California’s biomedical industry has a new trade council as a result of a merger between 2 of the Golden State’s largest life science lobbying groups.

The California Healthcare Institute said today that it signed a letter of intent to merge with the Bay Area Bioscience Assn. to create a new entity called the California Biomedical Innovation Alliance.

The new organization, which will have offices in San Diego and San Francisco, is slated to be led by Sara Radcliffe, who comes the group from her role as an executive at the Biotechnology Industry Organization, according to a prepared release.

CHI, which represents 275 medical device and biotech compaines in California, was founded in 1993 by David Gollaher, who served as CEO until he departed last January for a role at Gilead Sciences as head of policy & public health for the drug company.