— Sen. Duey Stroebel says he’s seeing bipartisan support for a bill that would provide $7.5 million in state matching funds for the Wisconsin BioHealth Tech Hub effort.
The Saukville Republican and Rep. Amanda Nedweski, R-Pleasant Prairie, recently sent a co-sponsorship memo to lawmakers on the proposal. It would authorize the funding for BioForward Wisconsin, the lead member of the consortium that successfully applied for federal tech hub designation under the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs program.
“We want to ensure that the federal dollars that we sent to Washington will come back to Wisconsin in the form of economic development, helping our state grow as a national and global leader in the biohealth industry,” Stroebel said in a statement.
The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 provided $10 billion for the program over five years, and the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act added another $500 million to launch the program, the memo shows. The state’s biohealth tech hub consortium was one of 31 to receive federal designation and one of 29 to get strategy development funding.
That additional funding “will enable the consortium to further develop its regional strategy for scaling up the manufacture, commercialization and deployment of critical technologies in personalized medicine,” lawmakers wrote in the memo.
Meanwhile, BioForward CEO Lisa Johnson says the Madison-based organization supports the legislation, and has been working with lawmakers “to advance these bills because it is critically important to demonstrate our state’s commitment to long term economic success by supporting key Wisconsin industries like Wisconsin’s biohealth industry.”
The Wisconsin BioHealth Tech Hub can now apply for an implementation grant to put its plan in motion, which would provide between $50 million and $75 million for up to eight projects, according to the memo. As part of its Phase 2 application, the consortium will secure an additional $4 million to $7 million in private matching funds, the lawmakers note.
Johnson argues providing the $7.5 million in matching funds would send “a clear, strategic message” to the U.S. Economic Development Agency and the nation overall.
“Wisconsin is ready to compete, and the state is rallying behind this Phase 2 application,” she told WisBusiness.com. “Our state government understands the urgency of advancing these bills quickly so that this state funding commitment can be included in the Phase 2 application prior to the deadline of February 29th, 2024.”
Stroebel said he’s optimistic the Legislature and Gov. Tony Evers will move to approve the matching funds by that deadline.
Along with the state dollars, the bill would also require BioForward and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. — another consortium member — to annually report to the Legislature on uses of state funding over the next three years.
And the legislation designates three projects that state dollars would support if the tech hub effort results in federal grant funding.
One of these would establish a clinical workflow and supply chain support center for image-guided therapies and “theranostics,” a method for diagnosing and treating cancers using radioactive materials.
Another would build new and expanded shared lab space at Forward Biolabs as well as related programming and support. The third would create a program supporting apprenticeship efforts by manufacturers and supply chain companies in the state.
Learn more about the tech hub effort in a recent podcast with BioForward Wisconsin CEO Lisa Johnson: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2023/wisbusiness-the-podcast-with-lisa-johnson-bioforward-wisconsin-4/
— GOP legislative leaders have released legislation that would greenlight nearly $700 million in projects on UW campuses — part of a deal Assembly Speaker Robin Vos worked out with the system on DEI.
That includes enumerating a new engineering building on the Madison campus.
Vos, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, Joint Finance Co-chairs Mark Born and Howard Marklein, Sen. Rob Cowles, and Rep. Bob Wittke are co-sponsoring the bill.
Vos, R-Rochester, told WisPolitics last month that legislation to establish benchmarks for guaranteed admission to UW campuses and a bill on the tuition reciprocity agreement with Minnesota would have to become law before the GOP-controlled Legislature would approve funding for the building projects.
The backers set a Tuesday deadline for those who want to co-sponsor the legislation.
Read the bill: https://www.wispolitics.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/240105Capital.pdf
— Marshfield Clinic Health System and Essentia Health have decided against merging, the health systems announced.
The decision comes after two years of talks focused on a possible integration, according to today’s release. Both groups signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2022 before announcing in July 2023 they had entered into an agreement to form a new regional health system.
But the organizations now say they’ve decided that combining “is not the right path forward” for the health systems, as well as their colleagues and patients.
Going forward, the health systems say they’ll be open to further collaborations. Essentia, based in Minnesota, and MCHS both provide health care to residents of rural areas and others across the Midwest. In a joint release, their leaders praise each other but offer no details on why the planned merger fell through.
“As we now move our separate ways, Marshfield Clinic looks forward to advancing our 100-year legacy of providing compassionate and accessible care to the communities we serve,” MCHS Interim CEO Dr. Brian Hoerneman said Friday in a statement. “Our commitment to continually enhance the level of care we provide remains firmly in place as we look to the future.”
See the release: https://www.wisbusiness.com/2024/marshfield-clinic-health-system-essentia-health-talks-end-between-marshfield-clinic-health-system-and-essentia-health/
— NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes has announced it’s expanding an ongoing collaboration with Curadh, a Pennsylvania business developing cancer treatments.
Under the new agreement, Madison-based NorthStar will manufacture and distribute patient doses for Curadh’s clinical studies and provide a material called actinium-225 for commercial use following regulatory approval.
NorthStar will also make and distribute patient doses of other diagnostic and therapeutic isotopes developed by Curadh, according to the announcement.
“This collaboration leverages NorthStar’s advanced technology and development and manufacturing expertise to advance Curadh’s innovative radiopharmaceutical candidates to benefit patients with cancer,” NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes CEO Frank Scholz said in a statement.
Financial details of the expanded agreement were not disclosed.
See more at Madison Startups: https://www.madisonstartups.com/northstar-expands-agreement-with-curadh/
<br><b><i>Top headlines from the Health Care Report…</b></i>
— UW Health had a “very strong year” in 2023 as it added more than 1,000 employees to meet growing demand for care, according to leaders of the health system.
<i>For more of the most relevant news on COVID-19, reports on groundbreaking health research in Wisconsin, links to top stories and more, sign up today for the free daily Health Care Report from WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com.</i>
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#TOP STORIES#
# Wisconsin’s largest solar park is now fully operational, featuring 830K panels
# Medical marijuana likely to get seal of approval in Wisconsin
# Short-term rental startup Frontdesk reportedly to file for receivership following mass layoff
#TOPICS#
# AGRIBUSINESS
– DATCP awards $1 million in producer-led watershed protection grants to 47 groups
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=15&yr=2024
– Protect your flock – HPAI in WI poultry
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=17&yr=2024
# CONSTRUCTION
– OSHA cites Appleton roofing contractor for fall hazards
– Hartland site purchased for 267-unit multifamily development
# EDUCATION
– Wisconsin families and colleges grapple with snags in new FAFSA form
# FOOD AND BEVERAGE
– Three Brothers Restaurant continues to feel a ‘Top Chef’ effect
# HEALTH CARE
– Planned merger of Marshfield Clinic and Essentia Health called off
– Marshfield Clinic, Essentia call off merger talks
– Business incubator promoting personal health and wellness coming to Atkinson Park neighborhood
# INVESTING
– Milwaukee private equity firm acquires West Bend manufacturer via latest fund
# MANAGEMENT
– Delavan-based Millennium hires its first chief revenue officer
# POLITICS
– Farmers unite at Wisconsin capitol – ag day 2024
http://wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=19&yr=2024
– Wisconsin governor who called for marijuana legalization says he’ll back limited GOP proposal
# REAL ESTATE
– Milwaukee riverfront property for sale after condo project proposal
# RETAIL
– North-side Walgreens closes 10 days earlier than expected
# TECHNOLOGY
– Milwaukee startup Frontdesk lays off dozens, eyes receivership filing after failed capital raise
# PRESS RELEASES
<i>See these and other press releases:
https://www.wisbusiness.com/press-releases/ </i>
Dept. of Natural Resources: 2024 state park accessible cabin reservations open Jan. 10
