[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 44 (Monday, March 16, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E337]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RARE DISEASE MONTH, HONORING DR. ABRAHAM ABUCHOWSKI

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. LEONARD LANCE

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 16, 2015

  Mr. LANCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Dr. Abraham 
Abuchowski, a constituent from Warren, NJ, for his contributions to the 
rare disease community, his important role in bringing innovative 
orphan therapies to market and his support of the biotechnology 
industry in New Jersey.
  Last month Dr. Abuchowski was presented with the Dr. Sol J. Barer 
Award for Vision, Innovation and Leadership. This award recognizes 
outstanding research and business leaders who have made and who 
continue to make significant contributions to the growth and prosperity 
of the biosciences industry in New Jersey and throughout the world.
  After receiving his doctorate from Rutgers University, Dr. Abuchowski 
went on to develop PEGylation, the most widely used protein drug 
delivery system in the world. He founded Enzon to commercialize the 
technology and it later became the first biotechnology company in New 
Jersey to obtain Food and Drug Administration approval of a product.
  Three decades later, New Jersey has become a leader in the 
biotechnology industry and our companies have secured more than thirty 
drug and medical device approvals in 2014 alone. Dr. Abuchowski is 
continuing his work to improve health outcomes for individuals affected 
by rare diseases and the company he currently leads, Prolong 
Pharmaceuticals, recently received an orphan drug designation from the 
Food and Drug Administration for a therapy he has been working on to 
treat sickle cell disease.
  I am proud of the contributions that Dr. Abuchowski has made to 
advance medical research and to develop innovative treatments for rare 
diseases in New Jersey and around the world. I ask my colleagues to 
continue to support rare disease research and treatment development to 
ensure affected individuals have access to innovative therapies and 
improved health outcomes.

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