BIO 2025: Progress can't wait.

Day 2: Progress can't wait.

On Day 2, BIO welcomes several government officials from the U.S. and around the world to explore how policy can support biotech innovation—because progress can’t wait. 

What we’re watching today: This morning, former Member of Congress Dr. Larry Bucshon, M.D., joins a panel on lawmakers’ shifting attitudes toward vaccines, and this afternoon, we’ll hear from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Martin Makary, M.D. Other sessions will cover hot policy topics, including Inflation Reduction Act litigation, IP, and trade.

How to follow BIO 2025:

• Follow Bio.News for panel recaps, exclusive Q&As, and much more.
• Join the conversation on LinkedIn or your favorite social media platform with #BIO2025. Watch for exclusive video content and repost-worthy quotes.
• Watch your inbox for highlights right here at 10 AM ET.

How public-private partnerships can advance biodefense goals

BIO 2025 started with a multi-panel session featuring officials from the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and the Department of Defense about how public-private partnerships can advance biodefense goals.

A key takeaway: Panelists emphasized that events like the BIO International Convention (and organizations like BIO) provide an essential bridge between government and innovators to enable the commercialization of biodefense solutions America needs.

What government needs: ASPR Chief of Staff Mark O’Neill stressed the need for partnerships with innovative biotechs who produce medical countermeasures (MCMs) that can strengthen the Strategic National Stockpile to address public threats like pandemics or bioterrorism.

Why onshoring matters: ASPR’s Arlene Joyner said her agency seeks companies that can manufacture critical medicines sustainably, in the U.S. “India and China—if they close their doors, we would be in trouble,” she said.

What biotech needs: Support for developing drugs that sit in stockpiles, consistent funding, and reinstatement of the Priority Review Voucher program, said Bryan Shuy, a biotech executive with government experience.

What’s next: “We really have a lot of educating to do to build champions in Congress” for biodefense, said East End Group’s Kelly Childress Lange.

Read more on Bio.News.

Above: Kelly Seagraves, Ph.D., BIO's Vice President, National Security & International Affairs, describes four policy priorities to secure America's biotech future.

AI Summit highlights role of collaboration in reaching the next frontier

AI is transforming drug discovery and clinical trials, but collaboration is key to reaching new heights, said experts at Day 1's AI Summit.

The key takeaway: AI is revolutionizing biotech at an unprecedented pace, but it’s only as effective as the data it learns from. The next big challenge: refining AI’s real-world applications and encouraging collaboration.

Why it matters: “We’re at the precipice of understanding disease biologies in ways we could not before,” said Iya Khalil, Ph.D., VP and Head of Data, A.I. & Genome Sciences at Merck. “This is going to hopefully bring a host of drugs that are working in different ways, ways we hadn’t imagined and anticipated [and] ways that are better for patients.”

What's next: “We can use AI to find inefficiencies and leverage them as a biotech company, to get to places like clinical trials faster,” added Luba Greenwood, Executive in Residence at PureTech Health and CEO of Gallop Oncology.

What’s after that: “AI is also starting to enter spaces that humans are innately good at: reasoning and critical thinking and hypothesis generation,” said Molly Gibson, Ph.D., Co-Founder and President of Future Science at Lila. “

Collaboration is key: “It’s not a solo effort,” said Mary Rozenman, CFO/CBO of Insitro. “I cannot wait to see what all of us in this room do over the next decade, as these forces continue to converge.”

Read more on Bio.News.

ICYMI: BIO elects Genentech’s Fritz Bittenbender as new Board chair

Fritz Bittenbender, Senior Vice President and Head of Genentech Public Affairs and Access, assumes the position from Ted W. Love, MD, former president and CEO of Global Blood Therapeutics (GBT).

See the announcement and the full list of BIO’s Executive Committee Members for the 2025-2026 term.

Read his interview in POLITICO Pro.

The Last Word

With over 64,000 partnering meetings already scheduled as of Day 1, BIO 2025 is on track to set records and drive new collaborations. Mackensie Vernetti, BIO’s VP of Partnering, explains how the new BIO Partnering system is helping companies meet business partners.

Why it matters: Partnering “is all about accelerating the discovery and development of cures and treatments for patients, because the world can’t wait for the new medicines and innovation that come out of BIO International Convention,” she said.