Congress intros 3 bills with BIO support

Ending the week with a win—actually three, as Congress introduced three important bills drafted with BIO support. And as National Pollinator Week comes to a close, we explore how biotech is giving a boost to bees. (678 words, 3 minutes, 23 seconds)

Congress introduces 3 bills drafted with BIO support

Yesterday was a big day for BIO on Capitol Hill as three bills we helped develop were introduced in Congress. 

Bill #1: The Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership (PREVAIL) Act better balances interests of patent owners and patent challengers by reforming the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB) at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The bill was introduced by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Reps. Ken Buck (R-CO) and Deborah Ross (D-NC).

Why it matters: USPTO is proposing reforms to PTAB patent invalidation proceedings. BIO VP for IP Hans Sauer, who submitted recommendations on those proposals Tuesday, said PREVAIL would codify important reforms.

BIO’s take: “Strong intellectual property protections sustain America’s global leadership in biotechnology innovation and the creation of hundreds of thousands of high-wage, high-value jobs,” Sauer explained.

Bill #2: The Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2023, also from Sens. Tillis and Coons, would clarify patent eligibility for complex new technologies—such as gene therapy.

BIO’s take: “Courts and stakeholders have long called for clarification in the law on what is eligible for patent protection. Providing clearer guidance will help early-stage innovators,” said a BIO statement.

Bill #3: The Medical Supply Chain Resiliency Act, from Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Tillis, aims to ensure critical medical supplies are delivered safely, swiftly, and efficiently by authorizing POTUS to negotiate with “trusted trading partners” committed to global health security, rule of law, and transparency. 

BIO’s take: “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need to create robust supply chains to meet global medical needs. Senator Carper’s legislation is an important step in that direction.”

More Health News:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA): FDA approves first gene therapy for treatment of certain patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy
“Today’s approval addresses an urgent unmet medical need and is an important advancement in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a devastating condition with limited treatment options, that leads to a progressive deterioration of an individual’s health over time,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The drug is developed by BIO member Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.

Biotech boosts the bees that spread pollen

All those summer fruits and blooming flowers thrive thanks to bees—which are being protected by a new biotech vaccine.

Why bees matter: “Honey bee pollination alone adds more than $18 billion in value to agricultural crops annually,” says USDA. National Pollinator Week celebrates the role of bees (and insects, birds, and bats) in producing 100+ crops.

The problem: U.S. honey bees are threatened by American Foulbrood, caused by the spore-forming Paenibacillus larvae, which attacks bee larvae and spreads quickly, eventually weakening and killing an entire colony.

Biotech to the rescue: Dalan Animal Health, a Georgia-based biotechnology firm, developed the first vaccine for American Foulbrood to receive conditional USDA approval. The vaccine uses killed whole-cell Paenibacillus larvae and is mixed into the queen feed that worker bees eat.

The next steps: The first commercial shipment to California’s Tauzer Apiaries “contains 500 doses, potentially protecting 25 million bees at an average of 50,000 bees per hive,” Dalan says.

Other bee-boosting biotech: Beeflow’s dietary supplement boosts immunity, helping bees fly more and carry more pollen, Bloomberg reports. Another Beeflow supplement trains bees to pollinate desired crops, increasing yields 20-90%.

Bees become biosensors, collecting data about the environment to protect bee health, in a system combining biotech and data science developed by Beefutures, a startup that just announced seed investment worth more than $1.5 million.

What’s next: Innovations to watch for include a gut bacteria genetically engineered by scientists at the University of Texas to help bees withstand pests.

President Biden’s Friday: Meeting with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CEOs of American companies, and representatives from Indian firms, building on yesterday’s talks to boost trade, per U.S. News and Reuters.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: A quiet last day before the two-week recess begins.