Opioid Use Disorder Briefing Focuses on Treatments, Obstacles and Best Practices in Care

On October 17th, Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, the San Diego County Building Trades Unions, the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, the CA Bio-Pharma Labor Management Association, PhRMA, Biocom and the CA Biotechnology Foundation, held an educational briefing regarding best practices used in treating Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in San Diego.

With more than 50 people in attendance, the event brought together representatives from the life sciences industry, union members, policymakers, healthcare stakeholders and medical experts to encourage cooperation between the trades and the biopharma industry to combat OUD.

Participants heard from experts in the field of behavioral health and treatment of OUD about best practices for care and prevention of OUD. Speakers discussed the innovative programs that are having positive results in OUD prevention and treatment. They also talked about barriers to treatment and policies that can promote prevention and treatment.

Highlights included:

• Christian Small, founder of Headlands Addiction Treatment Services and co-founder of Bold Health, an innovative outpatient addiction treatment program in Encinitas, California. He is one of a handful of doctors in the US who have expertise in delivering evidence-based addiction treatment and medical and psychiatric care to people living with OUD in California.
• Candace Facio, BSHA RN, Clinical Manager for the Electrical Workers Health and Welfare Trust Fund, IBEW #357 in Las Vegas. She discussed her pioneering work providing 24/7 case management services and medical crises intervention with the goal of reducing hospitalizations and emergency room visits and getting trades members healthy and back to work.
• Travis Bornstein, founder of Hope United which he established with his wife Shelly to bring awareness and support to families struggling with addiction. Travis discussed stigma related to addiction and their family’s journey after their 23-year old son, Tyler, died from a heroin overdose.

California Policymakers Get a Firsthand Look at the Massachusetts Life Science Industry

Last month, the California Biotechnology Foundation hosted an educational program and multi-facility tour with California-based government leaders and life science interests in Massachusetts.

The program provided an opportunity for policymakers and biopharma stakeholders from each state to engage with each other on issues solely focused on the life sciences and helped participants better understand the biopharma industry in Massachusetts, where industry growth is the most competitive with California.

Highlights included:

• Robert Coughlin, the President and CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council (MassBio) advocates for patients by ensuring innovative companies have the best environment possible to research, develop, and commercialize breakthrough therapies. He discussed the pioneering treatments his son received for cystic fibrosis, which extended his life expectancy by decades.
• Senator Joseph Boncore, whose district includes the biotech hotbed of Kendall Square discussed the boon the industry has been to the Commonwealth and that when government partnered with the industry, the Massachusetts Life sciences industry flourished.
• A tour of the Neuroscience at Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research (NIBR) facility and a briefing with Jang-Ho Cha, MD PhD, the Vice President and Global Head of Translational Medicine who oversees early-stage clinical development in Neuroscience.
• A presentation by David St. Jean, PhD, the Director of Medicinal Chemistry at Amgen in Boston who discussed innovations in cancer care and why treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s can be the most difficult to develop.
• Laurent J. Boer, the Vice President of Biologics Manufacturing and General Manager at the Sanofi Manufacturing plant in Allston, MA who shared next steps in biopharma manufacturing innovations.

Stay informed on the latest news and trends on the economic and health benefits of this important industry by visiting the new CABiotech.org

For more information about California’s biotechnology and life science industry, contact California Biotechnology Foundation Executive Director Patty Cooper at (916)764-2434 or [email protected].