Today Georgia Bio joins several other associations to sign-on the U.S. Chamber Letter to Secretary Mnuchin, Secretary Ross, Ambassador Lighthizer, and Director Kudlow.

The letter respectfully ask that the Trump administration defer moves to expand the reach of “Buy American” mandates to the medical equipment and biopharmaceutical sector during the present national emergency.


Please see below to read the full letter:

The undersigned organizations applaud the Trump administration’s focused response to the coronavirus pandemic. In particular, we appreciate the administration’s encouragement of public-private partnerships to quickly develop a vaccine for COVID-19 and expand the supply of medical countermeasures. We also commend the administration’s efforts to work with tech companies to map the spread of the coronavirus as well as FDA efforts to loosen regulations and increase testing capacities. American companies will do whatever it takes to support our country’s pandemic response and will continue to work hand in glove with government to get the job done.

While we are encouraged by this partnership and the administration’s ongoing labors with our international allies to respond to the pandemic with all available resources, we are concerned by reports of a draft “Buy American” executive order that could be counterproductive to these efforts. Such an order may delay the discovery of a COVID-19 vaccine and other treatments, worsen shortages of critically-needed medicines and medical products, and undermine prospects for economic recovery.

Now more than ever, U.S. industries require access to international supply chains to produce critically-needed medical products. The United States simply does not produce all of the raw materials or intermediate goods that are essential to drug development or production of the medical equipment needed to thwart this epidemic. Preventing federal agencies from sourcing medical equipment and pharmaceutical ingredients from abroad — or that are made with non-U.S. inputs — will only exacerbate the supply shortages racking the United States.

Further, as the world’s most innovative economy, the United States cannot shut itself off from the rest of the world. Turning our backs on trading partners during a crisis could damage our relationships long after this pandemic ends. If we implement localization requirements, many of our trade partners would assuredly follow our lead and limit imports from the United States.

For these reasons, we respectfully ask that the Trump administration defer moves to expand the reach of “Buy American” mandates to the medical equipment and biopharmaceutical sector during the present national emergency. This pandemic has raised awareness of vulnerabilities in supply chains, and American industries look forward to working with the administration to solve those challenges with well-thought-out solutions, but those efforts should be deferred until the national emergency is passed.

Today, our shared priority must be to defeat COVID-19. The U.S. business community is committed to doing whatever it takes — working in close partnership with you — to achieve this goal.

Georgia Life Sciences Designates City of Atlanta as Newest BioReady® Community

By Sheran Brown • February 21, 2025
Georgia Life Sciences Designates City of Atlanta as Newest BioReady® Community

Bipartisan PBM Reform Back in Focus as House Committee Plans Hearing

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
A renewed push for prescription drug cost reform is gaining momentum in Congress, with the House Energy and Commerce Committee's health subcommittee planning a hearing on pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform for late February. The hearing, to be led by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), signals a revival of bipartisan efforts to regulate these pharmaceutical intermediaries. PBMs, which negotiate drug prices for insurers and employers, have become a focal point in the broader discussion of healthcare costs. A previous bipartisan agreement to regulate these entities was crafted by Carter and Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) in the last Congress, though it ultimately stalled when the larger spending bill it was attached to faced opposition. The reform efforts enjoy broad support from both parties and the president, making it one of the few areas with potential for bipartisan cooperation. However, new complications have emerged as Republicans consider using PBM regulations to generate savings for their broader policy agenda, potentially requiring up to $880 billion in cost reductions. The path forward remains uncertain, with ongoing debates about whether such reforms would qualify for budget reconciliation and whether using PBM regulations as a funding mechanism could derail bipartisan cooperation. Meanwhile, stakeholders continue to disagree on the impact of additional PBM regulation, with pharmaceutical companies arguing that PBMs inflate drug costs while PBMs contend that new regulations would increase prices.

Council on State Biotechnology Associations says NIH funds are a critical component of innovation ecosystem

By Sheran Brown • February 20, 2025
The Council of State Biotechnology Associations (CSBA) has issued a strong warning about proposed cuts to National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, emphasizing the critical role these grants play in America's biotech innovation ecosystem. The statement, below , comes amid concerns over recent guidance that would reduce NIH funding to key research institutions. ----------------------- “Today, the US biotech industry employs nearly 2.3 million people across the US and is making positive contributions to economic impact and national security across all 50 states. In fact, for every dollar the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contributes to a successful drug, the private sector invests over $65, underscoring the agency’s unparalleled return on investment. As the associations representing the bioscience industry across the nation, the Council on State Biotechnology Associations (CSBA) is concerned by recent guidance that would cut funding provided by the NIH to universities, hospitals, and other institutions that perform critical early-stage research. NIH grant funds are a critical component of our innovation ecosystem. Grants for basic research are the spark that leads to university-driven discoveries, with public-private partnerships and tech transfers that bridge early-stage research to industry-sponsored drug development and ultimately to FDA approved medical advances for hundreds of diseases. While the administration looks for greater efficiency in the use of taxpayer dollars, it cannot be overstated - once scientific innovation moves abroad, it may never return. In the race for scientific innovation around the world, as our adversaries continue to increase government investments in research, we encourage President Trump to follow suit and ensure that we maintain our global leadership in an industry that was created and thrives across the US.”
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