Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act
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BIO President and CEO Jim Greenwood wrote a letter in support of H.R. 6672, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) of 2012, sponsored and championed by Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI).</p>
Dear Speaker Boehner and Minority Leader Pelosi:
On behalf of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO), I am writing with our support for H.R. 6672, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) of 2012, sponsored and championed by Chairman Mike Rogers (R-MI).
BIO represents more than 1,100 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States. BIO members are involved in the research and development of healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. Our members play a central role in ensuring the effective development of medical countermeasures (MCMs) to protect our nation’s citizens against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats, whether naturally occurring or man-made.
We strongly support the simultaneous reauthorization of Project BioShield and the Special Reserve Fund (SRF) with PAHPRA . Because the government represents the sole marketplace for the vast majority of MCMs, the funding available through the SRF is vital for private companies, considering the high cost and significant time commitment associated with the development and manufacture of these products. We also support the bill’s provisions clarifying the regulatory process at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MCMs, as these provisions will help accelerate MCM development and approval, improving the nation’s preparedness.
We thank you for moving the legislation forward in the House, and we look forward to working with you, Chairman Rogers, Congressman Gene Green, and the Senate to ensure that H.R. 6672 is ultimately enacted into law this year. Thank you.
Sincerely,
James C. Greenwood
President & CEO
