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It's Day 4. We recap a few impactful sessions exploring why patients – including rare disease patients and women – can't wait. Today, we close out with a look at how we can ensure the virtuous cycle of innovation continues. (786 words, 3 minutes, 55 seconds) |
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Day 4: Breakthroughs can't wait.
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Biotech and national security: ‘Time to act but no time to wait’ |
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America’s leadership in biotech is essential to national security—and it’s under threat, said the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) in a BIO 2025 panel on Wednesday.
“There is time to act but no time to wait,” said Michelle Rozo, Vice Chair of the NSCEB, which released a report in April highlighting the urgency of competing with China on biotech, not only for economic reasons but also for security.
Why it matters: Biotech developments related to national security include vaccines against bioweapons and freeze-dried blood components so wounded warfighters get transfusions in the first “golden hour” essential to survival. We can also use biomanufacturing to develop materials for defense.
Case in point: The Defense Department funded the development of a carbon-based material produced with bacteria to neutralize chemical warfare agents. Now, it may find commercial applications for increasing the capacity of oxygen tanks, soaking up forever chemicals, and enabling cleaner mining, said NSCEB’s Angela Belcher.
BIO’s view: “The world is a safer, better, healthier, and more prosperous place when we lead in biotechnology,” noted Crowley. “It’s not just for Americans; it’s for everybody in the world.”
What’s next: There are 49 recommendations in the report, impacting 19 different congressional committees. The NSCEB has 18 months to work with Congress and the administration to empower a single coordinating body to take the report’s recommendations forward.
Read more on Bio.News.
Watch our video with NSCEB’s Michelle Rozo: |
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Rare disease patients can't wait |
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Whether it is driving policy that supports innovation, improving coordination with regulatory bodies, or facilitating partnerships, BIO is committed to helping rare disease patients live longer, healthier lives—a major theme during BIO 2025.
Several panels covered rare disease policy solutions, including passage of the ORPHAN Cures Act and reauthorization of the Pediatric Priority Review Voucher.
The key takeaway: "Our goal is to spur investment in innovation and ensure that patients who can benefit from new medicines, new therapies, are ultimately going to have access to them. One way we're doing that is working on modernizing our regulatory processes and ensuring that our regulatory reviews match the speed of innovation," said Sarah Alspach, Executive Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at BIO. "We're also looking at...improvements and changes to the Inflation Reduction Act, which we know has had an impact on investment in research."
Why it matters: “In one word, for the rare disease community, the PRV means hope,” said Karin Hoelzer, D.V.M., Ph.D., Senior Director, Patient Advocacy at BIO.
The bottom line: “When we think about why we do what we do, the purpose and meaning to everything in biotechnology, it goes back to that moment when a patient and their family, their loved ones, receive a diagnosis, and they’re scared and they’re confused and they need hope and they need newer and better medicines,” said BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley. “And that’s what we need to provide here.”
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A panel earlier in the week issued a clear challenge: redefine how we understand, research, and invest in women’s health.
By the numbers: Only 5% of conditions affecting women are exclusively gynecological or reproductive in nature. The remaining 95% include areas like heart disease, Alzheimer’s, depression, and autoimmune disorders—conditions where women face distinct risks and outcomes, yet have historically been underrepresented in clinical research and drug development.
What must change: Speakers from WHAM (Women’s Health Access Matters), Organon, and the Society for Women’s Health Research called for a systemic shift in investment, research design, and policy, with cross-sector collaboration at its core.
Why it matters: “Investing in women’s health isn’t just the ethically correct decision. It’s a smart, scalable business decision,” said Carolee Lee, founder of WHAM.
The investment case: Women comprise 51% of the population but are responsible for 80% of healthcare decisions and 85% of consumer spending. The women’s health market is projected to reach $66 billion by 2033.
Read more on Bio.News.
Watch our interview with WHAM’s Carolee Lee: |
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ICYMI: George W. Bush at BIO 2025 |
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George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, headlined Tuesday's mainstage with an exclusive conversation with BIO President & CEO John F. Crowley. As Commander in Chief, President Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity, and security at home and abroad, notably launching global HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives that have saved millions of lives, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
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"You get the news that she has a brain tumor, you are frozen. You don't know what to do. You are stuck depending on other people and their expertise. You are hoping for the best," said Pro Football Hall of Famer, Broadcaster, and Entrepreneur Michael Strahan, speaking during Wednesday's mainstage program about his daughter's diagnosis.
"And listening and knowing that people like you in this room are what is behind what treats, what helps, what gets the patients back on their feet, what gives the families hope...is the greatest gift I think you could ever give.” |
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