National Institutes Of Health Director Tours Bucks County Biotech Campus

DOYLESTOWN, PA — The director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya, MD, Ph.D., visited The Hepatitis B Foundation, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC) in Bucks County on Monday to highlight the work being done by the three nonprofits in the areas of collaborative research, innovation and academic programs advancing public health and biomedical discovery.

Bucks County Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick arranged the visit and accompanied Dr. Bhattacharya on a tour of the PABC campus in Buckingham, which houses the three nonprofits.

During the visit, the NIH director and Congressman Fitzpatrick participated in a roundtable discussion with CEOs from three long-time PABC member companies and leadership from the host organizations.

During the visit, Dr. Bhattacharya toured several laboratories and met with Blumberg Institute scientists conducting translational research on therapeutics for hepatitis B and other viruses, liver diseases and cancer. He also learned about drug development and related research underway at nearly 60 companies located on the campus. Much of this work, particularly at the Blumberg Institute, is funded by the NIH.

Congressman Fitzpatrick welcomes NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., to Bucks County.

Leaders and representatives from the three nonprofits - the Hepatitis B Foundation, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center - with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya and U.S. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick. (Contributed)

During the roundtable discussion following the tour, seen here are, from left, Dr. Chari Cohen, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, CEO Lou Kassa and Dr. Ju-Tao Guo.

"The Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center is a unique biomedical ecosystem that brings together brilliant scientists to address scientific questions from the basic understanding of disease to drug discovery,” Dr. Bhattacharya said. “The Central Bucks and PABC partnership for students taking AP Chemistry is an exciting and novel opportunity to train the future workforce in biomedicine. I appreciate Rep. Fitzpatrick organizing this tour and bringing me to the PABC."

Rep. Fitzpatrick, a longtime supporter of the three nonprofits, said: “The work done on this campus has never been peripheral to American biomedical progress — it has helped carry it forward for generations. For decades, the Hepatitis B Foundation, Blumberg Institute and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center have applied scientific excellence and innovation in the service of public health—turning discovery into cures and research into public good.”

The congressman added, “Today’s visit with NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya was about stewardship — ensuring that national research priorities and funding decisions are guided by institutions that have earned the country’s trust through results, integrity and impact over time.

“I am grateful to Lou Kassa and the teams across PABC, Hepatitis B Foundation and Blumberg Institute for their leadership and vision, and to Dr. Bhattacharya for his partnership,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said. “I look forward to continuing this work together so that PA-1 remains a place where American biomedical leadership is strengthened and carried forward.”

Leaders from the host organizations highlighted ongoing NIH-supported projects and emerging initiatives focused on prevention, diagnostics and cures, as well as training the next generation of biomedical innovators.

“We were honored to host Dr. Bhattacharya and Congressman Fitzpatrick for a conversation that we believe enhanced our mutual understanding of the current environment for biotechnology and the federal government’s key role in supporting the science and commercialization efforts," said Louis P. Kassa III, MPA, CEO of the three nonprofits and president of the PABC. "The PABC’s successful ecosystem, which we believe is exemplary, enables startups and Blumberg Institute research teams to translate breakthroughs into real-world solutions."

"We were pleased to showcase the impact of sustained investment in biomedical and public health research to Dr. Bhattacharya," said Chari A. Cohen, DrPH, MPH, president of the Hepatitis B Foundation. "The Foundation has collaborated quite effectively with the NIH over the years, which has led to prioritization of focused research and culminated in the Trans-Institute Strategic Plan to Cure Hepatitis B. We greatly appreciate the support provided by the NIH."

Ju-Tao Guo, MD, president of the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, said: "The visit reflects the national importance of our work and the value of partnerships that bridge discovery and application. It was valuable for us to hear directly from Dr. Bhattacharya, and I hope our comments will be helpful and he move the NIH forward in the new year.”

Dr. Guo said the Blumberg Institute has leveraged NIH support for its research programs, which have been highly productive, particularly given the organization’s modest size. Many of the potential new treatments for hepatitis B now in development by numerous companies are based on scientific breakthroughs made at the Institute. And a Blumberg Institute team is developing—with NIH funding—an anti-viral technology that could be the world’s first treatment for yellow fever.

The visit included a roundtable discussion on research priorities, infrastructure needs and strategies to strengthen support for biomedical research and commercialization. Three company CEOs and two of the Blumberg Institute’s most entrepreneurial scientists participated. They are:

• Lillian W. Chiang, PhD, MBA, CEO of Evrys Bio,Oren Gilad, PhD, president and CEO of Aprea Therapeutics Inc.,
• Allen B. Reitz, PhD, founder and CEO of Fox Chase Therapeutics Discovery Inc.,
• Jinhong Chang, MD, PhD, the Blumberg Institute’s Harvey J. Alter Professor and vice president for drug development, and
• Richard G. Pestell, MD, PhD, FACP, FRACP, MBA, distinguished professor at the Blumberg Institute, cancer researcher and serial entrepreneur.

Aprea Therapeutics, Inc. (Nasdaq: APRE) is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies that exploit cancer-specific vulnerabilities while minimizing damage to healthy cells. In February 2023, Aprea received an award notification from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for the development of a first-in-class combination of DNA damage response inhibitors for the treatment of high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Total funding under the award was up to $1,996,571 over a period of two years.

“The (NIH) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), collectively the Small Business Programs, are also known as America’s Seed Fund,” according to the NIH. This funding source has been vital for numerous startups at the PABC and several spinout companies from the Blumberg Institute, a point that Kassa emphasized to Dr. Bhattacharya.