Nick Shipley, the chief lobbyist for the U.S.-based Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), has resigned from his position, as first reported by Endpoints News and confirmed by FiercePharma. Shipley, who joined BIO in 2021 as chief advocacy officer, was responsible for the organization’s interactions with federal and state governments. He departed on April 5.
In the interim, Aiken Hackett, BIO’s vice president for federal government affairs, will assume Shipley’s responsibilities. However, BIO is reportedly contemplating structural changes that may affect the future of the role, as noted by CEO John Crowley.
The position of chief lobbyist has faced challenges in recent months, particularly following BIO’s support for China-based contract research organization (CRO) WuXi AppTec (SHA: 603259, HKG: 2359). The company was identified as a potential security risk in the recently proposed BioSecure Act. BIO’s advocacy for WuXi AppTec prompted allegations that it was acting as an “unregistered agent of a foreign principal,” leading to calls for an investigation by the U.S. Attorney General. In response, Crowley issued a letter distancing BIO from WuXi, while the Chinese firm subsequently chose to withdraw from the organization.- Flcube.com
