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A Senate hearing promotes legislation that would provide clarity on patents. Also: heroism and advocacy around arthritis. (670 words, 3 minutes, 21 seconds) |
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Senators push fix for patent clarity to support innovation |
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Legislation establishing clear rules about the kinds of ideas that can be patented would support innovation by ending spurious patent challenges, lawmakers and witnesses said in an Oct. 8 Senate hearing.
A bill to address the issue: The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) is essential to maintaining America’s leadership in innovation and intellectual property, Subcommittee Chair Thom Tillis told the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property hearing.
Why it matters: A series of highly criticized Supreme Court decisions over the last decade created ambiguity about what inventions are excluded from patenting, enabling dubious patent challenges. Lacking patent clarity, innovators are seeking IP protection in the EU and China instead, thereby threatening U.S. patent and innovation dominance.
BIO and judges back PERA: BIO, federal judges, and innovators across the technology spectrum have said this clarity is urgent.
BIO’s view: Under the current unclear interpretation of the law, real-world technological advances have been dismissed as mere abstract ideas not worthy of patent protection, notes Hans Sauer, BIO’s Deputy General Counsel and VP for IP. “Production cell lines, diagnostic fetal tests, garage door openers and automotive axle assemblies—these things aren’t mere abstractions, and they don't grow on trees.”
What’s next: As co-sponsor Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) noted, the bill has broad, bipartisan support. Chair Tillis said he looks forward to markup and passage of the bill this year.
Read more on Bio.News.
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Anyone can be an arthritis advocacy hero |
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World Arthritis Day reminds us that anyone can be a hero when it comes to raising awareness and advocating for patients.
Why it matters: Arthritis, a group of over 100 diseases, is the leading cause of disability in the U.S., affecting 1 in 4 adults and hundreds of thousands of children. Two-thirds of adults with arthritis are under 65, and 90% of arthritis sufferers say it interferes with daily activity.
Advocating for access: Advocates describe insurers’ utilization management challenges, like prior authorization and step therapy, which require patients to “fail first” on alternative medicines before getting the drug their doctor initially prescribed.
Costs of “fail first”: The Arthritis Foundation describes the impacts of over a year of step therapy on patients.
Take the case of a boy diagnosed at age 4: “The 14-month wait to get on the appropriate medicine left Hunter in immense pain, causing him to miss months of school and leaving him with permanent joint damage.”
Beyond Capitol Hill: While policy reform can improve access, advocacy and awareness raising can take many forms, including getting involved in events and sharing patient stories. Find out more about getting involved here. Find out more about getting involved here.
Read more on Bio.News. |
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The Senate last week passed the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The “BIOSECURE Act” was included as an amendment that would prohibit contracts with biotechnology partners on the Office of Management and Budget’s list of “Entities Identified as Chinese Military Companies Operating in the United States.” With the Senate passage, formal conference negotiations with the House will begin.
It’s day 13 of the federal government shutdown. News reports over the weekend focused on the reduction in force for federal workers, including within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
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