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The decades-long partnership between the federal government, research-focused universities and the life sciences industry has saved and strengthened countless lives, boosted economies and created jobs. Indiana has seen numerous examples of this—making it clear from a local perspective what is at stake as policymakers at the state and federal levels determine whether innovation will continue to be an American priority.
A recent study published by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, provides a prime example of how this government-academic-industry triad makes a difference. A few years ago, two pediatric bone diseases that cause patients lifelong pain were among the thousands of rare conditions without available treatments. Federal research provided important insights into the genetic and molecular mechanisms behind these diseases. Indiana University researchers picked up the baton and developed the scientific foundation for a breakthrough treatment. They licensed their work to a pharmaceutical research firm that got a therapy on the market in 2018 and began transforming lives.
In 1980, Congress passed the Bayh-Dole Act, a law that gave colleges and universities control of intellectual property rights to new discoveries, even if they were supported in the outset by federal funding. This law lit the match that started an innovation explosion in the United States: from 1996 to 2020, 141,000 patents, 18,000 startup companies, more than 554,000 inventions and $1.9 trillion in gross industrial output.
Indiana has been at the center of this growth. Over this same period, the Hoosier state has witnessed the issuance of more than 3,000 patents and almost 500 startups opening for business, contributing immeasurably to a life sciences industry in our state that supports nearly 134,000 jobs and generates more than $60 billion in annual economic impact.
Now the question is whether our nation plans to continue this winning streak, or if we’re going to be pumping the brakes on this rigorous pace of innovation.
There are worrisome signs to be sure. Externally, global competitors like China and India are trying to supplant the United States as the world’s biomedical innovation leader, investing massive resources to attract research companies and the best scientific minds to their countries. We should be concerned that China recently passed us in the number of clinical trials taking place each year.
It would be catastrophic on multiple levels if we ceded innovative superiority to our international competitors. Americans would not have the same access to cutting-edge medical treatments if they are developed overseas instead of here, and the research-driven economic growth that has generated jobs nationally and here in Indiana would be significantly trimmed back.
A better approach would be for policymakers to recognize the value of continuing what we’ve been doing so well for nearly half a century. This can be a golden era of game-changing medical breakthroughs that develop transformative treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. It should be a national priority to keep this vital work here in the U.S. with Indiana’s universities and life sciences companies leading the way.•
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Leonard is executive director of Washington, D.C.-based We Work For Health.
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