Dr. Steve Bende

Honorable Robert L. Livingston

Career Summary

  • Generic Pharmaceutical Association, Vice President of Scientific Affairs
  • Bacilligen, Inc., President and CEO
  • National Institutes of Health (NIH), scientist and administrator
    • Executive Secretary, NIH AIDS Vaccine Research Committee (now NIH AIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee)

Dr. Steve Bende has been affiliated with The Livingston Group since 2004, counting among his clients biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, universities, and non-profit research and patient care organizations.

Dr. Bende provides strategic science communication and advocacy services, including message development for scientifically complex and controversial topics targeting the media, lay public, institutional investors, Congress, and regulatory and funding agencies. He offers media training for clients, including scientists, to navigate press interviews, congressional briefings, and presentations to the lay public. He also has an extensive history of guiding companies and other entities through the federal business and resource development chain, including agency/executive branch sources (e.g., grants and contracts), as well as congressional appropriations. Dr. Bende also provides strategic business/science counsel to assist with the acquisition of new technologies and help define their potential markets and uses.

A former National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist and administrator, Dr. Bende worked with Dr. Anthony Fauci studying HIV. As an administrator, Dr. Bende coordinated funding of AIDS vaccine research and development, while continuing to serve as an advisor to Dr. Fauci. Dr. Bende served as Executive Secretary of the NIH AIDS Vaccine Research Committee (now called NIH AIDS Vaccine Research Subcommittee), a blue-ribbon panel assembled to advise NIH on HIV vaccine research strategy, and received seven awards, including the NIH Director's Award.

Prior to joining The Livingston Group, Dr. Bende was Vice President of Scientific Affairs at the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, where he represented the industry on science and science policy matters before the Food and Drug Administration, the press, the public, and Congress. He became a leading voice on the issue of follow-on biologics/biosimilars. Dr. Bende also has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Bacilligen, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on vaccines and cancer.

    Significant Associations, Activities and Accomplishments

  • NIH Director's Award for work regarding NIH's HIV vaccine research strategy
  • Member, Maryland Governor's Life Science Advisory Board working groups on Capital Formation, Business Environment, and Early Stage and Pipeline Programs
  • Stewarded for profit and not-for-profit entities through pursuit of funding from federal and state government agencies
  • Provided strategic counsel and political advocacy to startup/emerging companies pursuing funding, market focus, message packaging and message development and delivery for issues such as biosimilars, stem cells, small business policy, state funding of biotechnology, biodefense, generic drugs, clinical research, and vaccines
  • Translated complex science issues for use on Capitol Hill, with the media and lay public
  • Delivered media training to scientists and spokespersons of organizations advocating complex science issues
  • Business/commercial reviewer, National Science Foundation Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants

Practice Areas

  • Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals
  • Science, Technology and Telecommunications

Contact Information