'The patient's voice is everything'

Busiest Tuesday ever? What Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Katie Couric, and Dr. Ted W. Love said at the BIO International Convention yesterday, plus news from D.C. on IP, R&D amortization, and BIO’s new state economic development report—and we still kept it under 1,000 words. (887 words, 4 minutes, 26 seconds)

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What we’re watching on Wednesday: The day began with remarks from FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf—recap tomorrow. After a session on Accelerated Approval, we’ll explore topics including cancer and mental health, the women’s health ecosystem, and breakthrough RSV vaccines. We can’t forget about the Inflation Reduction Act—and panels will look at the impact on patients and innovation. Plus, our Good Day BIO Live sponsor GSK will discuss how we can get ahead of disease—together.

ICYMI: Dr. Ted Love elected BIO Board Chair

Who:Dr. Ted W. Love, who was President and CEO of Global Blood Therapeutics until the company’s acquisition by Pfizer last year. Over the last four years, Dr. Love served as Chair of the Emerging Companies Section Governing Board, and Vice Chair of BIO’s Health Section Governing Board.

What he’s looking forward to: “Getting to work on reframing who this industry is,” he told us in an exclusive interview. “We are an industry that fundamentally saves lives, improves and protects the future of our society, and that isn’t really recognized, and we need to be changing that.”

Read More: Bio.News and STAT News

Katie Couric: ‘The patient’s voice is everything’

BIO welcomed award-winning journalist and cancer advocate Katie Couric to the mainstage yesterday, where she talked about her experience as both a caregiver and patient, the importance of fighting misinformation, and much more. A few highlights: 

On talking about her breast cancer experience: “I have really been happy to destigmatize and demystify some of these procedures and help people understand in plain English what these diseases can do, how you can prevent them, how early detection saves lives. I’m a living example of that.” 

On patient advocacy: “The patient’s voice is everything. I think they can’t do it without the great scientists and researchers and medical experts, but they should be working in tandem.”

On biotech: “All you brilliant people in biotech, thank you for your brain power. I mean you blow my mind. You’re amazing. All the businesspeople, thank you for supporting their work. I think we are seeing just such monumental change in science and medicine, and I think AI…so it’s an incredibly exciting time.”

Watch a clip.

BIO warns House Judiciary against WTO IP giveaway for COVID therapeutics

A waiver of World Trade Organization (WTO) IP protections for COVID therapeutics and diagnostics will do nothing to increase supplies of medicines while jeopardizing U.S. leadership in biotech innovation, BIO argued in comments submitted for the record of a House Judiciary hearing yesterday. 

IP rights don’t prevent distribution of COVID therapeutics,explained BIO Chief Policy Officer John Murphy in the testimony: “governments and NGOs purchased 80 million courses of COVID-19 therapeutics in 2022 but administered only 18 million courses.”

In fact, IP promotes new therapeutics: “The best way we can support our national public health infrastructure for future crises is by maintaining robust incentives to innovate – and that starts with strong IP protections,” said Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) at the hearing. See her remarks at the 01:21:25 mark in this video.

BIO’s take: “The acute focus on IP rights by proponents of an IP waiver and their failure to focus on addressing genuine public health challenges to address the safe administration of COVID-19 therapeutics suggest that there are ulterior motives for their advocacy in support of a waiver of IP rights,” Murphy writes. 

More reading: Experts discuss IP legislation at BIO International Convention

Mass Gov. announces reauthorization of Massachusetts Life Science Initiative, new workforce programs

Speaking during the Day 2 opening keynote, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced next steps on key initiatives to advance life sciences investment and workforce development in the state—here’s what she said. 

The news: She’s working with the legislature and a coalition of industry leaders to plan the next reauthorization of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Initiative, which expires in 2025. 

She’s launching two new workforce programs—read more in Bio.News.

What they’re saying: “We’re the global epicenter for life sciences—and we really want to grow,” Governor Healey told us in an interview after her remarks. “We want more investment, more talent, more pipelines, more opportunities for life sciences here in Massachusetts.”

More News:

BIO: New report explores latest best practices in state bioscience economic development initiatives
“The U.S. Biosciences Industry in the States: Best Practices in Innovation, Partnerships, and Job Creation analyzes the latest legislative and regulatory economic development initiatives at the state and regional level that help support the bioscience sector.” (We’ll have a deep dive next week.) 

The Washington Post: Merck sues over Medicare price negotiations
“The lawsuit targets a central provision in the Inflation Reduction Act, a sprawling package to improve health care and combat climate change that President Biden enacted last year. The law explicitly grants Medicare new authority to haggle with drug companies over some of their prices, a set of powers that could in turn reduce the portion that patients must pay for their prescriptions. … Merck on Tuesday blasted the idea of Medicare price negotiation as a ‘sham’ and a form of ‘extortion.’”

President Biden’s Wednesday: No public events scheduled.

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Yesterday, the House Small Business Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access held a hearing, “American Ingenuity: Promoting Innovation Through the Tax Code.” BIO submitted testimony for the record. Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS), the lead House Republican on the bill to repeal the R&D amortization provision, joined a bipartisan group expressing concerns about the impact of amortization on small businesses, innovation, global competitiveness, and support for immediate action to repeal it—here’s his testimony. Ranking Member Greg Landsman (D-OH) added R&D amortization “will negatively impact many small businesses, particularly many early-stage startups.”

Today, the House Energy & Commerce Oversight Subcommittee holds a hearing called “Assessing CDC's Failures in Fulfilling its Mission.” The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property will hold a hearing, Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property – Part I: Patents, Innovation, and Competition.