WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) strongly supports the Small Company Capital Formation Act (HR 1070), sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), which passed the House today by a vote of 421-1.
This Act would reform the Security and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) current Regulation A (“Reg A”) by allowing companies that plan to sell up to $50 million in shares as part of a public offering to be exempt from registering with the SEC. Currently, companies must register with the SEC if they issue more than $5 million in shares.
BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood made the following statement today:
“BIO supports the Small Company Capital Formation Act to help ease the burden on cash-strapped small biotechnology companies short on resources by streamlining requirements and supporting their efforts in raising much-needed capital. BIO thanks Rep. Schweikert for his leadership on this legislation, and urges the Senate to consider the issue at the earliest opportunity.
“Raising the exemption to $50 million would give struggling companies another avenue to raise capital through direct public offerings without a lengthy paperwork process.
“Supporting American biotechnology companies moves America closer to discovering breakthrough therapies, lowering overall health care costs and curing debilitating diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s.
“Since it takes on average 10 years or more of research, development and testing, and more than $1 billion to bring a new therapy to market, bolstering capital formation in the biotechnology industry through Reg A reform would help speed life-saving cures and treatments to patients.”
President Obama endorsed this proposal in his address to Congress in September, when he urged lawmakers to ‘cut away the red tape that prevents too many rapidly growing startup companies from raising capital and going public.’
Senators Jon Tester (D-MT) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) have introduced a companion bill (S. 1544) in the Senate.
For additional data and analysis on the U.S. biotechnology industry, please visit http://insidebioia.com/.
Upcoming BIO Events
BIO-Europe 2011
October 31-November 2, 2011
Duesseldorf, Germany
BIO IP Counsels Committee Fall Conference & Meeting
November 2-4, 2011
New York, NY
BioMalaysia 2011 Conference & Exhibition/
2011 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
November 21-23, 2011
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
BIO Asia International Partnering Conference
January 31-February 1, 2012
Osaka, Japan
BIO CEO & Investor Conference
February 13-14, 2012
New York, NY
World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing
April 29-May 2, 2012
Orlando, FL
2012 BIO International Convention
June 18-21, 2012
Boston, MA
About BIO
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world. BIO produces BIOtechNOW, a multiblog platform and monthly newsletter that aims to create an online biotech community where the the industry can connect to discuss the latest news. Subscribe to BIOtechNOW.
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CONTACT:
Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)
Tracy Cooley, APR
202-312-9274
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America District of Columbia
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