At the BPI Theater @ BIO, editor Dan Stanton conducted a series of interviews live on stage to report on the latest movements in the biomanufacturing industry to start each busy day of dealmaking in Boston. Below are the videos from conversations with David Lucchino, chairman, Mass Bio; and Mark Day, president and chief executive officer, Bioasis.

Massachusetts: Secrets to Success
Lucchino explains that when you have a set of companies in an area, it lays the groundwork for growth of similar companies to locate there. Massachusetts has this in core biopharmaceutical areas, and looks to grow in cell and gene therapies. Massachusetts has a strong level of research and development at the academic institutions, and the state has set up a regulatory environment for easy expansion into commercial manufacturing. The trained workforce from Northeastern and MIT feeds the companies as they grow.

The plan of Mass Bio is to continue to develop the biotech industry in the area. One area of focus currently is in IT, as that’s where the future is going.

Delivering Therapeutics Across the Blood-Brain Barrier
About 80% of clinical failures in antibodies and enzymes focused on brain treatment are due to the fact that the therapeutic dose doesn’t make it to the brain. Bioasis has focused on overcoming this with their technology.