MassBio Town Hall w/ Special Guests from Tufts Medical Center on Efforts to Repurpose a Common Anti-Viral to Treat COVID

May 26, 2020 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Webinar, click "live-stream" button to view

Add to Calendar 5/26/2020 11:00:00 AM 5/26/2020 11:30:00 AM MassBio Town Hall w/ Special Guests from Tufts Medical Center on Efforts to Repurpose a Common Anti-Viral to Treat COVID

MassBio’s President & CEO, Bob Coughlin, will host a weekly virtual Town Hall for members, taking place every Tuesday at 11am. This will be an opportunity for our members to ask questions, hear what MassBio is up to, and learn more about the state of the industry amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For this Town Hall, Bob will be joined by special guests Dr. Harry Selker & Kirthana Beaulac from Tufts Medical Center who will discuss their work trying to repurpose an existing anti-viral drug, niclosamide, to fight COVID-19. They will share insights around:

  • How the idea of using niclosamide as an anti-viral to treat COVID-19 came about
  • The benefits of niclosamide compared to other drugs being considered for COVID 
  • The role academic medical centers play in the fight against COVID and in addressing all of the other unmet medical needs out there
  • How the partnership between academia, industry, and government has evolved over the years


Webinar link will be emailed to participants the day before - you can also access it from the "Live Stream" tab below. This event is for members-only. 

NOTE: MassBio makes every effort to accommodate our entire community at each of our events. Please let us know at least 3 days in advance of the event if you require special accommodations, such as captioning.

 Webinar, click "live-stream" button to view
President & CEO, MassBio
As President and CEO of the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council, Bob’s mission is to advance Massachusetts' leadership in the life sciences to grow the industry, add value to the healthcare system and improve patient lives. Over the last decade, Bob has truly become a champion for patients by ensuring innovative companies have the best environment possible to research, develop, and commercialize breakthrough therapies and cures for people around the world who need and deserve them. Bob has spent his career in both the public and private sectors. Before joining MassBio, he served as the Undersecretary of Economic Development within Governor Deval Patrick's administration, where he prioritized both healthcare and economic development issues and was a strong advocate for the life sciences industry in Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was elected as State Representative to the 11th Norfolk district for three terms. Bob has also held senior executive positions in the environmental services, capital management and venture capital industries. He brings passion and energy to all of his endeavors.