Dear Colleague,

Welcome to New York City. As the leaders of many of the foremost medical research institutions in the world, we believe there is no better place for the biosciences to grow and flourish. As you read this supplement, we believe that you will agree with us that the New York City story is the most exciting untold story in the biosciences today.

Our institutions have joined together, with business leaders and financial firms, to organize and promote the impressive bioscience industry cluster that exists and continues to grow in New York City.

Looking at New York City's bioscience cluster, the numbers speak for themselves. New York City is the home of 51 biotechnology companies, 10 of which have market capitalizations of more than $500 million. New York City boasts 15 world-renowned academic medical and research centers and 128 Nobel Laureates with ties to New York City institutions. Collectively, the institutions generate about 30 new companies a year and in 2003 received $1.2 billion in funding from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, we can draw on New York City's large and ethnically diverse population to participate in our clinical trials. More than 26,000 life scientists keep this cluster thriving. We also have more than 417,000 clinicians and healthcare professionals to care for the patients from around the world who come to New York City for the most advanced diagnosis and treatment.

Despite the successes of New York City, we are not resting on our laurels. Some of our institutions are preparing development plans for new construction of commercial bioscience facilities in proximity to our campuses. Our institutions benefit from a consortium that has created a research infrastructure to promote multi-institutional collaborations. And as we move forward, we are enthusiastic about working collaboratively with New York City and New York State to continue to build a bioscience industry cluster that will provide further benefits to our institutions and the local economy.

Enjoy the New York City story. When you finish, we know you'll be excited to be part of our growth.

Sincerely,