defenses, biotechnology is proving once again the profound and positive impact it can have on our way of life. President Bush and Homeland Security Director Ridge understand that creativity and forward- thinking ideas are crucial to homeland security. Fortunately, Maryland’s biotechnology community is well-equipped in both respects. Recent advances by Maryland’s top firms indicate how important our state’s biotech community is to America’s safety, the nation’s economy, and to medicine and science worldwide. For instance, Baltimore’s Chesapeake Biological Laboratories (CBL) recently secured a federal contract giving it a critical role in the production of 155 million doses of the smallpox vaccine. CBL will provide the final filling, lyophilization and finishing stages of the manufacturing process. Lyophilization is a process (similar to freeze-drying) that extracts water from products so they remain stable and easier to store. Last Monday, Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley and I joined CBL employees as they cut the ribbon on a $16 million plant where the smallpox vaccine will be placed in vials. This is the final step in a complex process, involving several companies and the federal government, that