printBIO [2] President & CEO Jim Greenwood [3] and the Chair of BIO's Board of Directors, Dr. Joshua Boger [4], President & CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated [5], hosted a media briefing on September 3rd to discuss key legislative issues to be considered in the last few weeks of the 110th Congress or, more likely, by a new Congress and Presidential administration next year. They reviewed BIO's main accomplishments during the current Congress, and discussed pending issues important to the biotech industry, including:
They also emphasized the critical importance of confirming the next Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration [8] (FDA) early in the next Administration to provide the strong leadership necessary to lead the agency, which has a critical health and safety mission. During the Q&A with participating reporters , the positions of Senators John McCain [9] and Barack Obama [10] on health care reform and intellectual property were of great interest. According to Boger and Greenwood, although both Senators have been supportive of embryonic stem cell research [11] and increased funding for medical research, both also support re-importation of drugs and would allow the government to negotiate prices under the Medicare Part D drug benefit. The challenge for BIO and its members is to ensure that both candidates understand that to reach our shared goals - increased access to health care, environmental sustainability, and the development of renewable forms of energy - we must have public policy that encourages continued biotechnology innovation. Download and listen to the media briefing [12].