BIO represents 1,000 members in a biotech ecosystem with a central mission – to advance public policy that supports a wide range of companies and academic research centers that are working to apply biology and technology in the energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and health sectors to improve the lives of people and the health of the planet. BIO is committed to speaking up for the millions of families around the globe who depend upon our success. We will drive a revolution that aims to cure patients, protect our climate, and nourish humanity.

The Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) is the largest biotechnology trade association, representing approximately 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. Our members are working every day to solve the greatest challenges facing society—whether it is finding a cure for cancer, protecting the public against bio-terror threats, feeding hungry people nutritious food, or generating renewable fuels, renewable chemicals, and other biobased products. We support public policies, including government funding for key agencies and programs that unleash our members’ scientific innovation potential and grow the biobased economy. BIO members urge you to actively support the following priorities as you consider the Fiscal Year 2023 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

On Wednesday, April 27th, BIO submitted comments regarding an upcoming meeting of ODAC’s Pediatric Oncology Subcommittee on PREA Waivers for Same-in-Class Drugs. In particular, the subcommittee will meet to discuss the development of a conceptual framework that will inform the decision making of FDA on sponsor plans and requests for waivers of early pediatric investigations of molecularly targeted cancer drugs and biologics when multiple same-in-class products are approved and/or in development, recognizing that the rarity of pediatric cancers may preclude the feasibility of investigations of multiple products. In the comments submitted, BIO stated support for the development of a conceptual framework as the absence of an effective mechanism for making decisions about the feasibility of preliminary efficacy studies may increase the likelihood that studies cannot be fully enrolled, an outcome undesirable to all stakeholders. However, BIO emphasized that the construction of a conceptual framework to assist FDA’s regulatory decision making should avoid unduly burdening one sponsor more than its competitors, utilize scientific data (e.g., mechanistic, nonclinical, clinical, etc.), and have a patient-centric approach. 

As a diverse set of stakeholders dedicated to building a cleaner, more resilient aviation industry, we write today to urge your committees to prioritize funding for federal programs that will help develop and scale up the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) market in the United States. In particular, we urge you to support robust funding for the Department of Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) at levels that meet or exceed the President’s budget request.

As a broad coalition of aviation industry stakeholders—including passenger and cargo carriers, clean fuel producers, engine and aircraft manufacturers, labor unions, airports, business and general aviation, airline passengers, trade associations, and think tanks—committed to decarbonizing aviation, we write to express our strong support for a new, long-term, technology- and feedstock-neutral tax incentive for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We believe the most important action Congress can take to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector is to enact a blender’s tax credit specifically aimed at incentivizing the production and use of SAF.