Project BioShield is Important Step Forward in Securing the National Defense

"Project BioShield is a critical first step toward the development of the drugs and vaccines needed to protect our nation's citizens and military personnel against biological or chemical weapons attacks.

"The biotechnology industry is committed to contributing to our nation's common defense and is enthusiastic about applying its products and technologies to such an important cause.

"By providing better liability protections for those companies that choose to develop biomedical countermeasures and creating the procurement structure to make product development and production financially viable, Congress would help ensure that a broader segment of the biotech industry can participate in the Project BioShield program."

BIO represents more than 1,000 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations in all 50 U.S. states and 33 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of health-care, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. For more information, visit www.bio.org.