Because of the Bayh-Dole Act, says Betsy de Parry, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor and patient advocate.
The Bayh-Dole Act “allows universities, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations to own the early stage inventions they make in the course of their research using federal grants,” explains de Parry in Fortune.
“These institutions can then license their intellectual property to private firms, which have the resources and experience to turn promising ideas into widely available medicines,” she continues.
The law was authored by Sen. Birch Bayh (D-IN) and Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS) in 1980, during what she calls “a divided moment, when Ronald Reagan had just won election but Jimmy Carter was still in office.”
And it’s led to 200+ medical innovations—including the radioimmunotherapy that saved her life.
“Patients owe a debt of gratitude to Senators Bayh and Dole, who recognized that empowering private drug companies to turn government-sponsored research into usable medicines and treatments is not a partisan issue,” she concludes.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bayh-Dole, it’s more important than ever to protect it. Visit www.bayhdole40.org to learn more.
Watch: Betsy de Parry explained more about how Bayh-Dole saved her life during last week’s Patient and Health Advocacy Digital Summit.
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